1 Iuelis schulen not come to hym that dredith God; but God schal kepe hym in temptacioun, and schal delyuere fro yuelis.

2 A wijs man hatith not the comaundementis, and riytfulnessis; and he schal not be hurtlid doun, as in the tempest of a schip.

3 A wijs man bileeueth to the lawe of God, and the lawe is feithful to hym.

4 He that makith opene axyng, schal make redi a word; and so he schal preie, and schal be herd, and he schal kepe techyng, and thanne he schal answere.

5 The entraylis of a fool ben as a wheel of a carte, and his thouytis as an extre able to turne aboute.

6 An hors a staloun, so and a frend a scornere, neiyeth vndur ech sittynge aboue.

7 Whi a dai ouercometh a dai, and eft the liyt ouercometh liyt, and a yeer ouercometh a yeer, the sunne ouercometh the sunne?

8 Tho ben departid of the kunnyng of the Lord, bi the sunne maad, and kepynge the comaundement of God.

9 And it schal chaunge tymes and the feeste daies of hem, and in tho tymes the Jewis halewiden hali daies at an our.

10 God enhaunside and magnyfiede of tho hali daies; and of tho he settide in to the noumbre of daies; and God made alle men of sad erthe, and of neische erthe, whereof Adam was formed.

11 In the multitude of kunnyng of the Lord he departide hem, and chaungide the weies of hem.

12 Of hem God blesside, and enhaunside; and of hem he halewide, and chees to hym silf; of hem he curside, and made lowe, and turnyde hem fro the departyng of hem.

13 As cley of a pottere is in the hond of hym,

14 to make and dispose, that alle the weies therof ben aftir the ordynaunce of hym; so a man is in the hond of hym that made hym; and he schal yelde to hym bi his dom.

15 Ayens yuel is good, and ayens lijf is deth; so and a synnere is ayens a iust man. And so biholde thou in to alle the werkis of the hiyeste; twey thingis ayens tweyne, and o thing ayens oon.

16 And Y the laste wakide, and as he that gaderith draf of grapis, aftir the gadereris of grapis.

17 And Y hopide in the blessyng of God; and as he that gaderith grapis, Y fillide the pressour.

18 Biholde ye, for Y trauelide not to me aloone, but to alle that seken kunnyng.

19 Grete men, and alle puplis, here ye me; and ye gouernouris of the chirche, perseyue with eeris.

20 Yyue thou not power ouer thee in thi lijf to a sone, and to a womman, to a brothir, and to a freend; and yyue thou not thi possessioun to another man, lest perauenture it repente thee, and thou biseche for tho.

21 While thou art alyue, and brethist yit, ech man schal not chaunge thee.

22 For it is betere, that thi sones preye thee, than that thou biholde in to the hondis of thi sones.

23 In alle thi werkis be thou souereyn;

24 yyue thou not a wem in to thi glorie. In the day of endyng of daies of thi lijf, and in tyme of thi goyng out departe thin erytage.

25 Metis, and a yerde, and birthun to an asse; breed, and chastisyng, and werk to a seruaunt.

26 He worchith in chastisyng, and sekith to haue reste; slake thou hondis to hym, and he sekith fredom.

27 A yok and bridil bowen doun an hard necke; and bisi worchingis bowen doun a seruaunt.

28 Turment and stockis to an yuel willid seruaunt; sende thou hym in to worchyng, lest he be ydel;

29 for whi idilnesse hath tauyte miche malice.

30 Ordeyne thou hym in werk, for so it bicometh hym; that if he obeieth not, bowe thou doun hym in stockis, and make thou not hym large ouer ony man, but with out dom do thou no thing greuouse.

31 If a feithful seruaunt is to thee, be he as thi soule to thee; trete thou him so as a brother, for thou hast bouyt hym in the blood of lijf.

32 If thou hurtist hym vniustli, he schal be turned in to fleyng awei;

33 and if he enhaunsynge goith awei, thou noost whom thou schalt seke, and in what weie thou schalt seke hym.