1 A wijs man schal seke out the wisdom of alle elde men; and he schal yyue tent in profetis.
2 He schal kepe the tellyng of named men; and he schal entre togidere in to the hard sentensis of parablis.
3 He schal seke out the pryuy thingis of prouerbis; and he schal be conuersaunt in the hid thingis of parablis.
4 He schal mynystre in the myddis of grete men; and he schal appere in the siyt of the cheef iuge.
5 He schal passe in to the lond of alien folkis; for he schal asaie goodis, and yuels in alle thingis.
6 He schal yyue his herte to wake eerli to the Lord that made hym; and he schal biseche in the siyt of the hiyeste.
7 He schal opene his mouth in preier; and he schal biseche for hise trespassis.
8 For if the grete Lord wole, he schal fille hym with the spirit of vndurstondyng.
9 And he schal sende the wordis of his wisdom, as reynes; and in preier he schal knouleche to the Lord.
10 And he schal dresse his counsel, and techyng; and schal councele in hise hid thingis.
11 He schal make opene the wisdom of his techyng; and he schal haue glorie in the lawe of the testament of the Lord.
12 Many men schulen preyse his wisdom; and it schal not be don awey til in to the world.
13 His mynde schal not go awei; and his name schal be souyt fro generacioun in to generacioun.
14 Folkis schulen telle out his wisdom; and the chirche schal telle his preisyng.
15 If his name dwellith, he schal leeue more than a thousynde; and if he restith, it schal profite to hym.
16 Yit Y schal take councel to telle out, for Y am fillid as with woodnesse;
17 and myn ynnere spirit seith in vois, Ye fruytis of God, here me, and make ye fruyt, as roosis plauntide on the ryuers of watris.
18 Haue ye odour of swetnesse, as the Liban hath.
19 Bringe forth flouris, as a lilee; yyue ye odour, and make ye boowis in to grace. And preise ye togidere a song; and blesse ye the Lord in hise werkis.
20 Yyue ye greet onour to his name, and knouleche ye to him in the vois of youre lippis, in songis of lippis, and in harpis; and thus ye schulen seie in knouleching,
21 Alle the werkis of the Lord ben ful goode.
22 Forsothe watir as an heepe of stoonys stood at his word; and as resettis of watris in the word of his mouth.
23 For whi pesiblenesse is maad in his comaundement; and no defaute is in the heelthe of hym.
24 The werkis of ech fleisch ben bifore hym; and no thing is hid fro hise iyen.
25 He biholdith fro the world til in to the world; and no thing is wondurful in his siyt.
26 It is not to seie, What is this thing, ether, What is that thing? for whi alle thingis schulen be souyt in her tyme.
27 The blessyng of hym schal flowe as a flood;
28 and as the grete flood fillide greteli the erthe, so his yre schal enherite in folkis, that souyten not hym.
29 As he turnede watris in to drynessis, and the erthe was dried, and hise weies weren dressid to the weies of hem; so offenciouns in his ire ben dressid to synneris.
30 Goode thingis weren maad at the bigynnyng to goode men; so goode thingis and yuele ben maad to worste men.
31 The bigynnyng of nedeful thing to the lijf of men, watir, fier, and yrun, and salt, and mylk, and breed of cleene flour of whete, and hony, and a clustre of grape, and oile, and cloth.
32 Alle these thingis schulen turne to hooli men in to goodis; so and to vnfeithful men and synneris in to yuels.
33 Spiritis ben that ben maad to veniaunce; and in her woodnesse thei confermyden her turmentis.
34 And in the tyme of endyng thei schulen schede out vertu; and thei schulen confounde the strong veniaunce of hym that made hem.
35 Fier, hail, hungur, and deth; alle these thingis ben maad to veniaunce; the teeth of beestis,
36 and scorpiouns, and serpentis, and a swerd punyschynge wickid men in to destriyng.
37 In the comaundementis of hym tho schulen ete, and tho schulen be maad redi on the erthe in nede; and in her tymes tho schulen not passe o word.
38 Therfor fro the bigynnyng Y was confermed; and Y counselide, and thouyte, and lefte writun.
39 Alle the werkis of the Lord ben goode; and ech werk schal serue in his our.
40 It is not to seie, This is worse than that; for whi alle thingis schulen be preued in her tyme.
41 And now in al the herte and mouth preise ye togidere, and blesse ye the name of the Lord.