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

CAP. VII.

[verse 1] Nile thou do yuels, and tho schulen not take thee. [verse 2] Departe thou fro wickidnesse, and yuels schulen faile fro thee. [verse 3] Sowe thou not yuels in the forewis [in the forew|is; that is, ȝyue thou not ensaumple of yuel doing to men enclyn|aunt herto. not repe tho; in peyne to be ȝouun to thee seuenfold, that is, manyfold; for whi to hou many men a man is cause of synne, bi so many peynes he schal be punyschid, bi the ordre of riȝtfulnesse. Nyle thou seke of a man led|ing; that is, that thou be maad ledere of othere men in goostly thingis, ether temporal thingis; for whi vertues owen to be more excelent in souereyns; but it is pre|sumptuouse thing, that a man arette him silf to be more vertuouse than othere, and therfor it is viciouse to coueite, ether to seke prinse|hed outirly; netheles it is leueful and good to take it in the tyme of nede, as Austin seith. Lire here. C.] of vnriȝt|fulnesse, and thou schalt not repe tho in seuene fold. [verse 4] Nyle thou seke of a man ledyng, nethir of a kyng the chaier of onour. [verse 5] Iustifie thou not thee bifore God, for he is the [Om. I.] knowere of the herte; and nyle thou wilne to be seyn wijs anentis the king. [verse 6] Nile thou seke to be maad a iuge, no [Om. I.] but thou maist breke wickid|nessis bi vertu; lest thou drede the face of a myȝti man, and sette sclaundre [and sette sclaundir; that is, sclaundre the puple bi thyn vnstidfastnesse. nether sende thee, etc.; in consentinge to it in yuel. Lire here. C.] in [to I.] thi swiftnesse. [verse 7] Do thou not synne in the multitude of a cytee, nether sende thee [verse 8] in to the puple; nether bynde thou double synnes [double synnes; that is, thi synne, with the synne of the puple. gilteles; of peyne, but thou schalt be punyschid for euer either, for a iuge is holdun to lette the dede of the puple in siche thingis. Nyle thou be coward, etc.; as if he seye, Be thou not so bisy of the gouernail of the puple, that thou dispise to do the helthe of thi soule, bi preyeris and werkis of mersi. in the multitude of my ȝiftis; in so myche, that he schal not punysche my synnes; for whi this is fals. Greg. seith, he that ȝyueth mete ether clothis to a pore man, and is netheles defoulid bi wickidnesse of soule, ether of bodi, ȝyueth hise goodis to God, and him silf to the deuel. Lire here. C.] , for thou schalt not be giltles in oon. [verse 9] Nyle thou be a coward in thi soule, [verse 10] to preie; and dispise thou not to do almes. [verse 11] Seie thou not, God schal biholde in the multitude of my ȝiftis; and whanne Y schal offre to God alther hiȝeste, he schal take my ȝiftis. [verse 12] Scorne thou not a man in the bitternesse of soule; for whi God is the biholdere, that makith meke, and en|haunsith.

