Ecclesiastes 12
1 Memento Creatoris tui in diebus juventutis tuæ, antequam veniat tempus afflictionis, et appropinquent anni de quibus dicas: Non mihi placent;
Haue thou mynde on thi creatour in the daies of thi yongthe, bifore that the tyme of thi turment come, and the yeris of thi deth neiye, of whiche thou schalt seie, Tho plesen not me.
2 antequam tenebrescat sol, et lumen, et luna, et stellæ, et revertantur nubes post pluviam;
`Haue thou mynde on thi creatour, bifor that the sunne be derk, and the liyt, and sterrys, and the mone; and cloude turne ayen after reyn.
3 quando commovebuntur custodes domus, et nutabunt viri fortissimi, et otiosæ erunt molentes in minuto numero, et tenebrescent videntes per foramina;
Whanne the keperis of the hous schulen be mouyd, and strongeste men schulen tremble; and grynderis schulen be idel, whanne the noumbre schal be maad lesse, and seeris bi the hoolis schulen wexe derk;
4 et claudent ostia in platea, in humilitate vocis molentis, et consurgent ad vocem volucris, et obsurdescent omnes filiæ carminis:
and schulen close the doris in the street, in the lownesse of vois of a gryndere; and thei schulen rise at the vois of a brid, and alle the douytris of song schulen wexe deef.
5 excelsa quoque timebunt, et formidabunt in via. Florebit amygdalus, impinguabitur locusta, et dissipabitur capparis, quoniam ibit homo in domum æternitatis suæ, et circuibunt in platea plangentes.
And hiy thingis schulen drede, and schulen be aferd in the weie; an alemaunde tre schal floure, a locuste schal be maad fat, and capparis schal be distried; for a man schal go in to the hous of his euerlastyngnesse, and weileris schulen go aboute in the street.
6 Antequam rumpatur funiculus argenteus, et recurrat vitta aurea, et conteratur hydria super fontem, et confringatur rota super cisternam,
Haue thou mynde on thi creatour, byfore that a siluerne roop be brokun, and a goldun lace renne ayen, and a watir pot be al to-brokun on the welle, and a wheele be brokun togidere on the cisterne;
7 et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat, et spiritus redeat ad Deum, qui dedit illum.
and dust turne ayen in to his erthe, wherof it was, and the spirit turne ayen to God, that yaf it.
8 Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes, et omnia vanitas.
The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes, the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanyte.
9 Cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes, docuit populum, et enarravit quæ fecerat; et investigans composuit parabolas multas.
And whanne Ecclesiastes was moost wijs, he tauyte the puple, and he telde out the thingis whiche he dide,
10 Quæsivit verba utilia, et conscripsit sermones rectissimos ac veritate plenos.
and he souyte out wisdom, and made many parablis; he souyte profitable wordis, and he wroot moost riytful wordis, and ful of treuthe.
11 Verba sapientium sicut stimuli, et quasi clavi in altum defixi, quæ per magistrorum consilium data sunt a pastore uno.
The wordis of wise men ben as prickis, and as nailis fastned deepe, whiche ben youun of o scheepherde bi the counsels of maistris.
12 His amplius, fili mi, ne requiras. Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis; frequensque meditatio, carnis afflictio est.
My sone, seke thou no more than these; noon ende is to make many bookis, and ofte thenkyng is turment of fleisch.
13 Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus. Deum time, et mandata ejus observa: hoc est enim omnis homo,
Alle we here togydere the ende of spekyng. Drede thou God, and kepe hise heestis; `that is to seie, ech man.
14 et cuncta quæ fiunt adducet Deus in judicium pro omni errato, sive bonum, sive malum illud sit.
God schal brynge alle thingis in to dom, that ben don; for ech thing don bi errour, whether it be good, ether yuel.
