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

CAP. XIII.

[verse 1] Veyne forsothe ben alle men, in whiche vnderlith not the kunnyng of God; and of tho that ben seen goode thingus, thei myȝten not vndirstonde hym, that is, ne to the werkis takende heed, knewen who [verse 2] was craftis man; but or fyr, or spirit, or swift eir, or cumpas of sterres, or ful myche watir, or sunne, or moone, the [Om. C pr. m.] gouernoures of the roundnesse of londis [verse 3] goddis wenden; in whos fairnesse delitid, if thei wenden [weneden E.] goddis, wite they, hou myche `than these [than tho C pr. m. more E pr. m.] the lordshipere of hem is the [Om. A.] fairere [fairere of them E pr. m.] ; the getere forsothe of fairnesse alle these thingus ordeynede. [verse 4] Or if the [Om. AEGH.] vertue and werkis [the werkis AGH.] of them thei wndreden, vnderstonde they of tho thingis, for he that made these thingis, [verse 5] is strengere than tho; forsothe of the mykilnesse of fairnesse, and of crea|ture [the creature C pr. m.] , knowendeli shal moun the creatour of these ben seen. [verse 6] But `ner the latere [neuer the latere AEG.] ȝit in these lasse pleynt is; and these forsothe parauenture erren, sechende God, and willende to finden. [verse 7] And forsothe in the werkys of hym whan thei ben often turnende, and sechen [sechynge A.] , and ful shewid han, for goode thingis ben, that ben seen. [verse 8] Eft forsoothe ne to these owith to be for|ȝouen. [verse 9] If forsothe so myche thei myȝten

kunne, that the world thei myȝten eymen, hou the lord of this liȝtliere thei founden not? [verse 10] Vnseli forsothe thei ben, and among the deade the hope of them is, that [thei A.] cle|peden [clepen AGH.] goddis the werkis of the hondis of men, gold, and siluer, the finding of craft, and the licnesses of bestes, or vn|profitable ston, the werc of the olde hond. [verse 11] Or if any crafti man, forgere, hewe of the wode an euene tree, and of this taȝtli pare awei al the rinde, and, vsid his craft diligentli, forge a vessel vnpro|fitable [verse 12] in to conuersacioun of lif; the tother forsothe of his werk to the mak|ing [verse 13] of mete vse; and the tother of these thingis, that to noon vse, a crokid tree, and ful of knarres, he maketh, that he graue diligentli bi his voidenesse, and bi the kunnyng of his craft figure it, and [verse 14] licne it to an ymage of man, or to sum of bestes it he comparisoune, thurȝ draw|ende with a reuler, and make the colour of it with red, and broun, and eche spot, [verse 15] that is in it, ful [ful of A.] `daubende with erthe [peynting E pr. m.] , and make it a wrthi dwelling, puttende it in a wal, and fastnende [fastne it A.] with iren, [verse 16] lest parauenture it falle; beholdende to it, witende, for it mai not helpen the|self [it self A.] ; forsothe an ymage it is, and nede is to it helpe. [verse 17] And of his substaunce, and of his sones, and of sposailes, mak|ende auow, ensercheth; he shameth not to speke with it, that withoute soule is; [verse 18] and for helthe forsothe the feble he be|secheth, and for lif he preȝeth the deade, and in to helpe he inwardli clepeth the vnprofitable. [verse 19] And for the [Om. AE sec. m. GH.] going asketh of it [Om. C pr. m.] , that may not go; and of purchas|ing, and of werching, and of the chauns of alle thingus he asketh of it, that in alle thingys ys vnprofitable.