Content

CAP 7
1 Forsothe and Y am a deedli man, lijk men, and of erthli kynde of hym that was maad first, and in the wombe of the modir Y was fourmed fleische.
2 In the time of ten monethis Y was cruddid togidere in blood, of the seed of man, and bi acordynge delit of sleep.
3 And Y was borun, and took comyn eir, and in lijk maner Y felle doun in to the erthe maad; and Y wepynge sente out the firste vois, lijk alle men.
4 Y was nurschid in wrappyngis, and in greet bisynesses;
5 for whi no man of kyngis hadde othere bigynnyng of birthe.
6 Therfor oon entryng to lijf is to alle men, and lijk goyng out.
7 Herfor Y desiride, and wit was youun to me; and Y inwardli clepide, and the spirit of wisdom cam in to me.
8 And Y settide wisdom bifore rewmes, and seetis; and Y seide, that richessis ben nouyt in comparisoun therof,
9 and Y comparisonede not a preciouse stoon to it; forwhi al gold in comparisoun therof is a litil grauel, and siluer schal be arettid as cley in the siyt therof.
10 Y louyde wisdom more than helthe and fairnesse; and Y purposide to haue it for liyt, for the liyt therof may not be quenchid.
11 Forsothe alle goodis camen togidere to me with it; and vnnoumbrable oneste is by the werkys therof.
12 And Y was glad in alle thingis; for this wisdom yede bifore me, and Y knew not, for it is the modir of alle goodis.
13 Which wisdom Y lernyde with out feynyng, and Y comyne without enuye; and Y hide not the oneste therof.
14 For it is tresour with out noumbre to men, and thei, that vsiden that tresour, weren maad parceneris of Goddis frenschip, and weren preisid for the yiftis of kunnyng.
15 Forsothe God yaf to me to seie of sentence, and to bifore take worthi thingis of these thingis that ben youun to me; for he is the ledere of wisdom, and amendere of wise men.
16 For whi bothe we, and oure wordis, and al wisdom, and lernyng of kunnyng of werkis ben in his hond.
17 Forsothe he yaf to me the veri kunnyng of these thingis that ben, that Y knowe the disposicioun of the world, and the vertues of elementis;
18 the bigynnyng, and the endyng, and the myddil of tymes; the chaungyngis of whilis, and the endyngis of tymes; the chaungyngis of maneres, and departyngis of tymes; the coursis of the yeer,
19 and the disposiciouns of sterris;
20 the kyndis of beestis, and the wraththis of wielde beestis; the strengthe of wyndis, and the thouytis of men; the differences of trees, and the vertues of rootis.
21 And Y lernede what euer thingis ben hid and vnpurueyed; for whi wisdom, the crafti maker of alle thingis, tauyte me.
22 For in that wisdom vnmaad is the spirit of vndurstonding, hooli, many fold, oon aloone, sutil, temperat, wijs, mouable, vndefoulid, certeyn, swete, louynge a good dede, which spirit forbedith no thing to do wel;
23 curteis, benynge, stable, sikur, hauynge al vertu, biholdynge alle thingis, and which takith alle spiritis able to vndurstonde, and he is clene, and sutil.
24 For whi wisdom is more mouable than alle mouable thingis; forsothe it stretchith forth euery where, for his clennesse.
25 For it is a brething of Goddis vertu, and it is sum cleene comyngforth of the clerenesse of Almiyti God;
26 and therfor no defoulid thing renneth in to it. For it is briytnesse of euerlastynge liyt, and it is a myrrour with out wem of Goddis maieste, and it is an ymage of his goodnesse.
27 And whanne it is oon, it may alle thingis; and it dwellith in it silf, and renulith alle thingis, and bi naciouns it berith ouer it silf in to hooli soulis; it makith the frendis of God and profetis.
28 For God loueth no man, no but hym that dwellith with wisdom.
29 Forwhi this wisdom is fairere than the sunne, and is aboue al the disposicioun of sterris; wisdom comparisound to liyt, is foundun the formere.
30 Forwhi niyt cometh aftir that liyt; but wysdom ouercometh malice.
1 Therfor wisdom stretchith forth fro the ende til to the ende strongli, and disposith alle thingis swetly.