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| [1]Lo! the kyng schal regne in riytfulnesse, and princes schulen be souereyns in doom. |
[1]Behold, a king shall reign in justice, and the princes shall rule in judgment. |
| [2]And a man schal be, as he that is hid fro wynd, and hidith hym silf fro tempest; as stremes of watris in thirst, and the schadewe of a stoon stondynge fer out in a desert lond. |
[2]And that man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and as a refuge for the tempest: as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. |
| [3]The iyen of profetis schulen not dasewe, and the eeris of heereris schulen herke diligentli; |
[3]The eyes of the seeing shall not be shut, and the ears of them that hear, shall hearken. |
| [4]and the herte of foolis schal vndurstonde kunnyng, and the tunge of stuttynge men schal speke swiftli, and pleynli. |
[4]And the heart of the foolish shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stutters shall be ready to speak distinctly. |
| [5]He that is vnwijs, schal no more be clepid prince, and a gileful man schal not be clepid the grettere. |
[5]A niggard shall no more be called liberal, nor the churl rich. |
| [6]Forsothe a fool shal speke foli thingis, and his herte schal do wickidnesse, that he performe feynyng, and speke to the Lord gilefuli; and he schal make voide the soule of an hungry man, and schal take awei drynke fro a thirsti man. |
[6]But the niggard will speak of niggardness, and his heart will work iniquity, and do wickedly, and speak falsely against the Lord, to make empty the hungry soul, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. |
| [7]The vessels of a gileful man ben worste; for he schal make redi thouytis to leese mylde men in the word of a leesyng, whanne a pore man spak doom. |
[7]For the weapons of the churl are wicked: he deviseth wicked counsels, to undo the poor with lying words: and to speak against the poor in judgment. |
| [8]Forsothe a prince schal thenke tho thingis that ben worthi to a prince, and he schal stonde ouer duykis. |
[8]But the liberal man will devise of liberal things, and he will continue his liberality. |
| [9]Riche wymmen, rise ye, and here my vois; douytris tristynge, perseyue ye with eeris my speche. |
[9]Rise up, ye women that are at ease: hear my voice, ye careless daughters: hearken to my words. |
| [10]For whi aftir daies and a yeer, and ye that tristen schulen be disturblid; for whi vyndage is endid, gaderyng schal no more come. |
[10]Ye women, that are careless, shall be in fear above a year in days: for the vintage shall fail, and the gatherings shall come no more. |
| [11]Ye riche wymmen, be astonyed; ye that tristen, be disturblid; vnclothe ye you, and be ye aschamed; |
[11]Ye women, that are at ease, be astonied: fear, O ye careless women: put off the clothes: make bare, and gird sackcloth upon the loins. |
| [12]girde youre leendis; weile ye on brestis, on desirable cuntrei, on the plenteuouse vyner. |
[12]Men shall lament for the teats, even for the pleasant fields, and for the fruitful vine. |
| [13]Thornes and breris schulen stie on the erthe of my puple; hou myche more on alle the housis of ioie of the citee makynge ful out ioie? |
[13]Upon the land of my people shall grow thorns and briers: yea, upon all the houses of joy in the city of rejoicing, |
| [14]For whi the hous is left, the multitude of the citee is forsakun; derknessis and gropyng ben maad on dennes, `til in to with outen ende. The ioie of wield assis is the lesewe of flockis; |
[14]Because the palace shall be forsaken , and the noise of the city shall be left: the tower and fortress shall be dens forever, and the delight of wild asses, and a pasture for flocks, |
| [15]til the spirit be sched out on us fro an hiy, and the desert schal be in to Chermel, and Chermel schal be arettid in to a forest. |
[15]Until the spirit be poured upon us from above, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the plenteous field be counted as a forest. |
| [16]And doom schal dwelle in wildirnesse, and riytfulnesse schal sitte in Chermel; |
[16]And judgment shall dwell in the desert, and justice shall remain in the fruitful field. |
| [17]and the werk of riytfulnesse schal be pees, and the tilthe of riytfulnesse schal be stilnesse and sikirnesse, `til in to with outen ende. |
[17]And the work of justice shall be peace, even the work of justice and quietness, and assurance forever. |
| [18]And my puple schal sitte in the fairnesse of pees, and in the tabernaclis of trist, and in riche reste. |
[18]And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace, and in sure dwellings, and in safe resting places. |
| [19]But hail schal be in the coming doun of the foreste, and bi lownesse the citee schal be maad low. |
[19]When it haileth, it shall fall on the forest, and the city shall be set in the low place. |
| [20]Blessid ben ye, that sowen on alle watris, and putten yn the foot of an oxe and of an asse. |
[20]Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters, and drive thither the feet of the ox and the ass. |