Sir 2 | Wycl | STEP | Sone, neiyynge to the seruyce of God, stonde thou in riytfulnesse, and drede; and make redi thi soule to temptacioun.

‏ Sirach 2

1 Sone, neiyynge to the seruyce of God, stonde thou in riytfulnesse, and drede; and make redi thi soule to temptacioun. 2 Bere doun thin herte, and suffre, and bowe doun thin eere, and take the wordis of vndirstonding, and haaste thou not in to the tyme of deeth. 3 Suffre thou the susteynyngis of God; be thou ioyned to God, and abide thou, that thi lijf wexe in the last tyme. 4 Take thou alle thing that is set to thee, and suffre thou in sorewe, and haue thou pacience in thi lownesse. 5 For whi gold and siluer is preued in fier; forsothe men worthi to be resseyued ben preued in the chymeney of lownesse. 6 Bileue thou to God, and he schal rekeuere thee; and dresse thou thi weie, and hope thou in to hym. Kepe thou his drede, and wexe thou eld ther ynne. 7 Ye that dreden the Lord, abide his merci, and boowe ye not awei fro hym, lest ye falle doun. 8 Ye that dreden the Lord, bileue to hym, and youre mede schal not be auoidid. 9 Ye that dreden the Lord, hope into hym, and merci schal come to you into delityng. 10 Ye that dreden the Lord, loue hym, and youre hertis schulen be liytned. 11 Sones, biholde ye the naciouns of men, and wite ye, that no man hopide in the Lord, and was schent; 12 noon dwellide in hise heestis, and was forsakun; ether who inwardli clepide hym, and he despiside hym `that clepide? 13 For whi God is pitouse, and merciful, and he schal foryyue synnes in the dai of tribulacioun; and he is defendere to alle men, that seken hym in treuthe. 14 Woo to the `man with double herte, and with cursid lippis, and misdoynge hondys; and to a synnere entrynge in to the lond bi twei weies. 15 Wo to hem that ben dissolute of herte, that bileuen not to God; and therfor thei schulen not be defendid of him. 16 Wo to hem that han lost pacience, and that han forsake riytful weies, and han turned awei in to schrewid weies. 17 And what schulen thei do, whanne the Lord schal bigynne to biholde? 18 Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen not be vnbileueful to his word; and thei that louen hym, schulen kepe his weie. 19 Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen enquere tho thingis, that ben wel plesaunt to hym; and thei that louen him, schulen be fillid with his lawe. 20 Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen make redi her hertis, and schulen halewe her soulis in his siyt. 21 Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen kepe hise comaundementis, and schulen haue pacience til to the biholdyng of hym; 22 and schulen seie, If we doon not penaunce, we schulen falle in to the hondis of the Lord, and not in to the hondis of men. 23 For bi the greetnesse of hym, so and his merci is with hym.