Sirach 46

¹ Turment and stockis to an yuel willid seruaunt; sende thou hym in to worchyng, lest he be ydel; ² for whi idilnesse hath tauyte miche malice. ³ Ordeyne thou hym in werk, for so it bicometh hym; that if he obeieth not, bowe thou doun hym in stockis, and make thou not hym large ouer ony man, but with out dom do thou no thing greuouse. ⁴ If a feithful seruaunt is to thee, be he as thi soule to thee; trete thou him so as a brother, for thou hast bouyt hym in the blood of lijf. ⁵ If thou hurtist hym vniustli, he schal be turned in to fleyng awei; ⁶ and if he enhaunsynge goith awei, thou noost whom thou schalt seke, and in what weie thou schalt seke hym. ⁸ Veyn hope and a leesyng to an vnwijs man; and dremes enhaunsen vnprudent men. ⁹ As he that takith schadewe, and pursueth wynd, so and he that takith heede to leesyngis seyn. ¹⁰ Vpe this thing is the siyt of dremes; bifore the face of a man is the licnesse of another man. ¹¹ What schal be clensid of him that is vnclene, and what trewe thing schal be seid of a liere? ¹² Fals dyuynyng of errour, and fals dyuynyngis bi chiteryng of briddis, and dremes of witchis, is vanyte. ¹³ And as the herte of a womman trauelynge of child, thin herte suffrith fantasies; no but visitacioun is sent out of the hiyeste, yyue thou not thin herte in tho dremes. ¹⁴ For whi dremes han maad many men for to erre, and men hopynge in tho fellen doun. ¹⁵ The word of the lawe of God and of hise profetis, schal be maad perfit with out leesyng; and wisdom in the mouth of a feithful man schal be maad pleyn. 16 What kan he, that is not asaied? A man asaied in many thingis, schal thenke many thingis; and he that lernyde many thingis, schal telle out vndirstondyng. 17 He that is not asaied, knowith fewe thingis; forsothe he that is a fool in many thingis, schal multiplie malice. 18 What maner thingis kan he, that is not asaied? He that is not plauntid, schal be plenteuouse in wickidnesse. 19 I siy many thingis in tellyng out, and ful many customs of wordis. 20 Sum tyme Y was in perel til to deth, for the cause of these thingis; and Y was delyuered bi the grace of God.