Content

CAP 8
2 I louede this wisdom maad, and Y souyte it out fro my yongthe; and Y souyte to take it a spousesse to me, and Y am maad a louyere of the fairnesse therof.
3 He that hath the felouschip of God, glorifieth the gentilnesse therof; but also the Lord of alle thingis louede it.
4 For it is the techeresse of the lernyng of God, and cheseresse of hise werkis.
5 And if richessis ben coueitid in lijf, what is richere than wisdom, that worchith alle thingis?
6 Sotheli if wit worchith, who is a crafti maker more than wisdom, of these thingis that ben?
7 And if a man loueth riytfulnesse, the trauels of this wisdom han grete vertues; for it techith sobrenesse, and prudence, and riytfulnesse, and vertu; and no thing is profitablere than these in lijf to men.
8 And if a man desirith multitude of kunnyng, wisdom knowith thingis passid, and gessith of thingis to comynge; it kan the felnessis of wordis, and asoilyngis of argumentis; it kan signes and schewyngis of thingis to comynge, bifore that tho ben maad; and the bifallyngis of tymes and of worldus.
9 Therfor Y purposide to brynge to me this wisdom, to lyue togidere; witynge that it schal comyne with me of goodis, and spekyng togidere of my thouyt, and of myn anoi schal be.
10 For this wisdom Y schal haue clerenesse at cumpenyes, and onour at eldre men;
11 Y schal be foundun yong and scharp in doom, and in the siyt of myyti men Y schal be wondurful, and the faces of princes schulen worschipe me.
12 Thei schulen abide me, beynge stille, and thei schulen biholde me, spekynge; and the while I speke many thingis, thei schulen sette hondis on her mouth.
13 Ferthermore bi this wisdom Y schal haue vndedlynesse; and Y schal leeue euerlastynge mynde to hem, that schulen come aftir me.
14 I schal dispose puplis; and naciouns schulen be suget to me.
15 Hidouse kyngis herynge me schulen drede; and in multitude Y schal be seyn good, and strong in batel.
16 Y schal entre in to myn hous, and Y schal reste with wisdom; for the conuersacioun therof hath no bitternesse, and the dwellynge togidere therof hath noon anoye, but gladnesse and ioye.
17 Y thouyte these thingis at me, and Y remembride in myn herte; forwhi wisdom is vndeedli in thouyt,
18 and good delityng is in the frendschipe therof; and onestee without defaute is in the werkis of hondis therof; and wisdom is in the strijf of speche therof; and greet clerenesse is in the comyning of wordis therof; Y yede aboute, sekinge to take wisdom to me.
19 Forsothe Y was a witti child, and Y gat a good soule.
20 And whanne Y was more good, Y cam to a bodi vndefoulid.
21 And as Y knew, that ellis Y mai not be chaste, no but God yyue, and this same thing was wisdom, to wite whos this yifte was; Y yede to the Lord, and Y bisouyte hym, and Y seide, of alle myn entralis.