9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
1What nede is it to a man to seke grettere thingis than hym silf; sithen he knowith not, what schal bifalle to hym in his lijf, in the noumbre of daies of his pilgrimage, and in the tyme that passith as schadowe? ether who may schewe to hym, what thing vndur sunne schal come aftir hym?
2A good name is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe.
3It is betere to go to the hous of morenyng, than to the hous of a feeste; for in that hous `of morenyng the ende of alle men is monestid, and a man lyuynge thenkith, what is to comynge.
4Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.
5The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is.
6It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis;
7for as the sown of thornes brennynge vndur a pot, so is the leiyyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte.
8Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.
9Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
10Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool.
11Seie thou not, What gessist thou is of cause, that the formere tymes weren betere than ben now? for whi siche axyng is fonned.
12Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.
13For as wisdom defendith, so money defendith; but lernyng and wisdom hath this more, that tho yyuen lijf to `her weldere.
14Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.
15In a good day vse thou goodis, and bifore eschewe thou an yuel day; for God made so this dai as that dai, that a man fynde not iust playnyngis ayens hym.
16Also Y siy these thingis in the daies of my natyuyte; a iust man perischith in his riytfulnesse, and a wickid man lyueth myche tyme in his malice.
17Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
18Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.
19It is good, that thou susteyne a iust man; but also withdrawe thou not thin hond from hym; for he that dredith God, is not necligent of ony thing.
20Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
21Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.
22But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee;
23for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
24I asayede alle thingis in wisdom; Y seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it yede awei ferthere fro me, myche more than it was;
25and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde it?
26I cumpasside alle thingis in my soule, to kunne, and biholde, and seke wisdom and resoun, and to knowe the wickidnesse of a fool, and the errour of vnprudent men.
27And Y foond a womman bitterere than deth, which is the snare of hunteris, and hir herte is a net, and hir hondis ben boondis; he that plesith God schal ascape hir, but he that is a synnere, schal be takun of hir.
28Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;
29and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.
30I foond this oonli, that God made a man riytful; and he medlide hym silf with questiouns with out noumbre. Who is siche as a wijs man? and who knowith the expownyng of a word?