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

CAP. III.

[verse 1] And now, Lord God of Irael, the soule in anguysshes, and the spirit tormentid crieth to thee. [verse 2] Heere, Lord, and haue [ha K.] mercy; for God thou art merciful. And haue mercy of vs, for wee han synned [verse 3] bifor thee, that sittist in to euermor, and wee shul not pershe in to the spi|rituel during. [verse 4] Lord God al myȝti, God of Irael, here now the orisoun of the deade men of Irael, and of the sonus of hem, for thei han synned bifor thee, and thei herden not the vois of the Lord ther God, and ioyned ben to vs euelis. [verse 5] Wile thou not han [ha K.] mynde of the wickenesse [wickidnes AGHK.] of oure fadris, but haue [ha K.] mynde of thin [verse 6] hond and of thi name in this tyme; for thou art Lord oure God, and wee shul preise thee, Lord. [verse 7] For that thou hast ȝoue thi drede in oure hertes, that wee

inwardli clepe thi name, and preise thee in oure caitifte; for wee shul be turned fro the wickenesse [wickidnes AGHK.] of oure fadris, that synneden in thee. [verse 8] And lo! wee in oure caitifte ben to dai, that vs thou hast scatered, in to repref, and in to cursing, and in to synne, after alle the wickid|nessis [wickenessis E.] of oure fadris, that wenten awei fro thee, Lord oure God. [verse 9] Here thou, Irael, the maundemens of lif; with eres parceyue, that thou wite prudence. [verse 10] What is, Irael, that in the lond of the enemys thou art? [verse 11] Thou hast eldid in an alien lond, thou [Om. E pr. m.] art defoulid with deade men, thou [Om. E pr. m.] art set with men goende doun in to helle? [verse 12] Thou hast forsake the welle [verse 13] of wisdam; for if in the weies of God thou haddest go, thou shuldist han dwell|id forsothe in pes vp on erthe. [verse 14] Lerne, wher be prudence, wher be vertue, wher be vnderstonding, that thou wite togi|dere, wher be long abiding of lyf and of liflode, wher be liȝt of eȝen, and pes [of pese AGHK.] . Who fond his place? [verse 15] who [and who AE sec. m. GHK.] entride in to his tresores? [verse 16] Wher ben the princes of Jentilys, and that lordshipen of bestes, that ben vpon erthe? [verse 17] That in the [verse 18] briddis of heuene pleien; that siluer tre|soren and gold, in whiche trosten men, and ther is noon ende of the purchasing of hem? That siluer forgen, and ben besy, ne ther is finding of the werkus of hem? [verse 19] Thei ben outlawid, and to helle thei wente doun; and othyr men in the place of hem risen. [verse 20] The ȝunge [The Mss. C and E end here. The text in what follows is taken from K.] men of hem sawen liȝt, and dwelten on erth. Sothely thei knewen not the wei of disci|plyne, [verse 21] nether vndirstoden the pathis of it; nether the sones of hem resceyueden it. Fro the face of hem it is maad fer; [verse 22] it is not herd in the lond of Canaan, nether it is seen in Theman. [verse 23] And the sones of Agar, that souȝten out prudence that is of erth, the marchauntis of erth, and Theman, and the [Om. AG.] fablers, or iang|lers

, and seekers out of prudence, and of vnderstondinge; sothely thei knewen not the weie of wysdam, nether hadden mynde of the paathis therof. [verse 24] O! Yrael, hou grete is the hous of God, and hou [verse 25] grete the place of his possessiounn; gret and not hauynge eende, heeȝ and with outen mesure grete. [verse 26] Ther weren named gyauntis; tho that fro the bigynnynge weren in grete stature, witynge bataile. [verse 27] The Lord chese not these, nether thei founden the weie of discipline; therfor thei pershiden. [verse 28] And for thei hadde not wijsdam, thei pershiden for her vnwijs|dam. [verse 29] Who steiȝede in to heuen, and toke it [Om. A.] , and ledde it doun fro cloudis? [verse 30] Who passide ouer the se, and foonde it, and brouȝt it to, vpon chosen gold? [verse 31] Ther is not, that may wite the waies therof, nether that sekith out the pathes therof; [verse 32] bot he that wote alle thingis, knewȝ it, and foond it by his prudence. The whiche maade redy the erth in euerlastynge tyme, and fulfilled it with feeld bestes, and four footid bestis. [verse 33] The whiche send|ith out liȝt, and it goth; and he clepid it, and it obeischide to hym in tremblynge. [verse 34] Forsoth sterris ȝauen liȝt in her keep|yngus, [verse 35] and gladiden; thei ben clepid, and thei seiden, We cummen to; and thei shyneden to hym with mirth, that maad hem. [verse 36] This is our God, and other shal not ben gessid aȝenis hym. [verse 37] He this foonde al weie of disciplyne, and bitoke it to Jacob, his child, and to Yrael, his derworth. [verse 38] After these thingus he was seen in erthis, and lyued with men.