The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXXI.

[verse 1] I made couenaunt with myn iȝen, that Y schulde not thenke of [on AC.] a virgyn [not thenke of a virgyne; lest thorou bihold|ing Y schulde falle in to de|lyting ether consent of ony damesel, ȝhe, most fair. Lire here. C. what part; as if he seie, noon. A man, in whom God dwellith by grace, is the part and eritage of God, but he dwellith not in men defoulid bi lecherie, rathire he drawith silf fer fro hem. Lire here. C.] . [verse 2] For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and [and what I.] eritage Almyȝti [schulde Almyȝti I.] God of hiȝe thingis [thingis haue in me I.] ? [verse 3] Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid [myȝti S.] man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse? [verse 4] Whether he [God I.] biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis? [verse 5] If Y ȝede [haue gon I.] in vanyte, [verse 6] and my foot [foot hath I.] hastide [hastide to go I.] in gile, God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe [knowe he I.] my symplenesse. [verse 7] If my step [step haue I.] bowide fro the weie; if [and if I.] myn iȝe [if myn iȝe; biholdinge vn|chastly. suede myn herte; that is, sudeyn thouȝtis of the leccherouse fleisch. Lire here. C.] suede [haue suede I.] myn herte, and [consentinge to lust, and I.] [verse 8] a [if a I.] spotte cleuede [haue cleuede I.] to [on S.] myn hondis; sowe Y [I the seed thanne I.] , and another ete [ete the fruyt I.] , and my generacioun be

drawun out bi the root. [verse 9] If [And if I. And S.] myn herte was [hath I.] disseyued on a womman [on a wom|man; ioyned in matrymonye, ether trouthe pliȝt to an other man, as the Ebreu word sowneth. Lire here. C.] , and if Y settide [haue sett I. sette S.] aspies at the dore of my frend; [verse 10] my wijf be [be thanne I.] the hoore [strumpett I.] of anothir man, and othir men be bowid doun on [upon I.] hir. [verse 11] For [Forsothe I.] this [this thing I.] [For this; that is, auoutrie. is most wickid|nesse; in synnes aȝenus the neiȝ|bore. Lire here. C.] is vnleueful, and the moost wickid|nesse. [verse 12] Fier [Fier of brennynge lust I.] is deourynge `til to [un to I.] wastyng, and drawynge [it drawith I.] vp bi the roote alle gene|raciouns. [verse 13] If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and [and with I.] myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden aȝens me. [verse 14] What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise [rise up I.] to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym? [verse 15] Whether he, that wrouȝte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe? [verse 16] If Y denyede to pore men that [that thing I.] , that thei wolden [that thei wolden; the while her wille was re|sonable. Lire here. C.] , and if Y made the iȝen [verse 17] of a wydewe to abide; if [and if I.] Y aloone eet my mussel, and [and if I.] a faderles child eet not therof; [verse 18] for [sothely I.] merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my ȝong childhed, and [and it IS.] ȝede out of [verse 19] my modris wombe with me; if Y dis|piside a man passynge forth [forth bi me I.] , for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out [verse 20] hilyng; if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was [weren I.] not maad hoot of the fleeces [flees IS.] of my [verse 21] scheep; if Y reiside [reiside up I. reiside in S.] myn hond [myn hond; that is, my power, vniustly. Lire here. C.] on [upon I.] a fadirles child, ȝhe, whanne Y siȝ [sawȝe I pass.] me the [verse 22] hiȝere in the ȝate; my schuldre [shuldren S.] falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun. [verse 23] For [For|sothe I.] euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on [upon I.] me; and [Om. I.] `Y myȝte not bere his birthun [whos birthun I myȝte not bere I.] . [verse 24] If Y gess|ide gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to [verse 25] purid gold, Thou art my trist; if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for [For cause that I.] myn [verse 26] hond foond ful many thingis [richessis I.] [ful many thingis; as if he seie, Goddis veniaunce come on me. Lire here. C.] ; if Y siȝ the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the [verse 27] moone goynge clereli; and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside [if Y kisside etc.; ȝyuynge to it the reue|rence due to God onely. Lire here. C.] [verse 28] myn hond with my mouth; which [the which I.] is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng aȝens

[verse 29] hiȝeste [the hiȝeste I.] God; if Y hadde ioye at the fall|yng of hym, that hatide me, and if Y ioide [verse 30] fulli, that yuel hadde founde hym; for [forsothe I.] Y ȝaf not my throte to do [do that I.] synne, that Y [verse 31] schulde asaile and curse his soule; if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who ȝyueth, that we be fillid [be fillid etc.; that is, who ȝyueth that he be euere al pre|sent with vs, that we be fillid of his felou|schipe. Lire here. C.] of hise fleischis? [verse 32] a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth; [verse 33] my dore was opyn to a weiegoere [way ferynge man I.] ; if Y as man hidde my synne [hidde my synne; that is, in denyinge it vnduly, ethir in excusinge falsly. in my bosum; that is, herte, bi fals schewing of hoolynesse withoutforth. Lire here. C. if Y dredde at ful greet multi|tude; in go|ynge awey fro riȝtfulnesse, for the drede of many men. and if dispising etc.; so that Y ȝede awey fro truthe, and dredde lest Y schulde offende my neiȝbouris, willinge the contrarie. and not more Y was stille; heringe the blamyngis of my neiȝboris, for Y nolde as|sent to hem. and ȝede not out; to do any wickid thing for hem. Lire here. C.] , and helide my [verse 34] wickidnesse in my bosum [bosum, ether herte V.] ; if Y dredde at ful greet multitude, and if dispisyng of neyȝboris made me aferd; and not more [more herfore I.] Y was stille, and ȝede [Y ȝede C.] not out of the [verse 35] dore; who ȝyueth [ȝyueth thanne I.] an helpere to me, that Almyȝti God here my desire? that he that [verse 36] demeth, write a book [write a book; in ȝyuynge the sentence for me. Lire here. C.] , that Y bere it in [on IS.] my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me? [verse 37] Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as [as offryng I.] offre it to the prynce. [verse 38] If my lond crieth [if my lond cri|eth etc.; that is, if Y gaderide outrageouse fruytis therof, and if Y with|drow the hiris of erthetileris. Lire here. C.] aȝens me, and hise [verse 39] forewis wepen with it; if [and if I.] Y eet fruytis [the fruytis I.] therof with out money, and [and if I.] Y turmentide [verse 40] the soule of [of the IS.] erthetileris of it; a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli.