‏ Sirach 39

1A wijs man schal seke out the wisdom of alle elde men; and he schal yyue tent in profetis. 2He schal kepe the tellyng of named men; and he schal entre togidere in to the hard sentensis of parablis. 3He schal seke out the pryuy thingis of prouerbis; and he schal be conuersaunt in the hid thingis of parablis. 4He schal mynystre in the myddis of grete men; and he schal appere in the siyt of the cheef iuge. 5He schal passe in to the lond of alien folkis; for he schal asaie goodis, and yuels in alle thingis. 6He schal yyue his herte to wake eerli to the Lord that made hym; and he schal biseche in the siyt of the hiyeste. 7He schal opene his mouth in preier; and he schal biseche for hise trespassis. 8For if the grete Lord wole, he schal fille hym with the spirit of vndurstondyng. 9And he schal sende the wordis of his wisdom, as reynes; and in preier he schal knouleche to the Lord. 10And he schal dresse his counsel, and techyng; and schal councele in hise hid thingis. 11He schal make opene the wisdom of his techyng; and he schal haue glorie in the lawe of the testament of the Lord. 12Many men schulen preyse his wisdom; and it schal not be don awey til in to the world. 13His mynde schal not go awei; and his name schal be souyt fro generacioun in to generacioun. 14Folkis schulen telle out his wisdom; and the chirche schal telle his preisyng. 15If his name dwellith, he schal leeue more than a thousynde; and if he restith, it schal profite to hym. 16Yit Y schal take councel to telle out, for Y am fillid as with woodnesse; 17and myn ynnere spirit seith in vois, Ye fruytis of God, here me, and make ye fruyt, as roosis plauntide on the ryuers of watris. 18Haue ye odour of swetnesse, as the Liban hath. 19Bringe forth flouris, as a lilee; yyue ye odour, and make ye boowis in to grace. And preise ye togidere a song; and blesse ye the Lord in hise werkis. 20Yyue ye greet onour to his name, and knouleche ye to him in the vois of youre lippis, in songis of lippis, and in harpis; and thus ye schulen seie in knouleching, 21Alle the werkis of the Lord ben ful goode. 22Forsothe watir as an heepe of stoonys stood at his word; and as resettis of watris in the word of his mouth. 23For whi pesiblenesse is maad in his comaundement; and no defaute is in the heelthe of hym. 24The werkis of ech fleisch ben bifore hym; and no thing is hid fro hise iyen. 25He biholdith fro the world til in to the world; and no thing is wondurful in his siyt. 26It is not to seie, What is this thing, ether, What is that thing? for whi alle thingis schulen be souyt in her tyme. 27The blessyng of hym schal flowe as a flood; 28and as the grete flood fillide greteli the erthe, so his yre schal enherite in folkis, that souyten not hym. 29As he turnede watris in to drynessis, and the erthe was dried, and hise weies weren dressid to the weies of hem; so offenciouns in his ire ben dressid to synneris. 30Goode thingis weren maad at the bigynnyng to goode men; so goode thingis and yuele ben maad to worste men. 31The bigynnyng of nedeful thing to the lijf of men, watir, fier, and yrun, and salt, and mylk, and breed of cleene flour of whete, and hony, and a clustre of grape, and oile, and cloth. 32Alle these thingis schulen turne to hooli men in to goodis; so and to vnfeithful men and synneris in to yuels. 33Spiritis ben that ben maad to veniaunce; and in her woodnesse thei confermyden her turmentis. 34And in the tyme of endyng thei schulen schede out vertu; and thei schulen confounde the strong veniaunce of hym that made hem. 35Fier, hail, hungur, and deth; alle these thingis ben maad to veniaunce; the teeth of beestis, 36and scorpiouns, and serpentis, and a swerd punyschynge wickid men in to destriyng. 37In the comaundementis of hym tho schulen ete, and tho schulen be maad redi on the erthe in nede; and in her tymes tho schulen not passe o word. 38Therfor fro the bigynnyng Y was confermed; and Y counselide, and thouyte, and lefte writun. 39Alle the werkis of the Lord ben goode; and ech werk schal serue in his our. 40It is not to seie, This is worse than that; for whi alle thingis schulen be preued in her tyme. 41And now in al the herte and mouth preise ye togidere, and blesse ye the name of the Lord.