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

CAP. XXI.

[verse 1] Sone, thou hast do synne? adde thou not eft; but biseche thou for the formere synnes, that tho be forȝouun to thee. [verse 2] As fro the face of a serpent fle thou synnes;

and if thou neiȝest to `tho [neiȝist to tho; bi consent. take thee; in wlappinge and byndynge bi dede and cus|tom. teeth therof; for it deuourith hool|lyche the good of grace, and decreessith the good of kynde. Lire here. C.] synnes [them I.] , tho schulen take thee. [verse 3] The teeth of a lioun ben the teeth therof, that sleen the soulis of men. [verse 4] Al wickidnesse is as [Om. S.] a scharp swerd on either syde; heelthe is not to the wounde [helthe is not to the wounde; for whi synne hirtith bodi and soule, and withdrawith grace in pre|sent tyme, and bryngith to the peyne of helle. Lire here. C.] therof. [verse 5] Chidyngis [Chidyng CV.] and wrongis schulen distrie catel; and an houe that is ouer riche, schal be distriede bi pride; so the catel of a proude man schal be drawun vp bi the roote. [verse 6] The preyer of a pore man [a pore man; that suffrith wrong bi wordis and dedis of a proud man. to the eeris; of God. is a step, etc.; that is, a snere of the deuel. Lire here. C.] schal come fro the mouth `til to [vnto I.] eeris [the eeris CVa.] ; and doom schal come to hym hastili. [verse 7] He that hatith repreuyng, is a step of the synnere; and he that dredith God, schal be turned to his herte [herte; in resseyuynge, blamyng, and in fleyng fro synnes. an hardi tunge; that is, a proud man, that gess|ith grete thingis of himsilf, and spekith liȝtli and proudli. Lire here. C.] . [verse 8] A miȝti man with an hardi tunge is knowun afer; and a witti man kan kepe him silf fro that man. [verse 9] He that bildith his hous with othere mennus costis [mennus costis; gaderid togidere bi raueyn. Lire here. C.] , is as he that gaderith hise stonys in wyntir. [verse 10] Scheuys [Stobyl A sec. m. Stubbil I.] gaderid togidere is the synagoge of synneris; and the endyng of hem is the flawme of fier. [verse 11] The weie of synneris is set togidere with stoonys; and in the ende of hem ben hellis [hellis; it is seid hellis in plurel noumbre, for many places ben there. Lire here. C.] , and derknessis, and peynes. [verse 12] He that kepith riȝtfulnesse, schal holde the wit therof [holde the wit therof; that is, schal holde stidefastly the stiring of re|soun in his werkis. wis|dom; bi which a man is wel disposid to God. and wit; bi which a man is wel disposid to his neiȝbore. Raban poyntith thus, And the wit of him schal not be tauȝt, which is not wijs in good; and this lettre is pleyn. Lire here. C.] . [verse 13] The perfec|cioun of Goddis drede is wisdom and wit. [verse 14] He schal not be tauȝt, which is not wijs in good. [verse 15] Forsothe vnwisdom is, which is plenteuouse in yuel; and wit is not, where is bittirnesse. [verse 16] The kunnyng of a wijs man schal be plenteuouse as flowyng; and the councel of hym dwellith as a welle of lijf. [verse 17] The herte of a fool is as a brokun vessel; and it schal not holde ony wisdom. [verse 18] What euer wijs word a kunnynge man herith, he schal preise, and leie to [and ley to; that is, holde in herte, and fille in werk. C.] . A letcherouse man herde, and it schal dis|plese hym; and he schal caste it awei bihynde his bak. [verse 19] The tellynge of a fool is as a birthun in the weie; for whi

grace schal be foundun in the lippis of a wijs man. [verse 20] The mouth of a prudent man is souȝt in the chirche; and men schulen thenke hise wordis in her hertis. [verse 21] As an hous distried, so is wisdom to a fool [wisdom to a fool; for if he hath ony know|ing of truthe, he schal leese it, for vndu maner of sei|yng. teld out; for he bryngith forth tho so, that tho moun not be vndur|stondun. Lire here. C.] ; and the kunnyng of an vnwijs man is wordis that moun not be teld out. [verse 22] Stockis in the feet is techyng to a fool; and as bondis of hondis on the riȝt hond. [verse 23] A fool enhaunsith his vois in leiȝyng; but a wijs man schal leiȝe vnnethis stilli. [verse 24] Techyng is a goldun ournement to a pru|dent man; and as an ournement of the arm in the riȝt arm. [verse 25] The foot of a fool is liȝt [liȝt to go V.] in to [Om. C.] the hous of a neiȝbore; and a wijs man schal be aschamed [a wijs man schal be scham|ed; that is, schal be aschamed to speke bifor him, no but nede ether opyn profit axith this. The herte of foolis; for anoon thei tellen out her conseit. the mouth of wise men, etc.; for they pro|nounsen no thing, no but bi good auyse|ment biforgo|ynge. cursith the deuel; dampned iust|ly. cursith his soule; for in his dedis he sueth the deuel, and so he de|nounsith, that he owith to be dampned. Lire here. C.] of the per|soone of a miȝti man. [verse 26] A fool biholdith fro the wyndow in to the hous; but a lerned man schal stonde with out forth. [verse 27] It is foli of a man to herkene bi the dore; and a prudent man schal be greuyd bi dispisyng. [verse 28] The lippis of `vnprudent men [an vnprudent man A pr. m.] schulen telle fonned thingis; but the wordis of prudent men schulen be weied in a ba|launce. [verse 29] The herte of foolis is in her mouth; and the mouth of wise men is in her herte. [verse 30] Whanne a wickid man curs|ith the deuel, he cursith his owne soule. [verse 31] A priuy bacbitere schal defoule his soule, and in alle thingis he schal be hatid, and he that dwellith [dwellith; with a priuy bacbitere, and is defoulid bi his synne. stille man; in du tyme, and spekinge in co|uenable tyme. Lire here. C.] , schal be hatid; a stil man and wijs schal be onourid.