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CAP 2
1 Mi sone, if thou resseyuest my wordis, `and hidist myn heestis anentis thee;
2 that thin eere here wisdom, bowe thin herte to knowe prudence.
3 For if thou inwardli clepist wisdom, and bowist thin herte to prudence;
4 if thou sekist it as money, and diggist it out as tresours;
5 thanne thou schalt vndirstonde the drede of the Lord, and schalt fynde the kunnyng of God.
6 For the Lord yyueth wisdom; and prudence and kunnyng is of his mouth.
7 He schal kepe the heelthe of riytful men, and he schal defende hem that goen sympli.
8 And he schal kepe the pathis of riytfulnesse, and he schal kepe the weies of hooli men.
9 Thanne thou schalt vndirstonde riytfulnesse, and dom, and equytee, and ech good path.
10 If wysdom entrith in to thin herte, and kunnyng plesith thi soule,
11 good councel schal kepe thee, and prudence schal kepe thee; that thou be delyuered fro an yuel weie,
12 and fro a man that spekith weiward thingis.
13 Whiche forsaken a riytful weie, and goen bi derk weies;
14 whiche ben glad, whanne thei han do yuel, and maken ful out ioye in worste thingis;
15 whose weies ben weywerd, and her goyingis ben of yuel fame.
16 That thou be delyuered fro an alien womman, and fro a straunge womman, that makith soft hir wordis;
17 and forsakith the duyk of hir tyme of mariage,
18 and hath foryete the couenaunt of hir God. For the hous of hir is bowid to deeth, and hir pathis to helle.
19 Alle that entren to hir, schulen not turne ayen, nether schulen catche the pathis of lijf.
20 That thou go in a good weie, and kepe the pathis of iust men.
21 Forsothe thei that ben riytful, schulen dwelle in the lond; and symple men schulen perfitli dwelle ther ynne.
22 But vnfeithful men schulen be lost fro the loond; and thei that doen wickidli, schulen be takun awey fro it.