Wisdom 16

¹ Therfor, ye kyngis, these my wordis ben to you, that ye lerne wisdom, and that ye falle not doun. ² For thei that kepen riytfulnesse, schulen be deemed riytfuli; and thei, that lernen iust thingis, schulen fynde, what thei schulen answere. ³ Therfor coueite ye my wordis, and loue ye tho; and ye schulen haue techyng. ⁴ Wisdom is cleer, and that schal neuer fade; and it is seyn liytli of hem that louen it, and it is foundun of hem that seken it. ⁵ It bifore ocupieth hem that coueyten it, that it schewe it silf the formere to hem. ⁶ He that wakith bi liyt to it, schal not trauele; forsothe he schal fynde it sittynge nyy hise yatis. ⁷ Therfor to thenke on wisdom is parfit wit, and he that wakith for it, schal soone be sikir. ⁸ For whi it goith aboute, and sekith men worthi to it; and in her weies it schal schewe it silf gladli to hem, and in al puruyaunce it schal meete hem. ⁹ For whi the bigynnyng of wisdom is the verieste coueytise of lernyng. ¹⁰ Therfor the bisynesse of lernyng is loue; and loue is the kepyng of lawis therof. Sotheli the kepyng of lawis is perfeccioun of vncorrupcioun; ¹¹ forsothe vncorrupcioun makith to be next to God. ¹² Therfor the coueitise of wisdom schal brynge to euerlastynge rewme. ¹³ Therfor if ye, kyngis of the puple, deliten in seetis, and in kyngis yerdis, `ether regaltees, loue ye wisdom, that ye regne with outen ende. ¹⁴ Alle ye, that ben souereyns to puplis, loue the liyt of wisdom. ¹⁵ Sotheli what is wisdom, and hou it is maad, Y schal telle; and Y schal not hide fro you the sacramentis of God; but fro the bigynnyng of birthe Y schal seke, and Y schal sette in to the liyt the kunnyng therof, and Y schal not passe treuthe. ¹⁶ And Y schal not haue weye with enuye wexynge rotun; for siche a man schal not be parcener of wisdom. ¹⁷ Forsothe the multitude of wise men is the helthe of the world; and a wijs kyng is the stablischyng of the puple. ¹⁸ Therfor take ye techyng bi my wordis, and it schal profite to you. ²⁰ Forsothe and Y am a deedli man, lijk men, and of erthli kynde of hym that was maad first, and in the wombe of the modir Y was fourmed fleische. ²¹ In the time of ten monethis Y was cruddid togidere in blood, of the seed of man, and bi acordynge delit of sleep. ²² And Y was borun, and took comyn eir, and in lijk maner Y felle doun in to the erthe maad; and Y wepynge sente out the firste vois, lijk alle men. ²³ Y was nurschid in wrappyngis, and in greet bisynesses; ²⁴ for whi no man of kyngis hadde othere bigynnyng of birthe. ²⁵ Therfor oon entryng to lijf is to alle men, and lijk goyng out. ²⁶ Herfor Y desiride, and wit was youun to me; and Y inwardli clepide, and the spirit of wisdom cam in to me. ²⁷ And Y settide wisdom bifore rewmes, and seetis; and Y seide, that richessis ben nouyt in comparisoun therof, ²⁸ and Y comparisonede not a preciouse stoon to it; forwhi al gold in comparisoun therof is a litil grauel, and siluer schal be arettid as cley in the siyt therof. ²⁹ Y louyde wisdom more than helthe and fairnesse; and Y purposide to haue it for liyt, for the liyt therof may not be quenchid.