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

CAP. IV.

[verse 1] Sone, the almesse deede of the pore man ne begile thou, and ouerturne thou not thin eȝen fro the pore. [verse 2] The hungrende soule ne dispise thou, and terre thou not out to wrathe the pore in his myseise. [verse 3] The herte of the helpeles ne tormente thou, and drawe thou not a long ȝifte to the man [anguyssh E pr. m.] put in streit. [verse 4] The preȝing of the troblid ne caste thou awei, and turne thou not awei thi face fro the nedi. Fro [verse 5] the helpeles ne turne thou awei eȝen [thin eȝen A.] for wrathe, and `leeue thou not, `or ȝif thou not cause [Om. C et E pr. m.] , to men sechende to curse bi|hynde to thee. [verse 6] Forsothe of the man cursende to thee in bitternesse of soule, ful out herd shal be the preȝeere of hym; forsothe he shall here hym, that made hym. [verse 7] To the congregacioun of pore men mac thou thee homli to speken, and to the

prest meeke thou thi soule, and to the mad gret meeke thou thin hed. [verse 8] Bowe doun to the pore thin ere [eeȝe H. eye AG.] withoute drerynesse, and ȝeld thi dette, and an|swere pesibli in debonernesse. [verse 9] Delyuere hym that wrong suffreth fro the hond of the proude man, and egreli, `or heuyly [Om. C et E pr. m.] , bere thou not in thi soule. [verse 10] In demende be thou to the [Om. AEGH.] fadirles childer merciful as a fadir, and for a man, `or husbonde [Om. C et E pr. m.] , to [verse 11] the moder of hem; and thou shal be as an obeisaunt sone of the heiȝest, and he shal han merci of thee more than a moder. [verse 12] Wisdam to his sonus inbrethede lif, and receyueth the men out sechende him, and he shal go beforn in the weie of riȝtwis|nesse; [verse 13] and he that looueth it, looueth lif, and that waken to it, shul clippe togidere the [in A.] `gladnesse, or pesiblenesse [glad|nesse C pr. m. E pr. m. pesiblenesse E sec. m. marg. AGH.] , of it. [verse 14] Who holden it, shuln eritagen lif; and whider it shal gon in, God shal blissen [ben blessed E pr. m. AGH.] . [verse 15] Who seruen to it, obeshende shul ben to the hoeli man; and hem that loouen it, God looueth. [verse 16] Who hereth it, demeth folkis of kinde; and who biholdeth it, shal abide stille trostende. [verse 17] If he schal [Om. C pr. m.] ȝyue feith to it, he shal abide stille, and erit|agen it; and the creatures of hem shul be in fastnyng togidere. [verse 18] For in tempta|cioun it goth with hym, and in the first thyngus it chees hym [Om. C pr. m.] . [verse 19] Drede, and ferd, and prouyng it shal bringe in vp on hym, and schal [Om. C pr. m.] tormenten hym in tribu|lacioun of his techyng, to the tyme that it tempte hym in his thoȝtis, and he leeue to his soule. [verse 20] And it shal fastne hym, and a riȝt euene weie bringe to hym, [verse 21] and gladen hym; and nakenen his hidde thingus to hym, and tresoren vp on hym kunnyng, and vnderstonding of riȝtwis|nesse. [verse 22] If forsothe he schal [Om. C pr. m.] ful [ful out C pr. m.] erre, it shal forsaken hym, and it shall taken

hym in the hond of his enemy. [verse 23] Sone, waite tyme, and shone awei fro euel. [verse 24] For thi soule, `or liyf [Om. C et E pr. m.] , be thou not con|foundid [offendid A.] to seyn soth; ther is forsothe [verse 25] confusioun `bringende to [Om. C pr. m.] synne, and ther is confusioun bringende to glorie and grace. [verse 26] Ne take thou to face aȝen thi face, ne aȝen thi soule lesing. [verse 27] Ne shame thou [verse 28] thi neȝhebore in his falling, ne aȝeen holde thou a woord in time [the time E pr. m.] of helthe. Hide thou not thi wisdam in the fairnes of [verse 29] hit; in the tunge forsothe wisdam is knowen, and wit, and kunnyng, and techyng, in the wrd of the weel feel|ende; and fastnynge in the werkis [wrdis C pr. m.] of riȝtwisnesse. [verse 30] Aȝensey thou not to the wrd of treuthe any maner; and of lesing [the lesynge AGH.] of thi myslernyng be thou confoundid. [verse 31] Be thou not confoundid to knoulechen thi synnes; and [Om. AGH.] ne sochete thou thee to eche man for synne. [verse 32] Wile thou not with|stonde [stonde AGH.] aȝen the face of the myȝti, ne enforce thou aȝen the stroc of the flood. [verse 33] For riȝtwisnesse fiȝt for thi soule, and vnto deth strif for riȝtwisnesse; and God shal outfiȝten, `or ouer come [Om. C et E pr. m.] , for thee thin enemys. [verse 34] Wile thou not be swift in thi tunge, and vnprofitable and sloȝ in thi werkis. [verse 35] Wile thou not ben as a leoun in thin hous, turnende awei thin homli men, and opressende to men soget to thee. [verse 36] Be not thin hond put forth to taken, and to ȝyuen [ȝyue thingis E pr. m.] drawen togidere.