‏ Sirach 36

1God of alle thingis, haue thou merci on vs; and biholde thou vs, and schewe thou to vs the liyt of thi merciful doyngis. 2And sende thi drede on hethene men, that souyten not thee, that thei knowe that no God is, no but thou; that thei telle out thi grete dedis. 3Reise thin hond on hethene men aliens, that thei se thi power. 4For as thou were halewid in vs in the siyt of hem, so in oure siyt thou schalt be magnefyed in hem; 5that thei knowe thee, as and we han knowe, that noon othere is God, outakun thee, Lord. 6Make thou newe signes, and chaunge thou merueilis; 7glorifie the hond, and the riyt arm. 8Reise thou stronge veniaunce, and schede out ire; 9take awei the aduersarie, and turmente the enemye. 10Haaste thou the tyme, and haue thou mynde on the ende, that thei telle out thi merueils. 11And he that is sauyd, be deuourid in the ire of flawme; and thei that treten worst thi puple, fynde perdicioun. 12Al to-breke thou the heed of princis, and of enemyes, seiynge, Noon othere is, outakun vs. 13Gadere thou togidere alle the lynagis of Jacob, and knowe thei that no God is, no but thou, that thei telle out thi grete dedis; and thou schalt enherite hem, as at the bigynnyng. 14Haue thou merci on thi puple, on which thi name is clepid in to help; and on Israel, whom thou madist euene to thi firste gendrid sone. 15Haue thou merci on Jerusalem, the citee of thin halewyng, on the citee of thi reste. 16Fille thou Syon with thi vertues, that moun not be teld out, and fille thi puple with thi glorie. 17Yyue thou witnessyng, that at the bigynnyng thei weren thi creaturis; and reise thou preieris, whiche the formere profetis spaken in thi name. 18Lord, yyue thou meede to hem that abiden thee, that thi prophetis be foundun trewe; and here thou the preier of thi seruauntis. 19Aftir the blessyng of Aaron yyue thou to thi puple, and dresse thou vs in to the weie of riytfulnesse; that alle men wite, that dwellen in erthe, that thou art God, the biholdere of worldis. 20The wombe schal ete alle mete, and o mete is betere than another mete. 21Chekis touchen mete almest, and an vnwise herte resseyueth false wordis. 22A schrewid herte schal yyue heuynesse, and a wijs man schal ayenstonde it. 23A womman schal take ech knaue child, and a douytir is betere than a sone. 24The fairnesse of a womman makith glad the face of hir hosebonde, and sche schal brynge desir ouer al the coueitise of man. 25If ther is a tunge of heelyng, ther is also of swagyng, and of merci; the hosebonde of hir is not aftir the sones of men. 26He that hath in possessioun a good womman, bigynneth possessioun; sche is an help lijk hym, and a piler as reste. 27Where an hegge is not, the possessioun schal be rauyschid awei; and where a womman is not, a nedi man weilith. 28To whom bileueth he that hath no nest, and bowith doun where euer it is derk, as a theef girt, skippynge out fro citee in to citee?
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