Sirach 32

¹ Whanne a wickid man cursith the deuel, he cursith his owne soule. ² A priuy bacbitere schal defoule his soule, and in alle thingis he schal be hatid, and he that dwellith, schal be hatid; a stil man and wijs schal be onourid. ⁴ A slow man is stonyd in a stoon of cley; and alle men schulen speke on the dispisyng of him. ⁵ A slow man is stonyd of the dung of oxis; and ech man that touchith hym, schal schake the hondis. ⁶ The schame of a fadir is of a sone vnlerned; but a fonned douyter schal be in decreessyng. ⁷ A prudent douyter is eritage to hir hosebonde; for sche that schendith hir hosebonde, is in dispisyng of the fadir. ⁸ A `schameles womman schendith the fadir and hosebonde, and schal not be maad lesse than vnfeithful men; forsothe sche schal not be onourid of euer either. ⁹ Melodie in morenyng is vncouuenable tellyng; betyngis and techyng in al tyme with wisdom. ¹⁰ He that techith a fool, as he that glueth togidere a tiel stoon. ¹¹ He that tellith a word to hym that herith not, is as he that reisith a man slepynge fro a greuouse sleep. ¹² He that tellith wisdom to a fool, spekith with a man slepynge; and in the ende of the tellyng he schal seie, Who is this? ¹³ Wepe thou on a deed man, for whi his liyt failide; and wepe thou on a fool, for he failide of wit. ¹⁴ Wepe thou a litil on a deed man, for he hath restid. ¹⁵ Forsothe the lijf of a ful wickid man is ful wickid, more than the deth of a fool. ¹⁶ The morenyng of a deed man is seuene daies; but the morenyng of a fool and of a wickid man is alle the daies of her lijf. ¹⁷ Speke thou not myche with a fool, and go thou not with an vnwijs man. ¹⁸ Keep thee fro hym, that thou haue not disese; and thou schalt not be defoulid in the synne of hym. ¹⁹ Boowe thou awei fro hym, and thou schalt fynde reste; and be thou not anoied by his foly. ²⁰ What schal be maad heuyere than leed? and what othere name than a fool is to it? ²¹ It is liytere to bere grauel, and salt, and a gobet of yrun, than a man vnprudent, and a fool, and vnfeithful. ²² As an heep of trees, boundun togidere in the foundement of the bilding, schal not be vnboundun, so and an herte confermed in the thouyt of counsel. ²³ The thouyt of a wijs man shal not be maad schrewid in ony tyme, nether drede. ²⁴ As chaffis in hiye places, and soond with out medling of hym, set ayens the face of wynd, schulen not dwelle;