Wisdom 7
aligned by seat — same row, same verse, whatever each bible numbers it
| v | Wycliffe |
|---|---|
| 1 | Forsothe and Y am a deedli man, lijk men, and of erthli kynde of hym that was maad first, and in the wombe of the modir Y was fourmed fleische. |
| 2 | In the time of ten monethis Y was cruddid togidere in blood, of the seed of man, and bi acordynge delit of sleep. |
| 3 | And Y was borun, and took comyn eir, and in lijk maner Y felle doun in to the erthe maad; and Y wepynge sente out the firste vois, lijk alle men. |
| 4 | Y was nurschid in wrappyngis, and in greet bisynesses; |
| 5 | for whi no man of kyngis hadde othere bigynnyng of birthe. |
| 6 | Therfor oon entryng to lijf is to alle men, and lijk goyng out. |
| 7 | Herfor Y desiride, and wit was youun to me; and Y inwardli clepide, and the spirit of wisdom cam in to me. |
| 8 | And Y settide wisdom bifore rewmes, and seetis; and Y seide, that richessis ben nouyt in comparisoun therof, |
| 9 | and Y comparisonede not a preciouse stoon to it; forwhi al gold in comparisoun therof is a litil grauel, and siluer schal be arettid as cley in the siyt therof. |
| 10 | Y louyde wisdom more than helthe and fairnesse; and Y purposide to haue it for liyt, for the liyt therof may not be quenchid. |
| 11 | Forsothe alle goodis camen togidere to me with it; and vnnoumbrable oneste is by the werkys therof. |
| 12 | And Y was glad in alle thingis; for this wisdom yede bifore me, and Y knew not, for it is the modir of alle goodis. |
| 13 | Which wisdom Y lernyde with out feynyng, and Y comyne without enuye; and Y hide not the oneste therof. |
| 14 | For it is tresour with out noumbre to men, and thei, that vsiden that tresour, weren maad parceneris of Goddis frenschip, and weren preisid for the yiftis of kunnyng. |
| 15 | Forsothe God yaf to me to seie of sentence, and to bifore take worthi thingis of these thingis that ben youun to me; for he is the ledere of wisdom, and amendere of wise men. |
| 16 | For whi bothe we, and oure wordis, and al wisdom, and lernyng of kunnyng of werkis ben in his hond. |
| 17 | Forsothe he yaf to me the veri kunnyng of these thingis that ben, that Y knowe the disposicioun of the world, and the vertues of elementis; |
| 18 | the bigynnyng, and the endyng, and the myddil of tymes; the chaungyngis of whilis, and the endyngis of tymes; the chaungyngis of maneres, and departyngis of tymes; the coursis of the yeer, |
| 19 | and the disposiciouns of sterris; |
| 20 | the kyndis of beestis, and the wraththis of wielde beestis; the strengthe of wyndis, and the thouytis of men; the differences of trees, and the vertues of rootis. |
| 21 | And Y lernede what euer thingis ben hid and vnpurueyed; for whi wisdom, the crafti maker of alle thingis, tauyte me. |
| 22 | For in that wisdom vnmaad is the spirit of vndurstonding, hooli, many fold, oon aloone, sutil, temperat, wijs, mouable, vndefoulid, certeyn, swete, louynge a good dede, which spirit forbedith no thing to do wel; |
| 23 | curteis, benynge, stable, sikur, hauynge al vertu, biholdynge alle thingis, and which takith alle spiritis able to vndurstonde, and he is clene, and sutil. |
| 24 | For whi wisdom is more mouable than alle mouable thingis; forsothe it stretchith forth euery where, for his clennesse. |
| 25 | For it is a brething of Goddis vertu, and it is sum cleene comyngforth of the clerenesse of Almiyti God; |
| 26 | and therfor no defoulid thing renneth in to it. For it is briytnesse of euerlastynge liyt, and it is a myrrour with out wem of Goddis maieste, and it is an ymage of his goodnesse. |
| 27 | And whanne it is oon, it may alle thingis; and it dwellith in it silf, and renulith alle thingis, and bi naciouns it berith ouer it silf in to hooli soulis; it makith the frendis of God and profetis. |
| 28 | For God loueth no man, no but hym that dwellith with wisdom. |
| 29 | Forwhi this wisdom is fairere than the sunne, and is aboue al the disposicioun of sterris; wisdom comparisound to liyt, is foundun the formere. |
| 30 | Forwhi niyt cometh aftir that liyt; but wysdom ouercometh malice. |