Sirach 38
Sirach chapter 38 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 A lanterne schynynge on an hooli candilstike, and the fairnesse of a face on stidfast age. 2 Goldun pileris on siluerne foundementis, and stidfast feet on the soolis of a stidfast womman. 3 Euerlastynge foundementis on a sad stoon, and the heestis of God in the herte of an hooli womman. 4 In twei thingis myn herte was maad sori, and in the thridde thing wrathfulnesse cam to me. 5 A man a werriour failynge bi nedynesse, and a wijs man dispisid. 6 And God hath maad hym redi to the swerd, that passith ouer fro riytfulnesse to synne. 7 Twei spices apperiden harde and perilouse to me; a marchaunt is delyuered of hard fro his necgligence, and a tauerner schal not be iustified of synnes of lippis. 9 Many men han trespassid for nedynesse; and he that sekith to be maad riche, turneth a wei his iye. 10 As a stake is fastned in the myddis of a heep of stoonys, so and a man schal be angwischid bi synnes bitwixe the middis of sillyng and biyng. 11 Trespas schal be al to-brokun with hym that trespassith. 12 If thou holdist not thee diligentli in the drede of the Lord, thin hous schal soone be turned vpsedoun. 13 As dust schal dwelle in the hoolis of a riddil, so the angwisch of a man schal dwelle in the thouyt of hym. 14 A furneis preueth the vessels of a pottere; and the temptacioun of tribulacioun preueth iust men. 15 As cherliche trauel aboute a tree schewith the fruyt therof, so a word of thouyt schewith the herte of man. 16 Preise thou not a man bifore a word; for whi this is the temptacioun of men. 17 If thou suest riytfulnesse, thou schalt take it; thou schalt clothe it as a long cloth of onour, and thou schalt dwelle with it, and it schal defende thee with outen ende, and in the dai of knowing thou shalt fynde stidfastnesse. 18 Volatilis comen togidere to briddis lijk hem silf; and treuthe schal turne ayen to hem that worchen it. 19 A lioun settith aspies euere to huntyng; so synnes to hem that worchen wickidnesse. 20 An hooly man dwellith in wisdom, as the sunne dwellith stabli; for whi a fool is chaungid as the moone. 21 In the myddis of vnwise men kepe thou a word to tyme; but be thou bisi in the myddis of hem that thenken the lawe of God. 22 The tellyng of synneris is hateful; and the leiyyng of hem is in the trespassis of synne. 23 Speche sweringe myche schal make stondyng up of heeris, for astonying, to the heed; and vnreuerence therof is stoppyng of eeris. 24 The schedyng out of blood is in the chidyng of proude men; and the cursyng of hem is greuouse heryng. 25 He that schewith opynli the priuytees of a frend, leesith feithfulnesse; and he schal not fynde a frend to his soule. 26 Loue thou a neiybore, and be thou ioyned with hym in feith. 27 For if thou schewist opynli the priuytees of hym, thou schalt not perfitli sue aftir hym. 28 For as a man that leesith his frend, so he that leesith the frenschipe of his neiybore. 29 And as a man that latith go a brid fro his hond, so thou that hast forsake thi neiybore, and thou schalt not take hym. 30 Thou schalt not sue hym, for he is fer absent; for he ascapid as a capret fro a snare, for the soule of hym is woundid. 31 Thou schalt no more mow bynde hym togidere; but of yuel seiyng is acordyng. 32 Sotheli to schewe opynli the pryuytees of a frend, is dispeir of a soule vnblessid. 33 He that twynclith with the iye, makith wickid thingis; 34 and no man schal caste hym awei. In the siyt of thin iyen he schal defoule his mouth, and he schal wondre on thi wordis; but at the laste he schal turne weiwerdli his mouth, and in his wordis he schal yyue sclaundre.
