Sir 24

1 Wisdom schal preise his soule, and he schal be onourid in God; and he schal haue glorie in the myddis of his puple. 2 And he schal opene his mouth in the chirchis of the hiyeste; and he schal haue glorie in the siyt of his vertu. 3 And he schal be enhaunsid in the myddis of his puple; and he schal wondre in hooli plentee. 4 And in the multitude of chosun men he schal haue preisyng; and among blessid men he schal be blessid, 5 and seie, I, the firste gendrid bifore ech creature, cam forth fro the mouth of the hiyeste. 6 I made in heuenes, that liyt neuere failynge roos vp, and as a cloude Y hilide al erthe. 7 Y dwellide in hiyeste thingis, and my trone in a piler of cloude. 8 Y aloone yede aboute the cumpas of heuene, and Y perside the depthe of the see; and Y yede in the wawis of the see, 9 and Y stood in al the lond. 10 And Y hadde the firste dignite in ech puple, and in ech folk; 11 and Y trad bi vertu on the neckis of alle excelent men and meke; and in alle these men Y souyte reste, and Y schal dwelle in the eritage of the Lord. 12 Thanne the creatour of alle comaundide, and seide to me; and he that formyde me, restide in my tabernacle; and he seide to me, 13 Dwelle thou in Jacob, and take thou eritage in Israel, and sende thou rootis in my chosun men. 14 Y was gendrid of the bigynnyng and bifore worldis, and Y schal not faile `til to the world to comynge; and Y mynystride in an hooli dwellyng bifore hym. 15 And so Y was maad stidfast in Syon, and in lijk maner Y restide in a citee halewid, and my power was in Jerusalem. 16 And Y rootid in a puple onourid; and the eritage therof in to the partis of my God, and my witholding in the plentee of seyntis. 17 Y was enhaunsid as a cedre in Liban, and as a cipresse tree in the hil of Syon. 18 Y was enhaunsid as a palm tree in Cades, and as the plauntyng of roose in Jeryco. 19 As a fair olyue tree in feeldis; and Y was enhaunsid as a plane tree bisidis watir in stretis. 20 As canel and bawme yyuynge greet smelle, Y yaf odour; as chosun myrre Y yaf the swetnesse of odour. 21 And as storax, and galban, and vngula, and gumme, and as Liban not kit doun, Y made hoot my dwellyng place; and myn odour as bawme not meddlid. 22 Y as a terebynte stretchide forth my boowis; and my boowis ben boowis of onour, and of glorie. 23 Y as a vyne made fruyt the swetnesse of odour; and my flouris ben the fruytis of onour, and of oneste. 24 I am a modir of fair loue, and of drede, and of knowyng, and of hooli hope. 25 In me is al grace of weie, and of treuthe; in me is al hope of lijf and of vertu. 26 Alle ye that coueiten me, passe to me; and be ye fillid of my generaciouns. 27 For whi my spirit is swete aboue hony; and myn eritage is aboue hony, and hony comb. 28 My mynde is in the generacioun of worldis. 29 Thei that eten me, schulen hungre yit; and thei that drynken me, schulen thirste yit. 30 He that herith me, shal not be schent; and thei that worchen in me, schulen not do synne; and thei that declaren me, 31 schulen haue euere lastynge lijf. 32 Alle these thingis is the book of lijf, and the testament of the hiyeste, and the knowyng of treuthe. 33 Moises comaundide a lawe in the comaundementis of riytfulnessis, and eritage to the hous of Jacob, and biheestis to Israel. 34 He settide to Dauid, his child, to reise of hym a kyng moost strong, and sittynge with outen ende in the trone of onour. 35 Which kyng fillith wisdom, as Phison schedith out watir; and as Tigris in the daies of newe thingis. 36 Which, as Eufrates, fillith wit; which multiplieth, as Jordan in the tyme of heruest. 37 Which sendith techyng as liyt; and is niy alle men, as Gion in the dai of vendage. 38 Which makith perfitli first to knowe that wisdom; and a feblere man schal not enserche it. 39 For whi the thouyt therof schal be plenteuouse of the see; and his counsel in the greet occian. 40 Y wisdom schedde out floodis; 41 Y as a weie of ful greet watir of the flood. Y as the flood Dorix, and as a watir cundit Y yede out of paradis. 42 Y seide, I schal watir my gardyn of plauntyngis; and Y schal greetli fille the fruyt of my child beryng. 43 And lo! a plenteuouse weie of watir is maad to me; and my flood neiyede to the see. 44 For Y liytne techyng as the cheer morewtid to alle men; and Y schal telle out it `til to fer. 45 Y schal perse alle the lowere partis of erthe, and Y schal biholde alle that slepen; and Y schal liytne alle that hopen in the Lord. 46 Yit Y schal schede out teching as profesie, and Y schal leeue it to hem that seken wisdom; and Y schal not faile in to the generaciouns of hem, til in to the hooli world. 47 Se ye, that Y trauelide not to me aloone, but to alle that seken out treuthe.