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

CAP. V.

[verse 1] Mi sone, perseyue thou my wisdom, and bowe doun thin eere to my prudence; [verse 2] that thou kepe thi thouȝtis, and thi lippis kepe teching. Ȝyue thou not tent to the [verse 3] falsnesse of a womman; for the lippis of an hoore [of an hoore; summe Ebreys, as Rabi Sala|mon, expownen this of idolatrie, signefied bi an hoore. Lire here. C.] ben an hony coomb droppinge, [verse 4] and hir throte is clerere than oile; but the last thingis ben bittir as wormod, and hir tunge is scharp as a swerd keruynge on ech side. [verse 5] Hir feet gon doun in to deeth; and hir steppis persen to hellis. [verse 6] Tho goon not bi the path of lijf; hir steppis ben vn|certeyn, and moun not be souȝt out. [verse 7] Now therfor, my sone, here thou me, and go [go thou I.] not awei fro the wordis of my mouth. [verse 8] Make fer thi weie fro hir, and neiȝe thou not to the doris of hir hous. [verse 9] Ȝyue thou not thin onour to aliens [that is, to ribaudis and enemyes of Goddis lawe. K.] , and thi ȝeeris [verse 10] to the cruel; lest perauenture straungeris be fillid with thi strengthis, and lest thi [verse 11] trauels be in an alien [aliens AI.] hous; and thou biweile [withouten fruyȝt, as dampned men doon aftir deeth. Sap. v^to. K.] in the laste daies, whanne thou hast wastid thi fleschis [fleish I.] , and thi bodi; and [verse 12] thou [Om. I.] seie, Whi [Thanne whi I.] wlatide Y teching, and myn herte assentide not to blamyngis; [verse 13] nether Y herde the voys of men techinge me, and Y bowide not doun myn eere to maistris? [verse 14] Almest Y was in al yuel, in the myddis of the chirche, and of the syna|goge. [verse 15] Drinke thou watir [Drynke thou water; that is, if thou maist not, ether nylt lyue chast, vse thi wiyf. Lire here. C. vse thou with drede thin owne wijf, kepe hire fro othere, bring|inge forth chil|dren in ver|tuous loue. K.] of thi cisterne [bi water of cisterne; is sig|nefied the watir of helthe and of wisdom, that cometh forth of hooly scripture. A man owith to departe this wisdom in stretis, that is comyn places; also he alone owith to haue this watir of wisdom, not excludinge othere feithful men and good dissiplis, but scorneris and vnfeithful men. C.] , and the floodis of thi pit. [verse 16] Thi wellis be

stremed forth [thi wellis be stremed forth; that is, children be gendrid of thee in matry|monye. Lire here. C. and departe thi watris, etc.; that is, ȝyue thou to mariage thi children comun to age. Lire here. C.] ; and departe thi watris in stretis. [verse 17] Haue thou aloone `tho watris [hem I.] ; and aliens be not thi parceneris [aliens be not thi parceneris; that is, kepe so thi wiyf, that children borun of hir be thyne, and that aliens be not parce|neris in thi wiyf, nether in children. Lire here. C.] . [verse 18] Thi veyne [thi veyne; that is, the children borun of veri matry|monye. C.] be blessid; and be thou glad with the womman of thi ȝong [Om. I.] wexynge age [with a wom|man of thi ȝong wexinge age; that is, with Goddis lawe ȝouun to the puple of Israel in the ȝouthe therof. C.] . [verse 19] An hynde moost dereworthe [an hynde most dere|worthe; is Goddis lawe. an hert calf most accepta|ble; is a studi|ous dissiple in Goddis lawe; ether bi an hynde is vndur|stonde a feith|ful spousesse. an hert calf; that is, a feith|ful spouse, ether hosebonde. Lire here. C.] ; and an hert calf moost acceptable. Hir teetis fille thee in al tyme; and delite thou contynueli in the loue of hir [in the loue of hir; that is, in hir felouschipe in ȝongthe and eelde. Lire here. C.] . [verse 20] Mi sone, whi art thou disseyued of an alien womman; and art fostrid in the bosum of an othere? [verse 21] The Lord seeth the weie of a man; and [and he I.] bi|holdith alle hise steppis. [verse 22] The wickid|nessis of a wyckid man taken hym; and he is boundun with the roopis of hise synnes. [verse 23] He schal die, for he hadde not lernyng [lernyng ether chastising CEFGKMNPQRSUVYaç. discipline or chas|tising I.] ; and he schal be disseyued in the mychilnesse of his fooli.