Sirach 8

¹ Lord, thi word almyyti comynge swiftli fro heuene, cam fro the kyngis seetis; ² a scharp swerd berynge thi comaundement not feyned, cam forth, ouercomere in to the myddil of the lond of destriyng; and it stood, and fillide alle thingis with deeth, and it stood in erthe, and stretchide forth til to heuene. ³ Thanne anoon the siytis of yuel dremes disturbliden hem, and dredis not hopid camen aboue. ⁴ And another man cast forth half quyk in an other place, schewide for what cause of deth he diede. ⁵ For whi siytis that disturbliden hem, bifore warneden these thingis, that thei schulden perische not vnwityngli, why thei suffriden yuels. ⁶ Forsothe temptacioun of deth touchide thanne also iust men, and mouyng togidere of multitude was maad in desert; but thin ire dwellide not longe. ⁷ For a man without pleynt hastide to biseche for puplis, and he brouyte forth preier the scheld of his seruyce, and he aleggide preier bi encence, and ayen stood ire; and he settide an ende to the nede, and schewide that he was thi seruaunt. ⁸ Forsothe he ouercam cumpenyes, not bi vertu of bodi, nether bi armure of power; but he remembride the othis, and the testament of fadris, and bi word he made hym suget, that trauelide hym silf. ⁹ For whanne deed men fellen doun bi heepis, ech on other, he stood bitwixe `deed men and lyuynge, and kittide awei the feersnesse of brennyng, and departide that weie, that ledde to quyke men. ¹⁰ For whi al the world was in the cloth lastynge to the heelis, which he hadde; and the grete thingis of fadris weren grauun in foure ordris of stoonys; and, Lord, thi magnyficence was writun in the diademe of his heed. ¹¹ Forsothe he that distriede, yaf stide to these thingis, and dredde these thingis; for whi the temptacioun aloone was sufficient to ire. ¹³ Forsothe ire with out merci cam on wickid men til in to the laste; forwhi God bifore knew also the thingis to comynge of hem. ¹⁴ For whanne thei weren turned, and hadden suffrid, that thei schulden lede out hem, and hadden bifor sent hem with greet bysynesse, the dedis of repentyng sueden hem. ¹⁵ For thei hauynge yit morenyng bitwixe the hondis, and thei biwepynge at the sepulcris of deed men, token to hem anothir thouyt of vnkunnyng; and thei pursueden tho Ebreis, as fleeris awei, whiche thei preiynge hadden sent forth. ¹⁶ For whi worthi nede ledde hem to this ende, and thei losten remembryng of these thingis, that hadden bifeld, that punyschyng schulde fille tho thingis, that failiden of turmentis, ¹⁷ and that sotheli thi puple schulde passe wondurfuli; forsothe that thei schulden fynde a newe deth. ¹⁸ For whi ech creature seruynge to thin heestis, was refourmed to his kynde at the bigynnyng, that thi children schulden be kept vnhirt. ¹⁹ For whi a cloude bischadewide the castels of hem, and drie erthe apperide in watir that was bifore; and a weie with out letting apperide in the reed see, and a feeld buriownynge fro ful greet depthe; bi which feeld al the nacioun passide,