‏ Sirach 11

1The wisdom of a man maad meke schal enhaunse his heed; and schal make hym to sitte in the middis of grete men. 2Preise thou not a man in his fairnesse; nether dispise thou a man in his siyt. 3A bee is litil among briddis; and his fruyt hath the bigynnyng of swetnesse. 4Haue thou neuere glorie in clothing, and be thou not enhaunsid in the dai of thin onour; for whi the werkis of the hiyeste aloon ben wondurful, and hise werkis ben gloriouse, and hid, and vnseyn. 5Many tyrauntis han sete in trone; and a man of whom was no supposyng bar the diademe. 6Many myyty men ben oppressid strongli; and gloriouse men ben youun in to the hondis of othere men. 7Bifore that thou axe, blame thou not ony man; and whanne thou hast axid, blame thou iustli. 8Bifor that thou here, answere thou not a word; and in the myddis of eldere men adde thou not to speke. 9Stryue thou not, of that thing that disesith not thee; and stonde thou not in the dom of synnes. 10Sone, thi dedis be not in many thingis; and if thou art riche, thou schalt not be with out part of gilt. For if thou suest, thou schalt not take; and thou schalt not ascape, if thou rennist bifore. 11Ther is a man trauelynge, and hastynge, and sorewynge, and vnpitouse; and bi so myche more he schal not haue plentee. 12Ther is a man fade, nedi of rekyueryng, failynge more in vertu, and plenteuouse in pouert; 13and the iye of God bihelde hym in good, and reiside hym fro his lownesse, and enhaunsid his heed; and many men wondriden in him, and onouriden God. 14Goodis and yuels, lijf and deth, pouert and oneste, ben of God. 15Wisdom, and lernyng, and kunnyng of the lawe ben anentis the Lord; loue and the weies of goode men ben at him. 16Errour and derknessis ben maad togidere to synneris; forsothe thei that maken ful out ioye in yuel, wexen eld togidere in to yuels. 17The yifte of God dwellith to iust men; and encreessyngis of hym schulen haue prosperitees without ende. 18A man is that is maad riche in doynge scarsli, and this is the part of his mede, 19in that that he seith, Y haue founden reste to me, and now Y aloone schal ete of my goodis. 20And he noot that tyme passith hym, and deth neiyeth, and he schal leeue alle thingis to othere men, and schal die. 21Stonde thou in thi testament, and speke thou togidere in it; and wexe thou eld in the werk of thin heestis. 22Dwelle thou not in the werkis of synneris; but triste thou in God, and dwelle in thi place. 23For it is esy in the iyen of God, sudeynli to make onest a pore man. 24The blessing of God haastith in to the meede of a iust man; and the going forth of hym makith fruyt in swift onour. 25Seie thou not, What is nede to me? and what goodis schulen be me her aftir? 26Seie thou not, Y am sufficient, and what schal Y be maad worse heraftir? 27In the dai of goodis be thou not vnmyndeful of yuels, and in the dai of yuels be thou not vnmyndeful of goodis; 28for it is esi bifor God to yelde in the dai of deth to ech man aftir hise weies. 29The malice of oon our makith foryeting of moost letcherie; and in the ende of a man is makyng nakid of hise werkis. 30Preise thou not ony man bifore his deth; for whi a man is knowun in hise sones. 31Brynge thou not ech man in to thin hous; for whi many tresouns ben of a gileful man. 32For whi as the entrailis of stynkynge thingis breken out, and as a partrich is led in to a trap, ether net, and as a capret is led in to a snare, so and the herte of proude men; and as a biholdere seynge the fal of his neiybore. 33For he turneth goodis in to yuels, and settith tresouns, and puttith a wem on chosun men. 34Fier is encreessid of a sparcle, and blood is encreessid of a gileful man; for whi a synful man settith tresoun to blood. 35Take heede to thee fro a gileful man, for he makith yuels; lest perauenture he bringe yn on thee scornyng with outen ende. 36Resseyue thou an alien to thee, and he schal distrie thee in whirlwynd, and he schal make thee alien fro thin owne weies.