Sirach 51

¹ A wijs man techith his puple, and the fruytis of his wit ben feithful. ² A wijs man schal be fillid with blessyngis, and thei that seen hym schulen preise hym. ³ The lijf of a man is in the noumbre of daies; but the daies of Israel ben vnnoumbrable. ⁴ A wijs man in the puple schal enherite onour, and his name schal be lyuynge with outen ende. ⁵ Sone, asaie thi soule in thi lijf; and if it is wickid, yyue thou not power to it; ⁶ for whi not alle thingis speden to alle men, and not ech kynde plesith ech soule. ⁷ Nyle thou be gredi in ech etyng, and schede thou not out thee on ech mete. ⁸ For in many metis schal be sikenesse, and gredynesse schal neiye `til to colrye. ⁹ Many men dieden for glotenye; but he that is abstinent, schal encreesse lijf. ¹¹ Onoure thou a leche, for nede; for whi the hiyeste hath maad hym. ¹² For whi al medicyn is of God; and he schal take of the kyng a yifte. ¹³ The kunnyng of a leche schal enhaunse his heed; and he schal be preisid in the siyt of grete men. ¹⁴ The hiyeste hath maad of the erthe medicyn; and a prudent man schal not wlate it. ¹⁵ Whether bittir watir was not maad swete of a tre? ¹⁶ The vertu of tho thingis cam bi experience to the knowing of men; and the hiyeste yaf kunnyng to men, for to be onourid in his merueils. ¹⁷ A man heelynge in these thingis schal aswage sorewe, and an oynement makere schal make pymentis of swetnesse, and schal make anoyntyngis of heelthe; and hise werkis schulen not be endid. ¹⁸ For whi the pees of God is on the face of erthe. ¹⁹ Mi sone, dispise not thi silf in thi sikenesse; but preie thou the Lord, and he schal heele thee. ²⁰ Turne thou awei fro synne, and dresse thin hondis, and clense thin herte fro al synne. ²¹ Yyue thou swetnesse, and the mynde of cleene flour of wheete, and make thou fat offryng; and yyue thou place to a leche. ²² For the Lord made hym, and departe he not fro thee; for hise werkis ben nedeful to thee. ²³ For whi tyme is, whanne thou schalt falle in to the hondis of hem. ²⁴ Forsothe thei schulen biseche the Lord, that he dresse the werk of hem, and helthe for her lyuyng. ²⁵ He that trespassith in the siyt of hym, that made hym, schal falle in to the hondis of the leche. ²⁶ Sone, brynge thou forth teeris on a deed man, and thou as suffrynge hard thingis bigynne to wepe; and bi doom hile thou the bodi of hym, and dispise thou not his biriyng. ²⁷ But for bacbityng bere thou bittirli the morenyng of hym o dai; and be thou coumfortid for sorewe. ²⁸ And make thou morenyng aftir his merit o dai, ether tweyne, for bacbityng. ²⁹ For whi deth hastith of sorewe, and hilith vertu; and the sorewe of herte bowith the heed. ³⁰ Sorewe dwellith in ledyng awei; and the catel of a nedi man is aftir his herte.