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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?
[6]For thou hast take awei with out cause the wed of thi britheren; and hast spuylid nakid men of clothis.
[7]Thou yauest not watir to the feynt man; and thou withdrowist breed fro the hungri man.
[8]In the strengthe of thin arm thou haddist the lond in possessioun; and thou moost myyti heldist it.
[9]Thou leftist widewis voide; and al to-brakist the schuldris of fadirles children.
[10]Therfor thou art cumpassid with snaris; and sodeyn drede disturblith thee.
[11]And thou gessidist, that thou schuldist not se derknessis; and that thou schuldist not be oppressid with the fersnesse of watris flowyng.
[12]Whether thou thenkist, that God is hiyere than heuene, and is enhaunsid aboue the coppe of sterris?
[13]And thou seist, What sotheli knowith God? and, He demeth as bi derknesse.
[14]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.
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