¶ Alme•• muste be done with all menkenes. The studye of wysdome and her frute. A iudge ought to be mercyfull. An exhortacyon to eschue euell and to do good.
CAPI. IIII.
MY sōne, * 1.1 defraude nat the poore of his almes, and turne not away thyne eyes [unspec A] from him that hathe nede. Despise not an hongrye soule, & defye nat the poore in hys necessite: greue not the herte of hym that is helplesse, and withdrawe nat the gyfte from the nedefull. Refuse nat the prayer of one y• is in trouble turne nat awaye thy face from the nedy. Cast nat thyne eyes asyde from the poore, for any euell wyll, that thou geue hym not occasion to speake euell of y•. For if he complayne of the in y• bytternes of hys soule, his prayer shall be herde, euen he y• made him, shal heare hym. Be curteous vn∣to the company of y• poore / hūble thy soule vnto the elder. & bowe downe thy head to a man of worshyppe. Let it not greue the to bowe downe thyne eare vnto y• poore / but paye thy dett / and geue hym a frendly an∣swere, and that with mekenesse.
* 1.2 Delyuer hym that suffreth wronge from [unspec B] the hande of the oppressour, and be nat faint harted when thou syttest in iudgement. Be mercyfull vnto the fatherlesse as a father, & be in steade of an housbande vnto theyr mo∣ther: so shalt thou be as an obediēt sonne of the Hyest, and he shal loue the more then thy mother dothe: Wysdome bretheth lyfe into her chyldren, receaueth them that seke her, & wyl go before thē in the waye of ryghteous∣nes. He that loueth her, loueth life, and they that seke her dilygently, shall haue greate ioye. They that kepe her, shal haue the hery¦tage of lyfe: for where she entreth in, there is the blessing of God. They y• honour her shal be y• seruaūtes of the holy one: & they y• loue her, are beloued of god. Who so geueth eare vnto her / shall iudge the Heathen: & he that hathe respecte vnto her / shall dwele safely.
He that beleueth her, shal haue her in pos¦sessyon [unspec C] & his generacyō shal endure: for whē he falleth, she dothe go with hym / & choseth him amonge the best. Feare, drede & tempta¦cyon shall she brynge vpon hym / & trye hym in her doctryne: tyll she haue so proued him in his thoughtes / that he cōmytte his soule vnto her Then shal she stablishe him / bring the ryght waye vnto hym, make him a glad man, shewe hym her secretes, & heape vpon hym the tresures of knowledge, and vnder∣standynge of ryghteousnes. But yf he go wronge, she shall forsake him / and geue him ouer into the handes of hys enemye.
My sonne, make much of the tyme, eschue [unspec D] the thinge that is euell, & for thy lyfe shame not to saye the trueth. For there is a shame that bryngeth synne / & there is a shame that bryngeth worshippe & fauoure. * 1.3 Accepte no person after thyne owne wyll / that thou be nat confounded to thyne owne decaye. Be not a shamed of thy neyghboure in hys aduersyte / & kepe not backe thy counsel whō it maye do good / nether hyde thy wysdome in her bewty. For in the tonge is wysdome knowne / so is vnderstandinge knowledge / and lernyng in the talkinge of the wyse, and stedfastnesse in the workes of righteousnes. In no wyse speake agaynste the worde of trueth / but be ashamed of the lyes of thyne owne ignoraūce. Shame not to cōtesse thine erroure / & submytte not thy selfe vnto euery man because of synne. Withstande not the face of the myghtye, & stryue y• not agaynste the streame. But for righteousnes take pay¦nes with all thy soule, & for the trueth stryue thou vnto death / and God shall fyght for the agaynst thyne enemyes. Be not hasty in thy tonge / nether slacke and negligēt in thy workes. Be not as a lyon in thyne owne house, destroying thy housholde folkes, and oppressing thē that are vnder the. * 1.4 Let not thyne hande be stretched out to receaue, and shut when thou shuldest geue.