[verse 13] Nyle thou loue a leesyng aȝens thi brother; nether do thou in lijk maner aȝens a frend. [verse 14] Nyle thou wilne to lie ony leesing; for whi the contynuaunce therof is not good. [verse 15] Nyle thou be a ianglere in the multitude of preestis; and reherse thou not a word in thi preier [in thi preyer; preier may be takun here for an axing maad to wise men, and this owith to be set forth so distinctly and reasonably, that it bihoueth not it to be re|hersid; ether thus, preier owith not to be maad to God in myche speche, in bi|leuynge that it is herd herbi. Arette not thee, etc.; in suynge the felouschipe and maneris of hem. Lire here. C.] . [verse 16] Haate thou not trauelouse werkis, and erthetilthe maad of the hiȝeste. [verse 17] Arette thou [Om. plures.] not thee in the multitude of vnlernyd men. [verse 18] Haue thou mynde on ire, for it schal not tarie. [verse 19] Make thou meke greetli thi spirit, for whi the veniaunce of the fleisch of an vnpi|touse man is fier, and worm. [verse 20] Nyle thou trespasse aȝens thi frend dilaiynge monei; nether dispise thou a ful dereworth bro|ther for gold. [verse 21] Nyle thou departe fro a wijs womman, and good, whom thou hast gete in the [Om. I.] drede of the Lord; for whi the grace of hir schamefastnesse is aboue gold. [verse 22] Hirte thou not a seruaunt worch|ynge in treuthe, nether an hirid man ȝyu|ynge his lijf [ȝyuynge his liyf; that is, spendynge his liyf in thi ser|uyce. Lire here. C.] . [verse 23] A witti seruaunt be dere|worthe to thee as thi soule; defraude thou not hym of fredom, nether forsake thou hym nedi. [verse 24] Beestis ben to thee? take thou heede to tho; and if tho ben pro|fitable, dwelle tho stille at thee. [verse 25] Sones ben to thee? teche thou hem, and bowe thou [bowe thou; vndur chastis|ing. the bodi of hem; that thei renne not aboute, and so be corrupt. glad face; lest thei be wan|toun bi sich flatering. Lire here. C.] hem fro her childheed. [verse 26] Douȝtris ben to thee? kepe thou the bodi of hem, and schewe thou not glad face to hem. [verse 27] Ȝyue thi douȝter to mariage, and thou doist a greet werk; and ȝyue thou hir to a wijs man. [verse 28] If a womman is to thee aftir thi soule [aftir thi soule; that is, if thou hast a wiyf consent|inge to thi resonable wille. an hateful; in schewynge to hir the priuyte of thyn herte, as Samson dide to Dalida. Lire here. C.] , caste hir not awei; and bitake thou not thee in alle thin herte to an hate|ful womman. [verse 29] Onoure thi fadir; and for|ȝete thou not the weilyngis [weilyng A pr. m.] of thi modir. [verse 30] Haue thou mynde that thou haddist not be, no [Om. I.] but bi hem, and ȝelde thou to hem as and [Om. CI.] thei diden to thee. [verse 31] In al thi soule drede thou God, and halewe thou hise preestis. [verse 32] In al thi vertu loue thou him that made thee; and forsake thou not hise

mynystris. [verse 33] Onoure thou God of al thi soule; and onoure thou preestis, and clense thee with armes [with armes; that is, bi of fringis getun with thi trauel. of purging; that is, of tithe, that was due to dekenes, in xviij. c^o. of Numeri. with fewe men; for thyn owne de|faute owith not to be schewid to many men. Lire here. C.] . [verse 34] Ȝyue thou to hem the [Om. I.] part [partis C.] of the firste fruytis, and of purgyng, as also it is comaundid to thee; and of thi negligence purge thou thee with fewe men. [verse 35] Thou schalt offre to the Lord the ȝyfte of thin armes, and the sacrifice of halewyng, the bigynnyngis [the bigyn|nyngis, etc.; that is, the firste fruytis and dymes and siche of|fringis be the bigynnyngis of halewyng of men. be parformyd; that is, the re|myssioun of thi synnes, and the ȝifte of bene|fices. grace is ȝouun; that is, schal be ȝouun in the general doom, for it schal be seid thanne for the werkis of pitee, Come ȝe the blessid of my fadir, etc. Lire here. C.] of hooli men. [verse 36] And dresse thin hond to a pore man, that thi merci and blessyng be performyd. [verse 37] Grace is ȝouun in the siȝt of ech that lyueth; and forbede thou not grace to a deed man. [verse 38] Faile thou not in coumfort to hem that wepen; and go thou with hem that morenen. [verse 39] Be thou not slow to visite a sijk man; for bi these thingis thou schalt be maad stidfast in loue. [verse 40] In alle thi werkis haue thou mynde on thi laste thingis; and thou schalt not do synne withouten ende [ende, that is, neuere V.] .