CAP. II.
[verse 1] Mi sone, if thou resseyuest my wordis, [verse 2] and hidist myn heestis [and hidist myn heestis; not in hidinge tho fro othere men, for siche owen to be comyned to neiȝboris, but in kepinge tho as a preciouse thing. thyn eere; that is, the eere of bodi and of soule. wisdom; is propirly knowing of dy|uyn thingis. and prudence; is knowing of manus thingis worthi to be doon. kunnyng; is of thingis to be biholdun in wit. Lire here. C.] anentis thee; that thin eere here wisdom, bowe thin herte to knowe prudence. [verse 3] For if thou inwardli clepist wisdom, and bowist thin herte [ere I.] to [verse 4] prudence; if thou sekist it as money [as money; that is, with so greet enforsing, as an auarouse man sekith money, and as a mynour sek|ith gold hid. Lire here. C.] , [verse 5] and diggist it out as tresours; thanne thou schalt vndirstonde the drede of the Lord, and schalt fynde the kunnyng of God. [verse 6] For the Lord ȝyueth wisdom [ȝyueth wisdom; to hem that desiren it. C.] ; and prudence and kunnyng is of his mouth. [verse 7] He schal kepe the heelthe of riȝt|ful men, and he schal defende hem that goen sympli. [verse 8] And he schal kepe the pathis of riȝtfulnesse [riȝtwisnesse I.] , and he schal kepe the weies of hooli men. [verse 9] Thanne thou schalt vndirstonde riȝtfulnesse, and dom, and equytee, and ech good path [ech good path; that is, hiȝ ver|tu, that ledith schortly to blis. Lire here. C.] . [verse 10] If wysdom entrith in to thin herte, and kun|nyng [verse 11] plesith thi soule, good councel schal kepe thee, and prudence schal kepe thee; [verse 12] that thou be delyuered fro an yuel weie [yuel wey; that is, idola|trie. C.] , and fro a man that spekith weiward thingis. [verse 13] Whiche [The whiche I.] forsaken a riȝtful weie, [verse 14] and goen bi derk weies; whiche [the whiche I.] ben glad, whanne thei han do yuel, and maken [verse 15] ful out ioye in worste thingis; whose weies ben weywerd, and her goyingis ben of yuel fame. [verse 16] That thou be delyuered fro an alien womman [an alien womman; that is, fro idolatrie, that makith alien fro God, ether fro a womman auou|tresse, as to the synne of fleisch. Lire here. C. that is, fro any womman that is leecherous, aȝenus the bid|ding of Goddis lawe. Lire here. K.] , and fro a straunge womman, that makith soft hir wordis; [verse 17] and forsakith the duyk [duyk, or ledere I.] of hir tyme of [verse 18] mariage, and hath forȝete the couenaunt of hir God. For the hous of hir is bowid to deeth, and hir pathis to helle. [verse 19] Alle that entren to hir [Alle that en|tren to hir, etc.; that is, for we schulen turne aȝen to veri feith and onour of God. Lire here. C.] , schulen not turne aȝen,
