Sir 10

1 A wijs iuge schal deme his puple; and the prinshed of a witti man schal be stidfast. 2 Aftir the iuge of the puple, so and hise mynystris; and what maner man is the gouernour of the citee, siche ben also men dwellinge ther ynne. 3 An vnwijs king schal leese his puple; and citees schulen be enhabitid bi the wit of prudent men. 4 The power of erthe is in the hond of God, and al the wickidnesse of hethene men is abhomynable; and he schal reise a profitable gouernour at a tyme on it. 5 The power of man is in the hond of God; and he schal sette his onour on the face of a wijs man in the lawe. 6 Haue thou not mynde on al the wrong of the neiybore; and do thou no thing in the werkis of wrong. 7 Pride is hateful bifore God and men; and al the wickidnesse of hethene men is abhomynable. 8 A rewme is translatid fro a folk in to folk, for vnriytfulnessis, and wrongis, and dispisyngis, and dyuerse gilis. 9 No thing is cursidere than an auerouse man. What art thou proude, thou erthe and aische? 10 No thing is worse, than for to loue monei; for whi this man hath also his soule set to sale, for in his lijf he hath cast awei hise ynneste thingis. 11 Ech power is schort lijf; lengere siknesse greueth the leche. 12 A leche kittith awei schort siknesse; so and a king is to dai, and to morewe he schal die. 13 Forsothe whanne a man schal die, he schal enherite serpentis, and beestis, and wormes. 14 The bigynnyng of pride of man was to be apostata fro God; 15 for his herte yede awei fro hym that made hym. For whi pride is the bigynnyng of al synne; he that holdith it, schal be fillid with cursyngis, and it schal distrye hym in to the ende. 16 Therfor the Lord hath schent the couentis of yuele men, and hath destried hem til `in to the ende. 17 God destriede the seetis of proude duykis; and made mylde men to sitte for hem. 18 God made drie the rootis of proude folkis; and plauntide meke men of tho folkis. 19 The Lord destriede the londis of folkis; and loste tho `til to the foundement. 20 He made drie the rootis of hem, and loste hem; and made the mynde of hem to ceesse fro the erthe. 21 God loste the mynde of proude men; and lefte the mynde of meke men in wit. 22 Pride was not maad to men; nether wrathfulnesse to the nacioun of wymmen. 23 This seed of men that dredith God, schal be onourid; but this seed schal be disonourid, that passith the comaundementis of the Lord. 24 In the myddis of britheren the gouernour of hem is in onour; and thei that dreden God, schulen be in hise iyen. 25 The glorie of riche men onourid and of pore men is the drede of God. 26 Nyle thou dispise a iust pore man; and nyle thou magnefie a riche synful man. 27 The iuge is greet, and is miyti in onour; and he is not grettere than that man that dredith God. 28 Fre children seruen a witti seruaunt; and a prudent man and lerned schal not grutche, whanne he is blamed, and an vnkunnynge man schal not be onourid. 29 Nyle thou enhaunse thee in thi werk to be don; and nyle thou be slow in the tyme of angwisch. 30 He is betere that worchith, and hath plente in alle thingis, than he that hath glorie, and nedith breed. 31 Sone, kepe thi soule in myldenesse; and yyue thou onour to it, aftir his merit. 32 Who schal iustifie hym that synneth ayens his soule? and who schal onoure hym that disonourith his soule? 33 A pore man hath glorie bi his lernyng and drede; and ther is a man that is onourid for his catel. 34 Forsothe if a man hath glorie in pouert, hou myche more in catel? and he that hath glorie in catel, drede pouerte.