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[1] Mi sone, perseyue thou my wisdom, and bowe doun thin eere to my prudence; that thou kepe thi thouytis,
[2] and thi lippis kepe teching. Yyue thou not tent to the falsnesse of a womman;
[3] for the lippis of an hoore ben an hony coomb droppinge, and hir throte is clerere than oile;
[4] but the last thingis ben bittir as wormod, and hir tunge is scharp as a swerd keruynge on ech side.
[5] Hir feet gon doun in to deeth; and hir steppis persen to hellis.
[6] Tho goon not bi the path of lijf; hir steppis ben vncerteyn, and moun not be souyt out.
[7] Now therfor, my sone, here thou me, and go not awei fro the wordis of my mouth.
[8] Make fer thi weie fro hir, and neiye thou not to the doris of hir hous.
[9] Yyue thou not thin onour to aliens, and thi yeeris to the cruel;
[10] lest perauenture straungeris be fillid with thi strengthis, and lest thi trauels be in an alien hous;
[11] and thou biweile in the laste daies, whanne thou hast wastid thi fleschis, and thi bodi; and thou seie,
[12] Whi wlatide Y teching, and myn herte assentide not to blamyngis;
[13] nether Y herde the voys of men techinge me, and Y bowide not doun myn eere to maistris?
[14] Almest Y was in al yuel, in the myddis of the chirche, and of the synagoge.
[15] Drinke thou watir of thi cisterne, and the floodis of thi pit.
[16] Thi wellis be stremed forth; and departe thi watris in stretis.
[17] Haue thou aloone `tho watris; and aliens be not thi parceneris.
[18] Thi veyne be blessid; and be thou glad with the womman of thi yong wexynge age.
[19] An hynde moost dereworthe; and an hert calf moost acceptable. Hir teetis fille thee in al tyme; and delite thou contynueli in the loue of hir.
[20] Mi sone, whi art thou disseyued of an alien womman; and art fostrid in the bosum of an othere?
[21] The Lord seeth the weie of a man; and biholdith alle hise steppis.
[22] The wickidnessis of a wyckid man taken hym; and he is boundun with the roopis of hise synnes.
[23] He schal die, for he hadde not lernyng; and he schal be disseyued in the mychilnesse of his fooli.
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