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

CAP. VIII.

[verse 1] Whether not wisdam ofte crieth; and prudence ȝiueth his vois? [verse 2] In the heȝest and heȝe frountis, aboue the weie, in the [verse 3] myddel pathis, stondende biside the ȝate of the cite; in tho ȝate doris it speketh, [verse 4] seiende, O! men, to ȝou I ofte crie; and my vois to the sones of men. [verse 5] Vnder|stondeth, ȝee litle childer, witnesse; and, ȝee vnwise men, taketh heed. [verse 6] Hereth, for of grete thingis I am to speke; and my lippis shul ben opened, that euene

thingus thei preche. [verse 7] Treuthe my throte shal sweteli bethenke; and my lippis shul wlate the vnpitouse. [verse 8] Riȝtwise ben alle my sermownes; ther is not in hem any thing shreude, ne peruertid. [verse 9] Riȝte thei ben to vnderstondende men; and euene to men findende kunnyng. [verse 10] Taketh my dis|cypline, and not money; doctrine mor than tresor cheseth. [verse 11] Betere is wisdam than alle the most precious richessis; and al desirable thing to it mai not be com|parisound. [verse 12] I, wisdam, dwelle in coun|seil; and am among to lerned thoȝtis. [verse 13] The drede of the Lord hateth euel; enhaunc|ing, and pride, and the shreude weie, and the mouth of the twisil tunge I wlate. [verse 14] Myn is counseil, and equite; myn is pru|dence, myn is and strengthe. [verse 15] By me kingus regnen; and makeris of lawis riȝte thingus demen. [verse 16] Bi me princis comaund|en; and myȝti men deme riȝtwisnesse. [verse 17] I men loouende me looue; and that erli waken at me, shul finde me. [verse 18] With [To E.] me ben richessis, and glorie; and proud plen|teuousnessis, and riȝtwisnesse. [verse 19] Betere is my frut than gold, and than precious ston; and my buriounyngis than chosen siluer. [verse 20] In the weies of riȝtwisnesse I go, [verse 21] in [and in AGH.] the myddel of pathis of dom; that I make riche men loouende me, and fulfille the tresores of hem. [verse 22] The Lord weldide me in the begynnyng of his weies; er any thing shulde be maad, of the firste cause. [verse 23] Of the euere lastende I am ordeyned; and of the olde, er the erthe shulde be maad. [verse 24] Not ȝit weren the depthis of watir; and I now was conceyued. And not ȝit the wellis [verse 25] of watris hadden broken out, ne ȝit the mounteynes [hillis E pr. m.] in heuy mykilnesse hadden ben maad; er the hillis I was born. [verse 26] Ȝit the erthe he hadde not maad; and flodis, and the utmost [vttermoost AGH.] poyntys of the round|nesse of the erthe. [verse 27] Whan he greithede heuenes, I was thereat; whan in certein lawe and cumpas he closide the depnesse of watris. [verse 28] Whan the eir he fastnede aboue;

and weȝede the wellis of watris. [verse 29] Whan he cumpaside to the se his terme; and lawe putte to watris, that thei passe not there coostis. Whan he heeng [hangide AEGH.] vp the [verse 30] foundemens of the erthe; with hym I was, alle thingis puttende togidere. And I de|litede bi alle daȝes, beforn hym alle time, [verse 31] pleiende in to the roundnesse of erthis; and my delicis to be with the sones of men. [verse 32] Now thanne, sones, hereth me; blisful that kepen my weies. [verse 33] Hereth discipline, and beth wise men; and wileth not casten it awei. [verse 34] Blisful the man that hereth me, and that waketh at my ȝate dores al dai; and that waitith at the postis of my dore [dores AGH.] . [verse 35] Who me shal finde, shal finde lif; and drawen helthe of the Lord. [verse 36] Who forsothe in me shal synnen, shal hurten his soule; alle that hateden [haten AH.] me, loouen deth.