Sir 3

1 The sones of wisdom ben the chirche of iust men, and the nacioun of hem is obedience and loue. 2 Dereworthe sones, here ye the doom of the fadir; and do ye so, that ye be saaf. 3 For whi God onouride the fadir in sones, and he sekith, and hath maad stidfast the doom of the modir in to sones. 4 He that loueth God, schal preie for synnes, and he schal absteyne hym silf fro tho, and he schal be herd in the preier of daies. 5 And as he that tresourith, so and he that onourith his modir. 6 He that onourith his fadir, schal be maad myrie in sones, and he schal be herd in the dai of his preier. 7 He that onourith his fadir, schal lyue bi lengere lijf; and he that obeieth to the fader, schal refreische the modir. 8 He that dredith the Lord, onourith fadir and modir; and he schal serue in werk, and word, 9 and al pacience to hem that gendriden hym as to lordis. 10 Onoure thi fadir, that the blessyng of God come to thee; and his blessing dwellith in the laste. 11 The blessyng of the fadir makith stidfast the housis of sones; but the cursyng of the modir drawith out the foundementis. 12 Haue thou not glorie in the dispisyng of thi fadir; for it is not glorie to thee, but confusioun. 13 For whi the glorie of a man is of the onour of his fadir; and the schenschip of the sone is a fadir with out onour. 14 Sone, resseyue the elde of thi fadir, and make thou not hym sori in his lijf; 15 and if he failith in wit, yyue thou foryyuenesse, and dispise thou not hym in thi vertu; for whi the almes of the fadir schal not be foryetyng. 16 For whi good schal be restorid to thee for the synne of the modir, 17 and bildyng schal be maad to thee in riytfulnesse; and it schal remembre of thee in dai of tribulacioun, and thi synnes schulen be releessid, as iys in clerenesse of the sunne. 18 He is of ful yuel fame, that forsakith the fadir; and he that wraththith the modir, is cursid of God. 19 Sone, performe thi werkis in myldenesse, and thou schalt be loued ouer the glorie of men. 20 In as myche as thou art greet, make thee meke in alle thingis, and thou schalt fynde grace bifore God; for whi the power of God aloon is greet, 21 and he is onourid of meke men. 22 Seke thou not hiyere thingis than thou, and enquere thou not strongere thingis than thou; but euere thenke thou tho thingis, whiche God comaundide to thee; and be thou not curiouse in ful many werkis of hym. 23 For it is not nedeful to thee to se with thin iyen tho thingis, that ben hid. 24 In superflu thingis nyle thou seke manyfold; and be thou not curiouse in many werkis of hym; 25 for whi ful many thingis aboue the wit of men ben schewid to thee. 26 For the suspecioun of many men hath disseyued hem, and withhelde her wittis in vanytee. 27 And hard herte schal haue yuel in the laste tyme; and he that loueth perel, schal perische ther ynne. 28 An herte that entrith bi tweie weies, schal not haue prosperitees, ether reste; and a man of schrewid herte schal be sclaundrid in tho. 29 A wickid herte schal be greuyd in sorewis; and a synnere schal `hepe to do synne. 30 Helthe schal not be to the synagoge of proude men; for whi the thicke wode of synne schal be drawun out bi the roote in hem, and it schal not be vndurstondun. 31 The herte of a wise man is vndurstondun in wisdom, and a good eere schal here wisdom with al coueitise. 32 A wijs herte and able to vndurstonde schal absteyne it silf fro synnes, and schal haue prosperitees in the werkis of riytfulnesse. 33 Watir quenchith fier brennynge, and almes ayenstondith synnes. 34 And God, the biholdere of hym that yeldith grace, hath mynde aftirward; and he schal fynde stidefastnesse in the tyme of his fal.