‏ Sirach 7

1Nile thou do yuels, and tho schulen not take thee. 2Departe thou fro wickidnesse, and yuels schulen faile fro thee. 3Sowe thou not yuels in the forewis of vnriytfulnesse, and thou schalt not repe tho in seuene fold. 4Nyle thou seke of a man ledyng, nethir of a kyng the chaier of onour. 5Iustifie thou not thee bifore God, for he is the knowere of the herte; and nyle thou wilne to be seyn wijs anentis the king. 6Nile thou seke to be maad a iuge, no but thou maist breke wickidnessis bi vertu; lest thou drede the face of a myyti man, and sette sclaundre in thi swiftnesse. 7Do thou not synne in the multitude of a cytee, nether sende thee in to the puple; 8nether bynde thou double synnes, for thou schalt not be giltles in oon. 9Nyle thou be a coward in thi soule, to preie; 10and dispise thou not to do almes. 11Seie thou not, God schal biholde in the multitude of my yiftis; and whanne Y schal offre to God alther hiyeste, he schal take my yiftis. 12Scorne thou not a man in the bitternesse of soule; for whi God is the biholdere, that makith meke, and enhaunsith. 13Nyle thou loue a leesyng ayens thi brother; nether do thou in lijk maner ayens a frend. 14Nyle thou wilne to lie ony leesing; for whi the contynuaunce therof is not good. 15Nyle thou be a ianglere in the multitude of preestis; and reherse thou not a word in thi preier. 16Haate thou not trauelouse werkis, and erthetilthe maad of the hiyeste. 17Arette thou not thee in the multitude of vnlernyd men. 18Haue thou mynde on ire, for it schal not tarie. 19Make thou meke greetli thi spirit, for whi the veniaunce of the fleisch of an vnpitouse man is fier, and worm. 20Nyle thou trespasse ayens thi frend dilaiynge monei; nether dispise thou a ful dereworth brother for gold. 21Nyle thou departe fro a wijs womman, and good, whom thou hast gete in the drede of the Lord; for whi the grace of hir schamefastnesse is aboue gold. 22Hirte thou not a seruaunt worchynge in treuthe, nether an hirid man yyuynge his lijf. 23A witti seruaunt be dereworthe to thee as thi soule; defraude thou not hym of fredom, nether forsake thou hym nedi. 24Beestis ben to thee? take thou heede to tho; and if tho ben profitable, dwelle tho stille at thee. 25Sones ben to thee? teche thou hem, and bowe thou hem fro her childheed. 26Douytris ben to thee? kepe thou the bodi of hem, and schewe thou not glad face to hem. 27Yyue thi douyter to mariage, and thou doist a greet werk; and yyue thou hir to a wijs man. 28If a womman is to thee aftir thi soule, caste hir not awei; and bitake thou not thee in alle thin herte to an hateful womman. 29Onoure thi fadir; and foryete thou not the weilyngis of thi modir. 30Haue thou mynde that thou haddist not be, no but bi hem, and yelde thou to hem as and thei diden to thee. 31In al thi soule drede thou God, and halewe thou hise preestis. 32In al thi vertu loue thou him that made thee; and forsake thou not hise mynystris. 33Onoure thou God of al thi soule; and onoure thou preestis, and clense thee with armes. 34Yyue thou to hem the part of the firste fruytis, and of purgyng, as also it is comaundid to thee; and of thi negligence purge thou thee with fewe men. 35Thou schalt offre to the Lord the yyfte of thin armes, and the sacrifice of halewyng, the bigynnyngis of hooli men. 36And dresse thin hond to a pore man, that thi merci and blessyng be performyd. 37Grace is youun in the siyt of ech that lyueth; and forbede thou not grace to a deed man. 38Faile thou not in coumfort to hem that wepen; and go thou with hem that morenen. 39Be thou not slow to visite a sijk man; for bi these thingis thou schalt be maad stidfast in loue. 40In alle thi werkis haue thou mynde on thi laste thingis; and thou schalt not do synne withouten ende.