Read the Bible

¹ Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?² In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,³ and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!⁴ ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.⁵ Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.<sup>6</sup> Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.<sup>7</sup> My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.<sup>8</sup> My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.<sup>9</sup> `My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.¹⁰ Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.¹¹ For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto.

¹² Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.¹³ The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth.¹⁴ Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.¹⁵ Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.¹⁶ Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.¹⁷ I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.¹⁸ With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.¹⁹ My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.²⁰ Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;²¹ that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.

²² The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.²³ Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.²⁴ Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,²⁵ and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.²⁶ Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.²⁷ Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.²⁸ Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.²⁹ Whanne he cumpasside to the see his marke; and settide lawe to watris, that tho schulden not passe her coostis. Whanne he peiside the foundementis of erthe;³⁰ Y was making alle thingis with him. And Y delitide bi alle daies, and pleiede bifore hym in al tyme,³¹ and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.

³² Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.³³ Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.³⁴ Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore.³⁵ He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.³⁶ But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.