Sir 41

1 A! deth, thi mynde is ful bittir to an vniust man, and hauynge pees in hise richessis; 2 to a restful man, and whose weies ben dressid in alle thingis, and yit myyti to take mete. 3 A! deth, thi doom is good to a nedi man, and which is maad lesse in strengthis, 4 and failith for age, and to whom is care of alle thingis, and vnbileueful, that leesith wisdom. 5 Nyle thou drede the doom of deth; haue thou mynde what thingis weren byfore thee, and what thingis schulen come on thee; this dom is of the Lord to ech man. 6 And tho thingis that schulen come on thee in the good plesaunce of the hiyeste; whethir ten yeer, ether an hundrid, ether a thousynde. 7 For whi noon accusyng of lijf is in helle. 8 The sones of abhomynaciouns ben the sones of synneris; and thei that dwellen bisidis the housis of wickid men. 9 The eritage of the sones of synneris schal perische; and the contynuaunce of schenschipe with the seed of hem. 10 Sones playnen of a wickid fadir; for thei ben in schenschip for hym. 11 Wo to you, ye wickid men, that han forsake the lawe of the hiyeste. 12 And if ye be borun, ye schulen be borun in cursidnesse; and if ye ben deed, youre part schal be in cursidnesse. 13 Alle thingis that ben of the erthe, schulen turne in to the erthe; so wickid men schulen turne fro cursyng in to perdicioun. 14 The morenyng of men is in the bodi of hem; but the name of wickid men schal be doon awei. 15 Haue thou bisynesse of a good name; for whi this schal dwelle more with thee, than a thousynde tresouris grete and preciouse. 16 The noumbre of daies is the terme of good lijf; but a good name schal dwelle with outen ende. 17 Sones, kepe ye techyng in pees; for whi wisdom hid, and tresour vnseyn, what profit is in euer either? 18 Betere is a man that hidith his foli, than a man that hidith his wisdom. 19 Netheles turne ye ayen in these thingis that comen forth of my mouth. 20 For it is not good to kepe alle vnreuerence, and not alle thingis plesen alle men in feith. 21 Be ye aschamed of fornycacioun, bifor fadir, and bifor modir; and of a leesyng, bifore a iustice, and bifore a myyti man; 22 and of trespas, bifor a prince, and bifore a iuge; and of wickidnesse, bifore a synagoge, and a puple; and of vnriytwisnesse, 23 bifore a felow, and a frend; 24 and of thefte, in the place where ynne thou dwellist; of the treuthe and testament of God; of sittyng at the mete in looues, and of the blemyschyng of yifte, and takyng; 25 of stilnesse, bifore hem that greeten; of the biholdyng of a letcherouse womman, and of the turnyng a wey of the cheer of a cosyn. 26 Turne thou not awey the face fro thi neiybore; and be thou war of takyng a wei a part, and not restorynge. 27 Biholde thou not the womman of an othere man; and enserche thou not her hand maide, nether stonde thou at hir bed. 28 Be thou war of frendis, of the wordis of vpbreidyng; and whanne thou hast youe, vpbreide thou not.