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 delyueraunce of hym that feareth God. The an∣swere of the wyse. The lytle dyscrecyon of a foole. Man is in the hande of God, as the earthe is in the hande of the Potter. We ought not to dyspose oure selues, to become sub¦iecte to other.

CAPI. XXXIII.

THere shall no euyll happen vnto hym [unspec A] that feareth God: but when he is in tē∣tacyon, the Lord shall delyuer hym and kepe hym frome euyll. A wyse man hateth not the lawe, but an ypocryte is as a shyp in raging water. A man of vnderstandynge geueth cre¦dence vnto the lawe of God / and the lawe is faythfull vnto hym. Be sure of the matter, then talke therof: Be fyrst well instruct, then mayest thou geue answere. The herre of the foolysh is lyke a carte whele, and his though¦tes renne aboute lyke the axell tree. Lyke as a wylde horse y^• neyeth vnder euery one that sytteth vpon him, so is it w^t a scorneful frend Why doth one day excell another, seyng al y^• dayes of the yeare come of the Sunne? The wysdome of the Lorde hath so parted them a sunder, & so hath he ordayned the tymes & so∣lempne feastes. Some of them hath he chosē & halowed before other dayes. And at mē are made of the * 1.1 grounde, and out of the earthe of Adam.

In the multitude of science hath the Lord [unspec B] sundered them, and made their wayes of di∣uerse fashyons. Some of them hath he bles∣sed, made much of them, halowed them, and claymed them to hymselfe. But some of thē hath he cursed, brought thē lowe, & put them out of theyr estate. * 1.2 Lyke as the claye is in the potters hande, and all the ordrynge ther∣of at his pleasure: so are men also in the hāde of hym that made them, so that he may geue them as it lyketh hym best. * 1.3 Agaynste euyll is good, and agaynste death is lyfe: so is the vngodly agaynst suche as fere God. Behold these are the workes of the Hyest, and there are euer two agaynst two, & one set agaynste another. I am awaked vp last of all, as one that gathereth after in haruest. In the gift{is}

of God and in his blessinge. I am increased, and haue fylled my wyne presse, lyke a grape gatherer. * 1.4 Behold, how I haue not labou∣red onely for my selfe, but for al such as loue nurtoure and wysdome.

Heare me, O ye greate men of the people [unspec C] and herken with youre eares ye tulers of the cōgregacyon. Geue not thy sonne and wyfe / thy brother and frēde power ouer the whyle thou lyuest: and geue not awaye thy substaū¦ce and good to another, lest it repent the / and thou be fayne to begge therfore thy selfe. As longe as thou lyuest and hast brethe / let no man chaūge the: For better it is thy children to pray the / then that thou shuldest be sayne to loke in theyr hādes. In all thy worckes be excellent, that thy honoure be neuer stayned. At the tyme when thou shalt ende thy dayes, & fynysh thy lyfe / distribute thyne inheritaū∣ce. The fodder / the whyp / and the burden be longed vnto the Asse: Meate / correccion, & worke vnto the seruaunt.

If thou set thy seruaunt to laboure, thou [unspec D] shalt fynde rest. But yf thou let him go ydel / he shall seke libertye. The yocke & the whyp bowe downe the harde necke, but tame thou thy euyll seruaunte with bondes and correc∣cyon. Sende him to laboure / that he go not ydle: For ydelnesse brigeth much euyll. Set him to worke, for that belongeth vnto him / and becommeth him well. If he be not obe∣diēt / binde his fete, but do not to much vnto him in any wyse / and without discrecyon do nothinge. * 1.5 If thou haue a (faythful) seruaūt let him be vnto the as thyne owne soule: (in∣treade him as a brother) for in bloude hast y^• gotten him. If thou haue a seruaunte / holde him as thy selfe, for thou hast nede of him as of thy selfe. If thou intreatest him euyll, and kepest him harde, & makest hym to be proude and to renne awaye from the / thou canst not tell what waye thou shalt seke him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gene. ii. a
• * 1.2

  Roma. ix. ••.
• * 1.3

  1. Corin. 6. ••
• * 1.4

  Eccle. 24. b
• * 1.5

  Eccle. vii. c