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[1]The wordis of hym that gaderith, of the sone spuynge. The prophesie which a man spak, with whom God was, and which man was coumfortid bi God dwellyng with hym,
[2]and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me.
[3]Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
[4]Who stiede in to heuene, and cam doun? Who helde togidere the spirit in hise hondis? who bonde togidere watris as in a cloth? Who reiside alle the endis of erthe? What is name of hym? and what is the name of his sone, if thou knowist?
[5]Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
[6]Adde thou not ony thing to the wordis of hym, and thou be repreued, and be foundun a liere.
[7]I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.
[8]Make thou fer fro me vanyte and wordis of leesyng; yyue thou not to me beggery and richessis; yyue thou oneli necessaries to my lijflode;
[9]lest perauenture Y be fillid, and be drawun to denye, and seie, Who is the Lord? and lest Y compellid bi nedynesse, stele, and forswere the name of my God.
[10]Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.
[11]A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
[12]A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.
[13]A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis.
[14]A generacioun that hath swerdis for teeth, and etith with hise wank teeth; that it ete nedi men of erthe, and the porails of men.
[15]The watir leche hath twei douytris, seiynge, Brynge, bringe. Thre thingis ben vnable to be fillid, and the fourthe, that seith neuere, It suffisith;
[16]helle, and the mouth of the wombe, and the erthe which is neuere fillid with water; but fier seith neuere, It suffisith.
[17]Crowis of the stronde picke out thilke iye, that scorneth the fadir, and that dispisith the child beryng of his modir; and the briddis of an egle ete that iye.
[18]Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
[19]the weye of an egle in heuene, the weie of a serpent on a stoon, the weie of a schip in the myddil of the see, and the weie of a man in yong wexynge age.
[20]Siche is the weie of a womman auowtresse, which etith, and wipith hir mouth, and seith, Y wrouyte not yuel.
[21]The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;
[22]bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
[23]bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi.
[24]Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
[25]amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
[26]a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
[27]a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,
[28]and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
[29]Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
[30]A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
[31]a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
[32]He that apperith a fool, aftir that he is reisid an hiy; for if he hadde vndurstonde, he hadde sett hond on his mouth.
[33]Forsothe he that thristith strongli teetis, to drawe out mylk, thristith out botere; and he that smytith greetli, drawith out blood; and he that stirith iris, bringith forth discordis.
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