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¹ Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,² Whether a man, yhe, whanne he is of perfit kunnyng, mai be comparisound to God?³ What profitith it to God, if thou art iust? ethir what schalt thou yyue to hym, if thi lijf is without wem?⁴ Whether he schal drede, and schal repreue thee, and schal come with thee in to doom,

⁵ and not for thi ful myche malice, and thi wickidnessis with out noumbre, `these peynes bifelden iustli to thee?<sup>6</sup> For thou hast take awei with out cause the wed of thi britheren; and hast spuylid nakid men of clothis.<sup>7</sup> Thou yauest not watir to the feynt man; and thou withdrowist breed fro the hungri man.<sup>8</sup> In the strengthe of thin arm thou haddist the lond in possessioun; and thou moost myyti heldist it.<sup>9</sup> Thou leftist widewis voide; and al to-brakist the schuldris of fadirles children.<sup>10</sup> Therfor thou art cumpassid with snaris; and sodeyn drede disturblith thee.<sup>11</sup> And thou gessidist, that thou schuldist not se derknessis; and that thou schuldist not be oppressid with the fersnesse of watris flowyng.<sup>12</sup> Whether thou thenkist, that God is hiyere than heuene, and is enhaunsid aboue the coppe of sterris?<sup>13</sup> And thou seist, What sotheli knowith God? and, He demeth as bi derknesse.<sup>14</sup> A cloude is his hidyng place, and he biholdith not oure thingis, and he `goith aboute the herris of heuene.

¹⁵ Whether thou coueitist to kepe the path of worldis, which wickid men han ofte go?¹⁶ Whiche weren takun awei bifor her tyme, and the flood distriede the foundement of hem.¹⁷ Whiche seiden to God, Go thou awei fro vs; and as if Almyyti God may do no thing, thei gessiden hym,¹⁸ whanne he hadde fillid her housis with goodis; the sentence of whiche men be fer fro me.¹⁹ Iust men schulen se, and schulen be glad; and an innocent man schal scorne hem.²⁰ Whether the reisyng of hem is not kit doun, and fier schal deuoure the relifs of hem?

²¹ Therfor assente thou to God, and haue thou pees; and bi these thingis thou schalt haue best fruytis.²² Take thou the lawe of his mouth, and sette thou hise wordis in thin herte.²³ If thou turnest ayen to Almyyti God, thou schalt be bildid; and thou schalt make wickidnesse fer fro thi tabernacle.²⁴ He schal yyue a flynt for erthe, and goldun strondis for a flynt.²⁵ And Almyyti God schal be ayens thin enemyes; and siluer schal be gaderid togidere to thee.²⁶ Thanne on Almyyti God thou schalt flowe with delicis; and thou schalt reise thi face to God.²⁷ Thou schalt preye hym, and he schal here thee; and thou schalt yelde thi vowis.²⁸ Thou schalt deme a thing, and it schal come to thee; and lyyt schal schyne in thi weies.²⁹ For he that is mekid, schal be in glorie; and he that bowith doun hise iyen, schal be saued.³⁰ An innocent schal be saued; sotheli he schal be saued in the clennesse of hise hondis.