The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ The offence of the tonge. Man is but a vayne thynge. Happy is he that conepnurth in wysdome.

CAPI. XIIII.

BLessed is the man, y^t hathe not fallen w^t [unspec A] the worde of his mouth, & is not pricked w^t the confrience of syune. Happye is he that hath no heuines in his minde / & is not fallen from his hope. It becōmeth not a couerous man and a nygarde to be rych: & what shulde a nygarde do w^t golde? He y^t with al his care¦fulnes heapeth together vnryghtuously, ga¦thereth for other folckes, & another mā shall make good chere w^t his goodes. He that is wycked vnto hi selfe / How shuld he be good vnto other men? How can such one haue any pleasure of his goodes: There is nothynge worse, then whē one diffauoureth hym selfe, & this is a reward of his wickednes. If he do any good / he doth it not knowynge therof / & agaynst his wyl, & at the last he declareth his vnryghtuousnes. A nygarde hath a wycked eye, he turneth away his face, & despiseth his* 1.1 owne soule. * 1.2 A couetous mās eye hathe ne∣uer ynough in the porcyon of wyckednes, vn¦tyll the tyme y^t he wither away, and haue lost his owne soule.

A wycked eye spareth bread, and there is [unspec B] scarcenes vpō his table. My sonne, do good to thy selfe of that thou haste / and geue the Lorde hys due offerynges. Remembre that death tarteth not, & howe y^t the couenaunt of the graue is shewed vnto the: for y^• couenaūe of thys worlde shal dye the death. * 1.3 Do good vnto thy frende before thou dye / & according to thy abylite teache out thyne hāde / & geue vnto the pore. Be not disapoynted of y^e good day, & let not the porcyon of y^e good day ouer passe the. Shalt thou not leaue thy trauales & laboures vnto other men? In the deuiding of the herytage geue & take, & sanctyfye thy soule. Worke y^u rightuousnes before thy death for in the hell there is no meate to fynde. * 1.4 Al flesh shall fade away lyke grasse, & lyke a flo∣ryshyng leafe in a grene tree. Some growe / some are cast downe: euen so is the generaci∣on of flesh & bloude: one commeth to an ende, another is borne.

All transitorye thynges shall fayle at the [unspec C] last, and the worker therof shall go withall. Euery thosen worke shall be iustified, and he that medleth withal, shal haue honour ther∣in. Blessed is y^e man that kepeth him in wys∣dome, and exercyseth him selfe in vnderstan∣dynge, and with diserecion shall he thyncke vpon the fore knowledge of God. Which cōsydereth the wayes of wysdome in his herte, hath vnderstandynge in her secretes / goeth after her (as one that seketh her out) and cō∣tinueth ī her wayes. He loketh i at her wyn∣dowes, & herkeneth at her dores. He taketh his rest beside her house, & fasteneth his stake in the walles. He shall pitch his tēte nye vn∣to her hand, & in his tent shall good thynges rest for euermore. He shall set his chyldrē vn∣der her couering / & shal dwel vnder her braū¦ches. Under her coueryng, shall he be defen∣ded frō the heate, and in her glory shal he rest

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prou. 17. c Eccles. i. a
• * 1.2

  Eccle. xix. c and. xxv. c Iato, iii. a
• * 1.3

  Eccles. 4 a Tobi. 4 b Luka. 16. b
• * 1.4

  Esaye xl. a 1 Pritl. •• d Iacobi. ••. b