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

CAP. XVI.

[verse 1] It perteyneth to man to make redi the soule; and it perteyneth to the Lord to gouerne the tunge. [verse 2] Alle the weies of men ben opyn to the iȝen of God; the Lord is a weiere of spiritis [that is, of willis, ȝelding to man aftir his desseruingis. K.] . [verse 3] Schewe thi werkys to the Lord; and thi thouȝtis schulen be dressid [dressid, into good issu. Lire here. N text.] . [verse 4] The Lord wrouȝte alle thingis for hym silf; and he made redi a wickid man to the yuel dai. [verse 5] Abho|mynacioun of the Lord is ech proude man; ȝhe, thouȝ the hond is [be I.] to the hond, he schal not be innocent. The bigynnyng of good weie is to do riȝtwisnesse [riȝtfulnesse plures.] ; for|sothe it is more acceptable at [anentis I.] God, than to offre sacrifices. [verse 6] Wickidnesse is aȝen bouȝt bi merci and treuthe; and me bow|ith awei fro yuel bi the [Om. I.] drede of the Lord. [verse 7] Whanne the weyes of man plesen the Lord, he schal conuerte, ȝhe, hise ene|myes to pees. [verse 8] Betere is a litil with riȝt|fulnesse, than many fruytis with wickid|nesse. [verse 9] The herte of a man schal dispose his weie; but it perteyneth to the Lord to dresse hise steppis. [verse 10] Dyuynyng [Dyuynyng; that is, reding in hooli scrip|ture, therfor in xvii. c^o of Deut. the king schal rede in the book of Goddis lawe, in alle daies of his liyf, that he lerne for to drede God. CK. not erre in doom; that is, he schal not ȝyue an yuel sentence, if he studieth in hooli scripture, and dredith God. C. weiȝte and a balaunce; that is, Goddis domes ben iust. iust lippis; that is, iust lippis in iugis ben the wille of iust kingis. as a reyn; for as reyn com|ynge late is good and swete to the fruytis of erthe, so the mercy of the king is good to hem that han nede to remys|sioun. Lire here. C.] is in the lippis of a king; his mouth schal not

erre in doom. [verse 11] The domes of the Lord ben weiȝte and a balaunce; and hise werkis ben alle the stoonys of the world. [verse 12] Thei that don wickidli ben abhomynable to the king; for the trone of the rewme is maad stidfast bi riȝtfulnesse. [verse 13] The wille of kyngis is iust lippis; he that spekith riȝt|ful thingis, schal be dressid [dressid, of God into an end. Lire here. KN.] . [verse 14] Indigna|cioun of the kyng is messangeris of deth; and a wijs man schal plese him. [verse 15] Lijf is in the [Om. I.] gladnesse of the `cheer of the king [kingis chere I.] ; and his merci is as a [Om. I.] reyn com|ynge late. [verse 16] Welde thou wisdom, for it is betere than gold; and gete thou prudence, for it is [is more I.] precyousere than siluer. [verse 17] The path of iust men bowith awei yuelis; the kepere of his soule kepith his weie. [verse 18] Pride goith bifore sorewe; and the spirit schal be enhaunsid byfor fallyng. [verse 19] It is betere to be maad meke with mylde men, than to departe spuylis with proude men. [verse 20] A lerned man in word schal fynde goodis; and he that hopith in the Lord is blessid. [verse 21] He that is wijs in herte, schal be clepid prudent; and he that is swete in speche, schal fynde grettere thingis. [verse 22] The welle of lijf is the lernyng of him that weld|ith [wisdam and wille to teche Goddis ple|saunce. K.] ; the techyng of foolis is foli. [verse 23] The herte of a wijs man schal teche his mouth; and schal encreesse grace to hise lippis. [verse 24] Wordis wel set togidere is a coomb of hony; helthe of boonys [that is, sad|nesse of feith and othere ver|tues. K.] is the swetnesse of soule. [verse 25] A weye is [ther is I.] that semeth riȝtful to a man; and the laste thingis therof leden to deth. [verse 26] The soule of a man [euere mo|kering in the erthe bi couet|ise. K.] tra|uelinge trauelith to hym silf [principali for his owne profitt. K.] ; for his mouth [for al goith in to the mouth of gloterouse laborers. K.] compellide hym. [verse 27] An vnwijs man diggith [diggith yuel; that is, sekith it with dili|gence. fier brenneth; of wrathfulnesse and of pride. Lire here. C.] yuel [that is, worchith vn|wiseli and out of tyme. K.] ; and fier [of wraththe and distemper|aunce. K.] brenneth in hise lippis. [verse 28] A weiward man reisith stryues; and a man ful of wordis departith princis. [verse 29] A wickid man flaterith his frend; and ledith hym bi a weie not good. [verse 30] He that thenkith schrewid thingis with iȝen astonyed, bitith hise lippis, and parform|eth yuel [parformeth yuel; that is, ymagyneth to parforme. Lire here. C.] . [verse 31] A coroun of dignyte is eelde, that schal be foundun in the weies of

riȝtfulnesse. [verse 32] A pacient man is betere than a stronge man; and he that `is lord [hath power I.] of his [his owne I.] soule [lord of his soule; bi re|freynyng of coueitisis, is betere. Lire here. CKNa.] , is betere than an ouercomere of citees. [verse 33] Lottis [that is, vpon hid thingis. K.] ben sent into the bosum; but tho [thei I.] ben temperid of the Lord [whanne God chesith which he wole. K. .] .