|
[1] Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
[2] In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
[3] and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!
[4] ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
[5] Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
[6] Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.
[7] My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
[8] My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
[9] `My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
[10] Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
[11] For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto.
[12] Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
[13] The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth.
[14] Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.
[15] Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
[16] Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
[17] I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.
[18] With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
[19] My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.
[20] Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;
[21] that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.
[22] The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.
[23] Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
[24] Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
[25] and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
[26] Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.
[27] Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.
[28] Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
[29] Whanne he cumpasside to the see his marke; and settide lawe to watris, that tho schulden not passe her coostis. Whanne he peiside the foundementis of erthe;
[30] Y was making alle thingis with him. And Y delitide bi alle daies, and pleiede bifore hym in al tyme,
[31] and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
[32] Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
[33] Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.
[34] Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore.
[35] He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.
[36] But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
|