Content

CAP 9
1 God of my fadris, and Lord of merci, that madist alle thingis bi thi word,
2 and ordeynedist man bi thi wisdom, that he schulde be lord of creature, which is maad of thee,
3 that he dispose the world in equite and riytfulnesse, and deme doom in riyt reulyng of herte;
4 yyue thou to me wisdom, that stondith nyy thi seetis; and nyle thou repreue me fro thi children.
5 For Y am thi seruaunt, and the sone of thin hand mayde; Y am a sijk man, and of litil tyme, and lesse to the vndurstondyng of doom and of lawis.
6 And if ony man is perfit among the sones of men, if thi wisdom fleeth awei fro hym, he schal be rikenyd in to nouyt.
7 Forsothe thou hast chose me kyng to thi puple, and a iuge of thi sones and douytris;
8 and thou seidist, that Y schulde bilde a temple in thin holi hil, and an auter in the citee of thi dwellyng place; the licnesse of thin hooli tabernacle, which thou madist redi at the bigynnyng.
9 And thi wisdom is with thee, that knowith thi werkis, which also was present thanne, whanne thou madist the world, and wiste what was plesaunt to thin iyen, and what was dressid in thi comaundementis.
10 Sende thou that wisdom fro thin hooli heuenes, and fro the seete of thi greetnesse, that it be with me, and trauele with me; and that Y wyte what is acceptable anentis thee.
11 Forwhi thilke wisdom knowith and vndirstondith alle thingis; and it schal lede me forth in my werkis sobrely, and it schal kepe me in his power.
12 And my werkis schulen be acceptable, and Y schal dispose thi puple iustli, and Y schal be worthi of the seetis of my fadir.
13 For who of men mai knowe the counsel of God? ether who mai thenke, what wole God?
14 For whi the thouytis of deedli men ben dreedful, and oure puruyaunces ben vncerteyn.
15 For whi the bodi that is corrupt, greueth the soule; and ertheli dwellyng pressith doun the wit, thenkynge many thingis.
16 And of hard we gessen tho thingis, that ben in erthe; and we fynden with trauel tho thingis, that ben in biholdyng.
17 But who schal serche tho thingis, that ben in heuenes? But who schal knowe thi wit, `no but thou yyue wisdom, and sende thin Hooli Spirit fro hiyeste thingis?
18 And if the pathis of hem, that ben in londis, ben amendid, and if men han lernyd tho thingis, that plesen thee.
19 For whi, Lord, whiche euer plesiden thee fro the bigynnyng, weren maad hool bi wisdom.