Sirach 2

¹Sone, neiyynge to the seruyce of God, stonde thou in riytfulnesse, and drede; and make redi thi soule to temptacioun.

²Bere doun thin herte, and suffre, and bowe doun thin eere, and take the wordis of vndirstonding, and haaste thou not in to the tyme of deeth.

³Suffre thou the susteynyngis of God; be thou ioyned to God, and abide thou, that thi lijf wexe in the last tyme.

⁴Take thou alle thing that is set to thee, and suffre thou in sorewe, and haue thou pacience in thi lownesse.

⁵For whi gold and siluer is preued in fier; forsothe men worthi to be resseyued ben preued in the chymeney of lownesse.

⁶Bileue thou to God, and he schal rekeuere thee; and dresse thou thi weie, and hope thou in to hym. Kepe thou his drede, and wexe thou eld ther ynne.

⁷Ye that dreden the Lord, abide his merci, and boowe ye not awei fro hym, lest ye falle doun.

⁸Ye that dreden the Lord, bileue to hym, and youre mede schal not be auoidid.

⁹Ye that dreden the Lord, hope into hym, and merci schal come to you into delityng.

¹⁰Ye that dreden the Lord, loue hym, and youre hertis schulen be liytned.

¹¹Sones, biholde ye the naciouns of men, and wite ye, that no man hopide in the Lord, and was schent;

¹²noon dwellide in hise heestis, and was forsakun; ether who inwardli clepide hym, and he despiside hym `that clepide?

¹³For whi God is pitouse, and merciful, and he schal foryyue synnes in the dai of tribulacioun; and he is defendere to alle men, that seken hym in treuthe.

¹⁴Woo to the `man with double herte, and with cursid lippis, and misdoynge hondys; and to a synnere entrynge in to the lond bi twei weies.

¹⁵Wo to hem that ben dissolute of herte, that bileuen not to God; and therfor thei schulen not be defendid of him.

¹⁶Wo to hem that han lost pacience, and that han forsake riytful weies, and han turned awei in to schrewid weies.

¹⁷And what schulen thei do, whanne the Lord schal bigynne to biholde?

¹⁸Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen not be vnbileueful to his word; and thei that louen hym, schulen kepe his weie.

¹⁹Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen enquere tho thingis, that ben wel plesaunt to hym; and thei that louen him, schulen be fillid with his lawe.

²⁰Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen make redi her hertis, and schulen halewe her soulis in his siyt.

²¹Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen kepe hise comaundementis, and schulen haue pacience til to the biholdyng of hym;

²²and schulen seie, If we doon not penaunce, we schulen falle in to the hondis of the Lord, and not in to the hondis of men.

²³For bi the greetnesse of hym, so and his merci is with hym.

Sirach 2

¹My son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation.

²Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure, and make not haste in time of trouble.

³Cleave unto him, and depart not away, that thou mayest be increased at thy last end.

⁴Whatsoever is brought upon thee take cheerfully, and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate.

⁵For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity.

⁶Believe in him, and he will help thee; order thy way aright, and trust in him.

⁷Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; and go not aside, lest ye fall.

⁸Ye that fear the Lord, believe him; and your reward shall not fail.

⁹Ye that fear the Lord, hope for good, and for everlasting joy and mercy.

¹⁰Look at the generations of old, and see; did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confounded? or did any abide in his fear, and was forsaken? or whom did he ever despise, that called upon him?

¹¹For the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, longsuffering, and very pitiful, and forgiveth sins, and saveth in time of affliction.

¹²Woe be to fearful hearts, and faint hands, and the sinner that goeth two ways!

¹³Woe unto him that is fainthearted! for he believeth not; therefore shall he not be defended.

¹⁴Woe unto you that have lost patience! and what will ye do when the Lord shall visit you?

¹⁵They that fear the Lord will not disobey his Word; and they that love him will keep his ways.

¹⁶They that fear the Lord will seek that which is well, pleasing unto him; and they that love him shall be filled with the law.

¹⁷They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and humble their souls in his sight,

¹⁸Saying, We will fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men: for as his majesty is, so is his mercy.