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

CAP. IX.

[verse 1] God of my fadris [God of my fadris; which thou chesidist mercifuly, as Abraham, Isaac, and Ja|cob, and spe|cialy Dauyth, my fadir, whom thou chesidist to the rewme. Lord of mer|si; that hast forȝoue to my fadir the synne of the deth [of] Vrie. that he schulde be lord; for if man hadde stonde in the staat of kynde maad, he schulde haue had ful lord|schip on crea|turis lowere than him silf. in equite; in disposinge crea|turis to that, that tho ben maad. of thi seetis; Salomon spekith of God, as of an hiȝeste iuge; aboute whom stonden wise men, and fro whom wis|dom is teld forth to lowere iugis; and in this maner Sa|lomon, as a lowere iuge, axith, that God ȝyue wisdom to him. Lire here. C.] , and Lord of merci, [verse 2] that madist alle thingis bi thi word, and ordeynedist man bi thi wisdom, that he schulde be lord of creature, which [that I.] is

[verse 3] maad of thee, that he dispose the world in equite and riȝtfulnesse, and deme doom [verse 4] in riȝt reulyng of herte; ȝyue thou to me wisdom, that stondith nyȝ thi seetis; and nyle thou repreue me fro thi children. [verse 5] For Y am thi seruaunt, and the sone of thin hand mayde; Y am a sijk man, and of litil tyme, and lesse [and lesse; that is, vnsuf|ficient. Lire here. C.] to the vndur|stondyng of doom and of lawis. [verse 6] And if ony man is perfit among the sones of men, if thi wisdom fleeth awei fro hym, he schal be rikenyd in to nouȝt. [verse 7] Forsothe thou hast chose me kyng to thi puple, [verse 8] and a iuge of thi sones and douȝtris; and thou seidist, that Y schulde bilde a tem|ple in thin holi hil, and an auter in the citee of thi dwellyng place; the licnesse of thin hooli tabernacle, which thou madist redi at the bigynnyng [at the begyn|nyng; of the goyng out of Egipt. Lire here. C.] . [verse 9] And thi wisdom is with thee, that knowith thi werkis, which [the which I.] also was present thanne, whanne thou madist the world, and wiste what was plesaunt to thin iȝen, and what was dressid in thi comaundementis. [verse 10] Sende thou that wisdom fro thin hooli heuenes, and fro the seete of thi greetnesse, that it be with me, and trauele with me; and that Y wyte what is acceptable anentis thee. [verse 11] Forwhi thilke wisdom knowith and vndir|stondith alle thingis; and it schal lede me forth in my werkis sobrely, and it schal kepe me in his power. [verse 12] And my werkis schulen be acceptable, and Y schal dispose thi puple iustli, and Y schal be worthi of the seetis of my fadir. [verse 13] For who of men mai knowe the counsel of God [may knowe the councel of God; as if he seye, noon, no but bi wisdom ȝouun of God to him. Lire here. C.] ? ether who mai thenke, what wole God? [verse 14] For whi the thouȝtis of deedli men ben dreed|ful, and oure puruyaunces ben vncerteyn. [verse 15] For whi the bodi that is corrupt, greueth the soule; and ertheli dwellyng pressith doun the wit, thenkynge many thingis. [verse 16] And of hard we gessen tho thingis, that ben in erthe; and we fynden with trauel tho thingis, that ben in biholdyng. [verse 17] But who schal serche [But who schal serche; as if he seie, no man, no but bi wis|dom ȝouun of thee. Lire here. C.] tho thingis, that ben in

heuenes? But who schal knowe thi wit, `no but [but if I.] thou ȝyue wisdom, and sende thin Hooli Spirit fro hiȝeste thingis? [verse 18] And if the pathis [if the pathis; vndurstonde thou, no man may wite, no but bi thi wis|dom and spirit schewinge. Lire here. C.] of hem, that ben in londis, ben amendid, and if men han lernyd tho thingis, that plesen thee. [verse 19] For whi, Lord, whiche euer plesiden thee fro the bigyn|nyng, weren maad hool bi wisdom.