Content

CAP 17
1 God formede man of erthe; and aftir his ymage he made man.
2 And eft he turnede man in to that ymage; and aftir hym silf he clothide hym with vertu.
3 He yaf to hym the noumbre of daies, and tyme; and he yaf to him power of tho thingis that ben on erthe.
4 He settide the drede of man on al fleisch, and he was lord of beestis and fliynge briddis.
5 He formyde of man an help lijk hym; he yaf to hem councel, and tunge, and iyen, and eeris, and herte to thenke out; and he fillide hem with techyng of vndurstondyng.
6 He made to hem the kunnyng of spirit, he fillide the herte of hem with wit; and he schewide to hem yuels and goodis.
7 He settide the iye of hem on the hertes of hem, to schewe to hem the grete thingis of hise werkis,
8 that thei preise togidere the name of halewyng; and to haue glorie in hise meruels, that thei telle out the grete thingis of hise werkis.
9 He addide to hem techyng; and he enheritide hem with the lawe of lijf.
10 He ordeynyde an euerlastynge testament with hem; and he schewide to hem hise riytfulnesse, and domes.
11 And the iye of hem siy the grete thingis of his onour, and the eeris of hem herden the onour of vois; and he seide to hem, Take heede to you fro al wickid thing.
12 And he comaundide to hem, to ech man of his neiybore.
13 The weies of hem ben euere bifore hym; tho ben not hid fro hise iyen.
14 On ech folk he made souereyn a gouernour;
15 and Israel was maad the opyn part of God.
16 And alle the werkis of hem ben as the sunne in the siyt of God; and hise iyen biholden with out ceessyng in the weies of hem.
17 Testamentis weren not hid fro the wickidnesse of hem; and alle the wickydnessis of hem weren in the siyt of God.
18 The almes of a man is as a bagge with hym, and it schal kepe the grace of a man as the appil of the iye;
19 and afterward man schal rise ayen, and it schal yelde to hem a yelding, to ech man in to the heed of hem; and schal turne in to the lower partis of erthe.
20 Forsothe it yaf to men repentinge the weie of riytfulnesse, and confermede men failynge to suffre, and ordeynede to hem the part of treuthe.
21 Turne thou to the Lord, and forsake thi synnes;
22 preye thou bifore the face of the Lord, and make thou lesse hirtingis.
23 Turne thou ayen to the Lord, and turne thou awei fro thin vnriytfulnesse, and hate thou greetli cursyng.
24 And knowe thou the riytfulnessis, and domes of God; and stonde thou in the part of good purpos, and of preier of the hiyeste God.
25 Go thou in to the partis of the hooli world, with men lyuynge, and yyuynge knouleching to God.
26 Dwelle thou not in the errour of wickid men. Knouleche thou bifore deth; knouleching perischith fro a deed man, as no thing.
27 Lyuynge thou schalt knouleche, lyuynge and hool thou schalt knowleche, and schalt herie God; and thou schalt haue glorie in the merciful doyngis of hym.
28 The merci of God is ful greet, and his help to hem that conuerten to hym.
29 For whi not alle thingis moun be in men; for whi the sone of man is not vndeedli, and malices plesiden in to vanyte.
30 What is clerere than the sunne? and this schal faile; ethir what is worse than that, that fleisch and blood thouyte out? and of this he schal be repreued.
31 He biholdith the vertu of hiynesse of heuene; and alle men ben erthe and aische.