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CAP 38
1 Onoure thou a leche, for nede; for whi the hiyeste hath maad hym.
2 For whi al medicyn is of God; and he schal take of the kyng a yifte.
3 The kunnyng of a leche schal enhaunse his heed; and he schal be preisid in the siyt of grete men.
4 The hiyeste hath maad of the erthe medicyn; and a prudent man schal not wlate it.
5 Whether bittir watir was not maad swete of a tre?
6 The vertu of tho thingis cam bi experience to the knowing of men; and the hiyeste yaf kunnyng to men, for to be onourid in his merueils.
7 A man heelynge in these thingis schal aswage sorewe, and an oynement makere schal make pymentis of swetnesse, and schal make anoyntyngis of heelthe; and hise werkis schulen not be endid.
8 For whi the pees of God is on the face of erthe.
9 Mi sone, dispise not thi silf in thi sikenesse; but preie thou the Lord, and he schal heele thee.
10 Turne thou awei fro synne, and dresse thin hondis, and clense thin herte fro al synne.
11 Yyue thou swetnesse, and the mynde of cleene flour of wheete, and make thou fat offryng; and yyue thou place to a leche.
12 For the Lord made hym, and departe he not fro thee; for hise werkis ben nedeful to thee.
13 For whi tyme is, whanne thou schalt falle in to the hondis of hem.
14 Forsothe thei schulen biseche the Lord, that he dresse the werk of hem, and helthe for her lyuyng.
15 He that trespassith in the siyt of hym, that made hym, schal falle in to the hondis of the leche.
16 Sone, brynge thou forth teeris on a deed man, and thou as suffrynge hard thingis bigynne to wepe; and bi doom hile thou the bodi of hym, and dispise thou not his biriyng.
17 But for bacbityng bere thou bittirli the morenyng of hym o dai; and be thou coumfortid for sorewe.
18 And make thou morenyng aftir his merit o dai, ether tweyne, for bacbityng.
19 For whi deth hastith of sorewe, and hilith vertu; and the sorewe of herte bowith the heed.
20 Sorewe dwellith in ledyng awei; and the catel of a nedi man is aftir his herte.
21 Yyue thou not thin herte in sorewe, but put it awei fro thee; and haue thou mynde on the laste thingis, and nyle thou foryete.
22 For whi no turning is, and thou schalt no thing profite to this deed man; and thou schalt harme worste thi silf.
23 Be thou myndeful of mi dom; for also thin schal be thus, to me yistirdai, and to thee to dai.
24 In the reste of a deed man make thou hys mynde to haue reste; and coumforte thou hym in the goyng out of his spirit.
25 Write thou wisdom in the tyme of voidenesse; and he that is made lesse in dede, schal perseyue wisdom; for he schal be fillid of wisdom.
26 He that holdith the plow, and he that hath glorie in a gohode, dryueth oxis with a pricke, and he lyueth in the werkis of tho; and his tellyng is in the sones of bolis.
27 He schal yyue his herte to turne forewis; and his wakyng schal be aboute the fatnesse of kien.
28 So ech carpenter, and principal werk man, that passith the niyt as the dai; that graueth ymagis grauun, and the bisynesse of hym dyuersith the peynture; he schal yyue his herte to the licnesse of peynture, and bi his wakyng he perfourmeth the werk.
29 So a smyth sittynge bisidis the anefelt, and biholdynge the werk of yrun, the heete of fier brenneth hise fleischis; and he stryueth in the heete of the furneis.
30 The vois of a hamer makith newe his eere; and his iye is ayens the licnesse of a vessel.
31 He schal yyue his herte in to the perfourmyng of werkis; and bi his wakyng he schal ourne vnperfeccioun.
32 So a potter sittynge at his werk, turnynge a wheel with hise feet, which is put euere in bisynesse for his werk; and al his worchyng is vnnoumbrable.
33 In his arm he schal fourme clei; and bifore hise feet he schal bowe his vertu.
34 He schal yyue his herte to ende perfitli sum thing; and bi his wakyng he schal clense the furneis.
35 Alle these men hopiden in her hondis; and ech man is wijs in his craft.
36 A citee is not bildid with outen alle these men.
37 And thei schulen not dwelle, nether go; and thei schulen not skippe ouer in to the chirche.
38 Thei schulen not sitte on the seete of a iuge; and thei schulen not vndirstonde the testament of doom, nether thei schulen make opyn techyng and doom; and thei schulen not be foundun in parablis.
39 But thei schulen conferme the creature of the world, and her preyer is in the worching of craft; and thei yyuen her soule, and thei axen togidere in the lawe of the hiyeste.