Content

CAP 3
9 Israel, here thou the comaundementis of lijf; perseyue thou with eeris, that thou kunne prudence.
10 Israel, what is it, that thou art in the lond of enemyes?
11 Thou wexidist eld in an alien lond, thou art defoulid with deed men, thou art arettid with hem, that goon doun in to helle?
12 Thou hast forsake the welle of wisdom;
13 for whi if thou haddist gon in the weies of God, sotheli thou haddist dwellid in pees on erthe.
14 Lerne thou, where is wisdom, where is prudence, where is vertu, where is vndurstondyng, that thou wite togidere, where is long duryng of lijf and lijf lode, where is liyt of iyen, and pees.
15 Who foond the place therof, and who entride in to the tresouris therof?
16 Where ben the princes of hethene men, and that ben lordis ouer the beestis, that ben on erthe?
17 Whiche pleien with the briddis of heuene;
18 whiche tresoren siluer and gold, in which men tristen, and noon ende is of the purchasyng of hem? Which maken siluer, and ben busi, and no fyndyng is of her werkis?
19 Thei ben distried, and yeden doun to hellis; and othere men riseden in the place of hem.
20 The yonge men of hem sien liyt, `and dwelliden on erthe. But thei knewen not the weie of wisdom, nether vndurstoden the pathis therof;
21 nether the sones of hem resseyueden it. It was maad fer fro the face of hem;
22 it is not herd in the lond of Canaan, nether is seyn in Theman.
23 Also the sones of Agar, that souyten out prudence which is of erthe, the marchauntis of erthe, and of Theman, and the tale telleris, and sekeris out of prudence and of vndurstondyng. But thei knewen not the weie of wisdom, nether hadden mynde on the paththis therof.
24 O! Israel, the hous of God is ful greet, and the place of his possessioun is greet;
25 it is greet and hath noon ende, hiy and greet without mesure.
26 Namyd giauntis weren there; thei that weren of greet stature at the bigynnyng, and knewen batel.
27 The Lord chees not these, nether thei founden the weie of wisdom; therfor thei perischiden.
28 And for thei hadden not wisdom, thei perischiden for her vnwisdom.
29 Who stiede in to heuene, and took that wisdom, and brouyte it doun fro the cloudis?
30 Who passide ouer the see, and foond it, and brouyte it more than chosun gold?
31 Noon is, that mai knowe the weie therof, nethir that sekith the pathis therof;
32 but he that han alle thingis, knewe it, and foond it bi his prudence. Which made redi the erthe in euerlastynge tyme, and fillide it with twei footid beestis, and foure footid beestis.
33 Which sendith out liyt, and it goith, and clepide it; and it obeieth to hym in tremblyng.
34 Forsothe sterris yauen liyt in her kepyngis, and weren glad;
35 tho weren clepid, and tho seiden, We ben present; and tho schyneden to hym with mirthe, that made tho.
36 This is oure God, and noon other schal be gessid ayens hym.
37 This foond ech weie of wisdom, and yaf it to Jacob, his child, and to Israel, his derlyng.
38 Aftir these thingis he was seyn in londis, and lyuede with men.