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CAP 12
1 If thou doist wel, wite thou to whom thou doist; and miche grace schal be to thi goodis.
2 Do thou wel to a iust man, and thou schalt fynde greet yelding; thouy not of hym, certis of the Lord.
3 It is not wel to hym that is customable in yuels, and to hym that yyueth not almes; for whi the hiyeste bothe hatith synneris, and doith merci to hem that doen penaunce.
4 Yyue thou to a merciful man, and resseyue thou not a synnere; God schal yelde veniaunce bothe to vnfeithful men and to synneris, kepynge hem in the dai of veniaunce.
5 Yyue thou to a good man, and resseyue thou not a synnere.
6 Do thou good to a meke man, and yyue thou not to an vnpitouse man; forbede thou to yyue looues to hym, lest in tho he be myytiere than thou.
7 For thou schalt fynde double yuels in alle goodis, whiche euere thou doist to hym; for whi the hiyeste bothe hatith synneris, and schal yelde veniaunce to vnfeithful men.
8 A frend schal not be knowun in goodis, and an enemy schal not be hid in yuels.
9 In the goodis of a man hise enemyes ben sori; and a frend is knowun in the sorewe and malice of him.
10 Bileue thou neuer to thin enemy; for his wickidnesse roustith as irun.
11 Thouy he be maad meke, and go lowe, caste awei thi soule, and kepe thee fro him.
12 Sette thou not him bisidis thee, nether sitte he at thi riytside, lest he turne and stonde in thi place; lest perauenture he turne in to thi place, and enquere thi chaier, and in the laste tyme thou know mi wordis, and be prickid in my wordis.
13 Who schal do medecyn to an enchauntere smytun of a serpent, and to alle men that neiyen to beestis, and to him that goith with an yuel man, and is wlappid in the synnes of him?
14 In oon our he schal dwelle with thee; sotheli if thou bowist awei, he schal not bere vp.
15 The enemy makith swete in hise lippis, and in his herte he settith tresoun to ouerturne thee in to the dich.
16 The enemy wepith in hise iyen; and if he fyndith tyme, he schal not be fillid of blood.
17 If yuels bifallen to thee, thou schalt fynde hym the formere there.
18 The enemy schal wepe bifore thin iyen, and he as helpynge schal vndurmyne thi feet.
19 He schal stire his heed, and he schal beete with hond; and he schal speke priuyli many yuels of thee, and schal chaunge his chere.