Content

CAP 6
1 Wisdom is beter than strengthis, and a prudent man doith more than a strong man.
2 Therfor, ye kyngis, here, and vndurstonde; and ye iugis of the coostis of erthe, lerne.
3 Ye that holden togidere multitudis, and plesen you in the cumpenyes of naciouns, yyue eeris;
4 forwhi power is youun of the Lord to you, and vertu is youun of the hiyeste, that schal axe youre werkis, and schal serche thouytis.
5 For whanne ye weren mynystris of his rewme, ye demeden not riytfuli, nether ye kepten the lawe of riytfulnesse, nether ye yeden bi the wille of God.
6 Hidousli and soone he schal appere to you; forwhi hardeste doom schal be maad in hem, that ben souereyns.
7 Forsothe merci is grauntid to a litil man; but miyti men schulen suffre turmentis miytili.
8 For the Lord, which is lord of alle thingis, schal not withdrawe the persoone of ony man, nether he schal drede the greetnesse of ony man; for he made the litil man and the greet man, and charge is to hym euenli of alle men.
9 But strongere turment neiyeth to strongere men.
10 Therfor, ye kyngis, these my wordis ben to you, that ye lerne wisdom, and that ye falle not doun.
11 For thei that kepen riytfulnesse, schulen be deemed riytfuli; and thei, that lernen iust thingis, schulen fynde, what thei schulen answere.
12 Therfor coueite ye my wordis, and loue ye tho; and ye schulen haue techyng.
13 Wisdom is cleer, and that schal neuer fade; and it is seyn liytli of hem that louen it, and it is foundun of hem that seken it.
14 It bifore ocupieth hem that coueyten it, that it schewe it silf the formere to hem.
15 He that wakith bi liyt to it, schal not trauele; forsothe he schal fynde it sittynge nyy hise yatis.
16 Therfor to thenke on wisdom is parfit wit, and he that wakith for it, schal soone be sikir.
17 For whi it goith aboute, and sekith men worthi to it; and in her weies it schal schewe it silf gladli to hem, and in al puruyaunce it schal meete hem.
18 For whi the bigynnyng of wisdom is the verieste coueytise of lernyng.
19 Therfor the bisynesse of lernyng is loue; and loue is the kepyng of lawis therof. Sotheli the kepyng of lawis is perfeccioun of vncorrupcioun;
20 forsothe vncorrupcioun makith to be next to God.
21 Therfor the coueitise of wisdom schal brynge to euerlastynge rewme.
22 Therfor if ye, kyngis of the puple, deliten in seetis, and in kyngis yerdis, `ether regaltees, loue ye wisdom, that ye regne with outen ende.
23 Alle ye, that ben souereyns to puplis, loue the liyt of wisdom.
24 Sotheli what is wisdom, and hou it is maad, Y schal telle; and Y schal not hide fro you the sacramentis of God; but fro the bigynnyng of birthe Y schal seke, and Y schal sette in to the liyt the kunnyng therof, and Y schal not passe treuthe.
25 And Y schal not haue weye with enuye wexynge rotun; for siche a man schal not be parcener of wisdom.
26 Forsothe the multitude of wise men is the helthe of the world; and a wijs kyng is the stablischyng of the puple.
27 Therfor take ye techyng bi my wordis, and it schal profite to you.