Content

CAP 15
1 Forsothe thou, oure God, art swete, and trewe, and pacient, and disposist alle thingis in merci.
2 For if we synnen, we ben thin, and knowen thi greetnesse; and if we synnen not, we witen, that we ben acountid at thee.
3 For whi to knowe thee, is parfit riytfulnesse; and to kunne thi riytfulnesse and vertu, is the root of vndedlynesse.
4 Forsothe the thenkyng out of yuel craft of men brouyte not vs in to errour, nether the schadewe of peynture trauel without fruyt, an ymage gravun bi dyuerse colours;
5 whos biholdyng yyueth coueytise to an vnwise man, and he loueth the licnesse of a deed ymage with out soule.
6 The louyers of yuels ben worthi the deeth, that han hope in siche; and thei that maken tho, and thei that louen, and thei that worschipen ben worthi the deth.
7 But also a pottere, thristynge neische erthe, bi greet trauel makith ech vessel to oure vsis; and of the same clei he makith vessels that ben clene to vss, and in lijk maner tho that ben contrarie to these; forsothe what vss is of these vessels, the pottere is iuge.
8 And he that was maad of erthe a litil bifore, makith a god of the same clei with veyn trauel; and the pottere, axid to yelde the dette of soule which he hadde, ledith hym silf aftir a litil tyme to the erthe, fro whennus he was takun.
9 But he hath care, not for he schal trauele, nether for his lijf is schort, but he stryueth with gold smythis and siluer smythis; but also he sueth worcheris of bras, and settith bifore glorie; for he makith superflu thingis.
10 For the herte of hym is aische, and superflu erthe is his hope, and his lijf is vilere than clei.
11 For he knew not God, that made him, and that enspiride a soule to hym; and he loueth tho thingis whiche he hath wrouyt; and he knew not God, that blowide in hym a spirit of lijf.
12 But thei gessiden fleischli delityng to be oure lijf, and the conuersacioun of lijf to be maad to wynnyng, and that it bihoueth to gete on ech side, yhe, of yuel.
13 Forsothe this man that makith freele vessels, and grauun ymagis of the mater of erthe, woot that he trespassith aboue alle men.
14 Forsothe, Lord, alle vnwise men and cursid ben proude ouer the mesure of her soule, and ben enemyes of thi puple, and vpbreyden it;
15 for thei gessiden alle the idols of naciouns to be goddis, that han nethir siyt of iyen to se, nethir nose thirlis to perseyue a spirit, ethir wynd, nether eeris to here, nethir fyngris of hondis to touche, but also her feet ben slowe to go.
16 For whi a man made tho, and he that borewide a spirit, made tho; forwhi no man mai make a god lijk hym silf.
17 For sithen he is deedli, bi wickid hondis he makith a deed idol; for he is betere than these goddis, whiche he worschipith; for sotheli he liuyde, whanne he was deedli, but thei lyueden neuere.
18 But also moost wretchid men worschipen beestis; for whi vnresonable beestis, comparisound to these men, ben worse than thei.
19 But nether bi siyt ony man mai of these beestis biholde goodis; forsothe thei han dryue awei the heriyng of God, and his blessyng.