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If a kyng demeth pore men in treuthe; his trone schal be maad stidfast with outen ende.

A yerde and chastisyng schal yyue wisdom; but a child, which is left to his wille, schendith his modir.

Thou hast seyn a man swift to speke; foli schal be hopid more than his amendyng.

He that nurschith his seruaunt delicatli fro childhod; schal fynde hym rebel aftirward.

He that takith part with a theef, hatith his soule; he herith a man chargynge greetli, and schewith not.

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?

Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.

A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.

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.

a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;

He that apperith a fool, aftir that he is reisid an hiy; for if he hadde vndurstonde, he hadde sett hond on his mouth.

The wordis of Lamuel, the king; the visioun bi which his modir tauyte hym.

Sche is maad as the schip of a marchaunt, that berith his breed fro fer.

What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?

The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;

I passide to biholde wisdom, errours, and foli; Y seide, What is a man, that he may sue the king, his maker?

The iyen of a wijs man ben in his heed, a fool goith in derknessis; and Y lernede, that o perisching was of euer either.

For whi what schal it profite to a man of al his trauel, and turment of spirit, bi which he was turmentid vndur sunne?

God yaf wisdom, and kunnyng, and gladnesse to a good man in his siyt; but he yaf turment, and superflu bisynesse to a synnere, that he encreesse, and gadere togidere, and yyue to hym that plesith God; but also this is vanyte, and veyn bisynesse of soule.

What hath a man more of his trauel?