Wisdom 14

¹ Thouy thei buriounen in bowis in time, thei set vnstidfastli schulen be moued of the wynd, and schulen be drawun out bi the roote of the greetnesse of wyndys. ² For whi bowis vnperfit schulen be brokun togidere; and the fruytis of hem ben vnprofitable, and soure to ete, and couenable to no thing. ³ For whi alle sones, that ben borun of wickid men, ben witnessis of wickidnesse ayens fadirs and modris, in her axyng. ⁴ But a iust man, thouy he be bifore ocupied bi deth, schal be in refreischyng. ⁵ For whi worschipful eelde is not of long tyme, nether is rikened bi the noumbre of yeeris; the wittis of a man ben hoore, ⁶ and the age of eelde is lijf withouten wem. ⁷ He pleside God, and was maad dereworth, and he lyuynge among synneris was borun ouer; he was rauyschid, 8 lest malice schulde chaunge his vnderstondyng, ethir lest feynyng schulde disseyue his soule. 9 For whi disseyuyng of trifelyng makith derk goode thingis, and the vnstablenesse of coueitise turneth ouer the wit without malice. 10 He was endid in schort tyme, and fillide many tymes; 11 for whi his soule was plesant to God; for this thing God hastide to lede hym out fro the myddis of wickidnesses; but puplis sien and vndurstoden not, nether settiden siche thingis in the inwardnesses. ¹² For whi the grace and merci of God is on hise seyntis, and biholdyng of Goddis coumfort is on hise chosun men. 13 Forsothe a iust man deed condempneth quyke wickid men; and yongthe endid swiftliere condempneth long lijf of an vniust man. 14 For thei schulen se the ende of a wise man, and thei schulen not vndurstonde, what thing God thouyte of hym, and whi the Lord made hym lesse. 15 For thei schulen se, and schulen dispise hym; but the Lord schal scorne hem. 16 And aftir these thingis thei schulen be fallynge doun withouten onour, and in dispisyng among deed men with outen ende. For he schal al to-breke hem bolnyd with out vois, and he schal moue hem fro the foundementis; and thei schulen be desolat til to the laste thing. And thei schulen be weilynge, and the mynde of hem schal perische. 17 Thei schulen come ferdful in the thouyt of her synnes; and her wickidnessis on the contrarie side schulen lede hem ouer. 19 Thanne iust men schulen stonde in greet stidfastnesse ayens hem that angwischiden iust men, and whiche token awei her trauelis. ²⁰ Thei schulen se, and schulen be disturblyd with orrible drede, and thei schulen wondre in the sudeynte of heelthe vnhopid; and thei schulen weile for angwisch of spirit, ²¹ and thei schulen seie, doynge penaunce withynne hem silf, and weilyng for the angwysch of spirit, These men it ben, whiche we hadden sum tyme in to scorn, and in to licnesse of vpbreidyng. ²² We woode men gessiden her lijf woodnesse, and the ende of hem with oute onour; ²³ hou therfor ben thei rekened among the sones of God, and her part is among seyntis? ²⁴ Therfor we erriden fro the weie of treuthe, and the liyt of riytfulnesse schynede not to us, and the sunne of vndurstondyng roos not vp to us. ²⁵ We weren maad weri in the weie of wickidnesse and of perdicioun; and we yeden hard weies. ²⁶ But we knewen not the weie of the Lord; what profitide pride to vs, ethir what brouyte the boost of richessis to vs? ²⁷ All tho thingis passiden as schadewe, and as a messanger bifore rennynge. ²⁸ And as a schip, that passith thorou the flowynge watir, of which whanne it hath passid, it is not to fynde a step, nethir the path of the botme therof in wawys. ²⁹ Ethir as a bryd, that flieth ouer in the eir, of which no preef is foundun of the weie therof, but oneli the sown of wengis betynge liyt wynde, and keruynge the eir by the myyt of weie, and with wyngis moued togidere it flei ouer, and aftir this no signe is foundun of the weie therof. ³⁰ Ethir as an arowe shot out in to a place ordeyned, the eir is departid, and is closid ayen anoon, that the passyng therof be not knowun. ³¹ `So and we borun ceessiden anoon to be, and sotheli we myyten schewe no signe of vertu; but we weren wastid in oure malice.