Sir 4 | Wycl | STEP | Sone, defraude thou not the almes of a pore man, and turne not ouere thin iyen fro a pore man.

‏ Sirach 4

1 Sone, defraude thou not the almes of a pore man, and turne not ouere thin iyen fro a pore man. 2 Dispise thou not an hungri man, and wraththe thou not a pore man in his nedynesse. 3 Turmente thou not the herte of a nedi man, and tarie thou not the yifte to a man that is set in angwisch. 4 Caste thou not awei the preiyng of a man set in tribulacioun, and turne not awei thi face fro a nedi man. 5 Turne not awei thi iyen fro a pore man for ire, and yyue not occasioun to men axynge to curse thee byhynde. 6 For the preyer of hym that cursith thee in the bitternesse of soule, schal be herd; forsothe he that made hym, schal here hym. 7 Make thee eesi to speke to the congregacioun of pore men, and make meke thi soule to a preest, and make meke thin heed to a greet man. 8 Boowe doun with out sorewe thin eere to a pore man, and yelde thi debt, and answere thou pesibli in myldenesse. 9 Delyuere thou hym that suffrith wrong fro the hond of a proude man, and bere thou not heuyli in thi soule. 10 In demynge be thou merciful as a fadir to fadirles children, and be thou for an hosebonde to the modir of hem; 11 and thou schalt be as an obedient sone of the hiyeste, and he schal haue merci on thee more than a modir `hath merci on hir child. 12 Wisdom enspirith lijf to hise sones, and resseyueth men sekinge hym, and schal go bifore in the wei of riytfulnesse; and he that loueth that wisdom, 13 loueth lijf, and thei that waken to it, schulen biclipe the pesiblenesse, ether swetnesse, therof. 14 Thei that holden it, schulen enherite lijf; and whidir it schal entre, God schal blesse. 15 Thei that seruen it, schulen be obeiynge to the hooli; and God loueth hem, that louen it. 16 He that herith it, demeth folkis; and he that biholdith it, schal dwelle tristili. 17 If a man bileueth to it, he schal dwelle, and enherite it; and the creaturis of hem schulen be in confermyng. 18 For in temptacioun it goith with hym, and among the firste it chesith hym. 19 It schal brynge in on hym drede, and feer, and preuyng, and it schal turmente hym in the tribulacioun of his doctryn, til it tempte hym in hise thouytis, and bileue to his soule. 20 And it schal make hym stidefast, and schal brynge riyt weie to hym, and it schal make hym glad; 21 and schal make nakid hise priuytees to hym, and schal tresore on hym kunnyng, and vndurstondyng of riytfulnesse. 22 Forsothe if he errith, God schal forsake hym, and schal bitake hym in to the hondis of his enemy. 23 Sone, kepe thou tyme, and eschewe thou fro yuel. 24 Be thou not aschamed for thi lijf to seie treuthe; for whi ther is schame that bryngith synne, 25 and ther is schame that bryngith glorie and grace. 26 Take thou not a face ayens thi face, nethir a leesyng ayens thi soule. 27 Schame thou not thi neiybore in his fal, 28 nether withholde thou a word in the tyme of helthe. Hide not thi wisdom in the fairnesse therof; 29 for whi wisdom is knowun in tunge, and wit, and kunnyng, and techyng in the word of a wijs man; and stidfastnesse is in the werkis of riytfulnesse. 30 Ayenseie thou not the word of treuthe in ony maner; and be thou aschamed of the leesyng of thi mislernyng. 31 Be thou not aschamed to knouleche thi synnes; and make thee not suget to ech man for synne. 32 Nyle thou stonde ayens the face of the myyti, nethir enforse thou ayens the strok of the flood. 33 For riytfulnesse fiyte thou for thi soule, and til to the deth stryue thou for riytfulnesse; and God schal ouercome thin enemyes for thee. 34 Nyle thou be swift in thi tunge, and vnprofitable and slak in thi werkis. 35 Nyle thou be as a lioun in thin hous, turnynge vpsedoun thi meneals, and oppressynge hem that ben sugetis to thee. 36 Thin hond be not redi to take, and closid togidere to yyue.