< Ecclesiastes 10 >
1 Flies `that dien, leesen the swetnesse of oynement. Litil foli at a tyme is preciousere than wisdom and glorie.
2 The herte of a wijs man is in his riyt side; and the herte of a fool is in his left side.
3 But also a fool goynge in the weie, whanne he is vnwijs, gessith alle men foolis.
4 If the spirit of hym, that hath power, stieth on thee, forsake thou not thi place; for heeling schal make gretteste synnes to ceesse.
5 An yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne, and goith out as bi errour fro the face of the prince; a fool set in hiy dignyte,
6 and riche men sitte bynethe.
7 I siy seruauntis on horsis, and princes as seruauntis goynge on the erthe.
8 He that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and an eddre schal bite hym, that distrieth an hegge.
9 He that berith ouer stoonys, schal be turmentid in tho; and he that kittith trees, schal be woundid of tho.
10 If yrun is foldid ayen, and this is not as bifore, but is maad blunt, it schal be maad scharp with myche trauel; and wisdom schal sue aftir bisynesse.
11 If a serpent bitith, it bitith in silence; he that bacbitith priueli, hath no thing lesse than it.
12 The wordis of the mouth of a wijs man is grace; and the lippis of an vnwijs man schulen caste hym doun.
13 The bigynnyng of hise wordis is foli; and the laste thing of his mouth is the worste errour.
14 A fool multiplieth wordis; a man noot, what was bifore hym, and who mai schewe to hym that, that schal come aftir hym?
15 The trauel of foolis shal turment hem, that kunnen not go in to the citee.
16 Lond, wo to thee, whos kyng is a child, and whose princes eten eerli.
17 Blessid is the lond, whos kyng is noble; and whose princis eten in her tyme, to susteyne the kynde, and not to waste.
18 The hiynesse of housis schal be maad low in slouthis; and the hous schal droppe in the feblenesse of hondis.
19 In leiyyng thei disposen breed and wyn, that thei drynkynge ete largeli; and alle thingis obeien to monei.
20 In thi thouyt bacbite thou not the kyng, and in the priuete of thi bed, curse thou not a riche man; for the briddis of heuene schulen bere thi vois, and he that hath pennys, schal telle the sentence.
