Sirach 4
Sirach chapter 4 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 and makith to it a worthi dwellyng place, and settith it in the wal, and he fastneth it with irun, 2 lest perauenture it falle doun; and he purueyeth for it, and woot, that it may not helpe it silf; for it is an ymage, and help is nedeful therto. 3 And he makith auowe, and enquerith of his catel, and of hise sones, and of weddyngis; he is not aschamed to speke with hym, that is with out soule; 4 and sotheli for helthe he bisechith a thing vnmyyti, and for lijf he preieth a thing with out lijf, and he clepith an vnprofitable thing in to help. 5 And for iourney he axith of that thing, that mai not go; and of getyng, and of worchyng, and of bifallyng of alle thingis he axith of hym, which is vnprofitable in alle thingis. 7 Eft an other man thenkynge to seile in schip, and bigynnynge to make iournei thorouy ferse wawis, inwardli clepith a tre frelere than the tre that berith hym. 8 For whi couetise to gete money foond that idol; and a crafti man made it bi his wisdom. 9 But thou, fadir, gouernest bi puruyaunce, for thou yauest weie in the see, and a most stidfast path among wawis; 10 schewynge that thou art miyti to make hool of alle thingis, yhe, if a man goith to the see with out schip; 11 but that the werkis of thi wisdom schulden not be voide, for this thing men bitaken her lyues, yhe, to a litil tre, and thei passen the see, and ben delyuered bi a schip. 12 But at the bigynnyng, whanne proude giauntis perischiden, the hope of the world fledde to a schip, and sente efte seed of birthe to the world, which was gouerned bi thin hond. 13 For whi blessid is the tree, bi which riytfulnesse was maad. 14 But the idol which is maad bi hond is cursid, bothe it, and he that made it, for sotheli he wrouyte grete trespas; sotheli that idol, whanne it was freel, was nemyd God. 15 Forsothe in lijk maner the wickid man and his wickidnesse ben hateful to God. 16 For whi that that is maad schal suffre turmentis, with hym that made it. 17 For this thing and to the idols of naciouns schal not be biholdyng; for the creaturis of God ben maad in to hatrede, and in to temptacioun to the soule of men, and in to a trappe to the feet of vnwise men. 18 For the bigynnyng of fornycacioun is the sekyng out of idols, and the fynding of tho idols is the corrupcioun of lijf. 19 Forsothe tho weren not at the bigynnyng, nethir tho schulen be with out ende. 20 For whi the voidnesse of men foond these idols in to the world; and therfor the ende of tho is foundun schort. 21 For whi the fadir makinge sorewe with bittir morenyng, made soone to hym an ymage of the sone `that was rauyschid; and bigan to worschipe hym now as a god, that was deed thanne as a man; and he ordeynede hooli thingis and sacrifices among hise seruauntis. 22 Aftirward in tyme comynge bitwixe, whanne the wickid custom was strong, this errour was kept as a lawe, and ymagis weren worschipid bi lordschip of tirauntis. 23 The figure of hem was brouyt fro fer, whiche the men miyten not onoure in opyn, for thei weren fer; and thei maden an opyn ymage of the kyng, whom thei wolden onoure; that bi her bisynesse thei schulden worschipe hym as present, that was absent. 24 Forsothe the noble diligence of a crafti man brouyte in also hem, that knewen not, to the worschipyng of thes kyngis. 25 For he willynge more to plese that kyng, that took hym, trauelide perfitli bi his craft, to make a licnesse in to betere. 26 Sotheli the multitude of men, disseyued bi the fairnesse of werk, gessiden hym now a god, that was onourid as a man bifore that tyme. 27 And this was the disseit of mannys lijf; for whi men seruynge greetli, ethir to affeccioun, ethir to kyngis, puttiden to stoonys and trees the name that mai not be comynyd. 28 And it suffiside not, that thei erriden aboute the kunnyng of God; but also thei lyuynge in greet batel of vnkunnyng, clepen so many and so grete yuels pees. 29 For ethir thei sleynge her sones in sacrifice, ethir makynge derk sacrifices, ethir hauynge wakyngis ful of woodnesse, 30 kepen now nether cleene lijf, nether cleene weddyngis; but also o man sleeth another man bi enuye, ethir doynge auowtrie makith sory his neiybore. 31 And alle thingis ben medlid togidere, blood, mansleyng, thefte, and feynyng, corrupcioun, vnfeithfulnesse, disturblyng, and forsweryng,
