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CAP 2
1 Forsothe wickid men seiden, thenkynge anentis hem silf not riytfuli, The tyme of oure lijf is litil, and with anoye; no refreisching is in the ende of a man, and noon is, that is knowun, that turnede ayen fro hellis.
2 For we weren borun of nouyt, and aftir this tyme we schulen be, as if we hadden not be; forwhi smoke is blowun out in oure nose thirlis, and a word of sparcle to stire oure herte.
3 For oure bodi schal be quenchid aische, and the spirit schal be scaterid abrood as soft eir; and oure lijf schal passe as the step of a cloude, and it schal be departid as a myst, which is dryuun awey of the beemys of the sunne, and is greued of the heete therof.
4 And oure name schal take foryeting bi tyme; and no man schal haue mynde of oure werkis.
5 Forwhi oure tyme is the passyng of a schadewe, and no turnyng ayen of oure ende is; for it is aseelid, and no man turneth ayen.
6 Therfor come ye, and vse we the goodis that ben, and vse we a creature, as in yongthe, swiftli.
7 Fille we vs with preciouse wyn and oynementis; and the flour of tyme passe not vs.
8 Corowne we vs with roosis, bifor that tho welewen; no medewe be, `bi which oure letcherie passe not.
9 No man of vs be with out part of oure letcherie; euery where leeue we the signes of gladnesse; for this is oure part, and this is oure eritage.
10 Oppresse we a pore iust man, and spare we not a widewe, nether reuerence we hoor heeris of an old man of myche tyme.
11 But oure strengthe be the lawe of riytfulnesse; forwhi that that is feble, is foundun vnprofitable.
12 Therfor disseyue we a iust man, for he is vnprofitable to vs, and he is contrarie to oure werkis; and he vpbreidith to vs the synnes of lawe, and he defameth on vs the synnes of oure techyng.
13 He biheetith that he hath the kunnyng of God, and he nemeth hym silf the sone of God.
14 He is maad to us in to schewyng of oure thouytis.
15 He is greuouse to vs, yhe, to se; forwhi his lyf is vnlijk to other men, and hise weies ben chaungid.
16 We ben gessid of hym to be triffleris, and he absteyneth hym silf fro oure weies, as fro vnclenessis; and he bifore settith the laste thingis of iust men, and he hath glorie, that he hath God a fadir.
17 Therfor se we, if hise wordis ben trewe; and asaie we, what thingis schulen come to hym; and we schulen wite, what schulen be the laste thingis of hym.
18 For if he is the very sone of God, he schal vp take hym, and schal delyuere hym fro the hondis of hem that ben contrarie.
19 Axe we hym bi dispisyng and turment, that we knowe his reuerence, and that we preue his pacience.
20 Bi fouleste deth condempne we hym; for whi biholdyng schal be of hise wordis.
21 Thei thouyten these thingis, and thei erriden; for whi her malice blyndide hem.
22 And thei knewen not the sacramentis of God, nethir thei hopiden the meede of riytfulnesse, nether thei demyden the onour of hooli soulis.
23 For whi God made man vnable to be distried, and God made man to the ymage of his licnesse.
24 But bi enuye of the deuel deth entride in to the world;
25 for sothe thei suen hym, that ben of his part.