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

CAP. XXIV.

[verse 1] Wisdam shal preisen his soule, and in the Lord he shal ben wrshepid; and in the myddel of his [the A.] puple he shal glorien. [verse 2] And in the chirches of the heȝest he shal opene his mouth; and in the siȝte of the vertue of hym he shal glorien. [verse 3] And in the myddel of his puple he shal ben enhauncid; and in hoeli [the hooli A.] plente he shal myche wndren [ben wundred E pr. m.] . [verse 4] And in the multitude of chosen men he shal han preising; and among blissid men he shal ben blessid, [verse 5] seiende, I of the mouth of the heȝest cam forth, first goten biforn eche crea|ture. [verse 6] I made in heuenus, that vnfailende liȝt shulde springe, and as a litil cloude I coueryd [made C pr. m. E pr. m.] eche flesh. [verse 7] I in the heȝest thingus dwellede, and my trone in a piler of a cloude. [verse 8] The cercle of heuene I cum|passide alone, and the depthe of the se I thirlede; [verse 9] and in the flodis of the se I wente, and in al erthe I stod. [verse 10] And in alle puple, and in alle folc of kinde the [verse 11] firsthed I hadde; and of alle heȝe and

lowe the hertes bi vertue I trad; and in alle these thingus reste I soȝte, and in the eritage of hym [the Lord C pr. m. E pr. m.] I shal wone. [verse 12] Thanne comaundide, and seide to me, the foorm|ere of alle thingus; and he that foormede [verse 13] me, restede in my tabernacle; and seide to me, In Jacob dwelle thou, and in Irael eritage thou, and in my chosene put rootes. [verse 14] Fro the bigynnyng and bifor worldis [the woorldis A.] I am foormed, and vnto the world to come I shal not cesen to ben; and in hoeli wonyng beforn hym I seruede. [verse 15] And so in Sion I am fastned, and in an halewid cite lic maner I rest|ede, and in Jerusalem my power. [verse 16] And I rootede [hadde roote AEGH.] in a puple wrshipid; and in to the parties of my God the eritage of hym, and in plente of halewes my with|holding. [verse 17] As a cedre I am enhauncid in Liban, and as a [Om. A.] cipresse in the hil of Sion. [verse 18] And as a palm I am enhauncid in Cades, and as the plaunting of a [Om. AGH.] rose in Jericho. [verse 19] As a fair olyue in feeldis; and as a platan [plaunt A.] I am enhauncid biside the water in stretes. [verse 20] As canel and balsam smellende, I ȝaf smel; and as chose myrre I ȝaf swotnesse of smel. [verse 21] And as torax, and galban, and vngula, and gut|ta, and as Liban not kut, I smekede [putte out E pr. m.] my dwelling; and as balsame not mengd is [Om. C pr. m.] my smel. [verse 22] I as terebynt streiȝte out my braunchis; and my braunchis of wrshipe, and of grace. [verse 23] I as a vyne frutede swot|nesse of smel; and my floures frutes of honour, and of honeste. [verse 24] I modir of fair loouyng, and of drede, and of knowing, and of hoeli hope. [verse 25] In me alle grace of weie, and of treuthe; in me alle hope of lif and [Om. C pr. m.] of vertue. [verse 26] Passeth to me, alle that coueiten me; and of my ienera|ciouns `be ȝee [ȝe shulen ben AE pr. m. GH.] fulfild. [verse 27] My spirit for|sothe

ouer hony sweete; and myn eri|tage ouer hony, and hony comb. [verse 28] My mynde in the ieneracioun of worldis. [verse 29] Thei [Om. C pr. m.] that eten me, ȝit shul hungrin; and that drinken me, ȝit shuln thristen. [verse 30] Who hereth me, shal not be confoundid; and who werchen in me, shul not synnen; [verse 31] and who declaren me, euere lastende lif shuln han. [verse 32] Alle these thingus the boc of lif, and the testament of the heȝest, and the knouleching of treuthe. [verse 33] Moises comaundide the lawe in the hestus of riȝtwisnesses, and the eritage `to the hous of [of the Lord of E pr. m.] Jacob, and the behestus to [of E pr. m.] Irael. [verse 34] He sette to Dauid, his child, to reren vp a king of hym most strong, and in the trone of wrshipe sittende in to euer mor. [verse 35] The which fulfillith, as Fison, wisdam; and as Tigris in the daȝes of newes. [verse 36] That fulfilleth, as Eufrates, wit; that multeplieth, as Jordan in the tyme of rip. [verse 37] That sendeth disciplyne as liȝt; and stondynge to, as Jyon in the dai of vyn|dage. [verse 38] That parformeth first to knowen it; and the feblere shal not enserchen it. [verse 39] Fro the se forsothe shal abunde the thenking of hym; and the counseil of hym in the grete depnesse. [verse 40] I wisdam [verse 41] heelde out floodis; I as an ouerthwert weie of watir with oute mesure fro the flood. I as the flood Dorex, and as watir kundute wente out fro paradis. [verse 42] I seide, I shal watrin the gardyn of my plaunt|ingus; and I shal make drunke [drunke, or fulfille AGH.] the frut of my birthe. [verse 43] And lo [Om. AG pr. m. H.] ! he is mad to me a plenteuous path; and my flood neȝhede to the se. [verse 44] For doctrine as moru|tid liȝt I liȝte to alle; and I shal tellen out it vnto aferr. [verse 45] I shal persen alle the nethere partis of the erthe, and I shal biholde alle slepende; and I shal liȝtnen alle hopende in the Lord. [verse 46] Ȝit doctrine as profecie I shal heelden out, and I shal leuen it to men sechende wisdam; and I shal not cesen in to the progenyes of

them, vnto the hoeli [hool A.] spirituel world. [verse 47] Seeth, for not to me alone I trauailede, but to alle sechende out the treuthe.