Ecclesiastes 9
1 I tretide alle these thingis in myn herte, to vndirstonde diligentli. Iust men, and wise men ben, and her werkis ben in the hond of God; and netheles a man noot, whether he is worthi of loue or of hatrede.
For all this I have given to heart my and to make clear all this that the righteous and the wise and deeds their [are] in [the] hand of God both love as well as hatred not [is] knowing humankind everything [is] before them.
2 But alle thingis ben kept vncerteyn in to tyme to comynge; for alle thingis bifallen euenli to a iust man and to a wickid man, to a good man and to an yuel man, to a cleene man and to an vnclene man, to a man offrynge offryngis and sacrifices, and to a man dispisynge sacrifices; as a good man, so and a synnere; as a forsworun man, so and he that greetli swerith treuthe.
All [is] just as for all fate one [belongs] to the righteous and to the wicked to the good (and to the evil *X*) and to the clean and to the unclean and to the [one who] sacrifices and to [one] who not he [is] sacrificing as the good [person] as the sinner the [one who] swears an oath just as an oath [one] fearing.
3 This thing is the worste among alle thingis, that ben don vndur the sunne, that the same thingis bifallen to alle men; wherfor and the hertis of the sones of men ben fillid with malice and dispisyng in her lijf; and aftir these thingis thei schulen be led doun to hellis.
This - [is] an evil in all that it is done under the sun for fate one [belongs] to everyone and also [the] heart of [the] children of humankind [is] full evil and madness [is] in heart their in lives their and after it to the dead.
4 No man is, that lyueth euere, and that hath trist of this thing; betere is a quik dogge than a deed lioun.
For who? [is [the] one] who (he is united *Q(K)*) to all the living there [is] hope for to a dog living it [is] good more than the lion dead.
5 For thei that lyuen witen that thei schulen die; but deed men knowen no thing more, nether han meede ferthere; for her mynde is youun to foryetyng.
For the living [are] knowing that they will die and the dead not they [are] knowing anything and not still [belongs] to them a reward for it is forgotten memory their.
6 Also the loue, and hatrede, and enuye perischiden togidere; and thei han no part in this world, and in the werk that is don vndur the sunne.
Both love their as well as hatred their as well as envy their already it has perished and a portion not [belongs] to them again for ever in all that it is done under the sun.
7 Therfor go thou, iust man, and ete thi breed in gladnesse, and drynke thi wiyn with ioie; for thi werkis plesen God.
Go eat with gladness food your and drink with a heart good wine your for already he has taken pleasure in God deeds your.
8 In ech tyme thi clothis be white, and oile faile not fro thin heed.
At every time let them be clothes your white and oil on head your may not it be lacking.
9 Vse thou lijf with the wijf which thou louest, in alle the daies of lijf of thin vnstablenesse, that ben youun to thee vndur sunne, in al the tyme of thi vanyte; for this is thi part in thi lijf and trauel, bi which thou trauelist vndur the sunne.
See life with a wife whom you love all [the] days of [the] life of futility your which he has given to you under the sun all [the] days of futility your for that [is] portion your in life and in toil your which you [are] a laborer under the sun.
10 Worche thou bisili, what euer thing thin hond mai do; for nether werk, nether resoun, nethir kunnyng, nether wisdom schulen be at hellis, whidir thou haastist. (Sheol h7585)
All that it finds hand your to do with strength your do for there not [is] work and explanation and knowledge and wisdom in Sheol where you [are] going there towards. (Sheol h7585)
11 I turnede me to another thing, and Y siy vndur sunne, that rennyng is not of swift men, nethir batel is of stronge men, nether breed is of wise men, nether richessis ben of techeris, ne grace is of crafti men; but tyme and hap is in alle thingis.
I returned and I saw under the sun that not [belongs] to the swift the race and not [belongs] to the mighty [men] the battle and also not [belongs] to wise [people] food and also not [belongs] to the understanding wealth and also not [belongs] to the knowledgeable favor for time and chance it happens to all of them.
12 A man knowith not his ende; but as fischis ben takun with an hook, and as briddis ben takun with a snare, so men ben takun in yuel tyme, whanne it cometh sudeynli on hem.
For also not he knows humankind time his like fish that [are] caught in a net evil and like birds that are caught in snare like them [are] ensnared [the] children of humankind to a time evil when that falls on them suddenly.
13 Also Y siy this wisdom vndur the sunne, and Y preuede it the mooste.
Also this I have seen wisdom under the sun and [was] great it to me.
14 A litil citee, and a fewe men ther ynne; a greet kyng cam ayens it, and cumpasside it with palis, and he bildide strengthis bi cumpas; and bisegyng was maad perfit.
A city small and men in it [were] few and he came against it a king great and he surrounded it and he built on it siege works great.
15 And a pore man and a wijs was foundun ther ynne; and he delyuerede the citee bi his wisdom, and no man bithouyte aftirward on that pore man.
And someone found in it a man poor wise and he delivered he the city by wisdom his and anyone not he remembered the man poor (that. *L(abh)*)
16 And Y seide, that wisdom is betere than strengthe; hou therfor is the wisdom of a pore man dispisid, and hise wordis ben not herd?
And I said I [is] good wisdom more than strength and [the] wisdom of the poor [person] [is] despised and words his not they [are] listened to.
17 The wordis of wise men ben herd in silence, more than the cry of a prince among foolis.
[the] words of Wise [people] in quietness [are] heard more than [the] cry of a ruler among fools.
18 Betere is wisdom than armuris of batel; and he that synneth in o thing, schal leese many goodis.
[is] good Wisdom more than weapons of war and a sinner one he will destroy good much.
