Study Desk

In 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.

and his word is ful of power, and no man mai seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?

Also another vanyte is, which is don on erthe. Iust men ben, to whiche yuels comen, as if thei diden the werkis of wickid men; and wickid men ben, that ben so sikur, as if thei han the dedis of iust men; but Y deme also this moost veyn.

And Y vndurstood, that of alle the werkis of God, a man may fynde no resoun of tho thingis, that ben don vndur the sunne; and in as myche as he traueilith more to seke, bi so myche he schal fynde lesse; yhe, thouy a wijs man seith that he knowith, he schal not mow fynde.

But alle thingis ben kept vncerteyn in to tyme to comynge; for alle thingis bifallen euenli to a iust man and to a wickid man, to a good man and to an yuel man, to a cleene man and to an vnclene man, to a man offrynge offryngis and sacrifices, and to a man dispisynge sacrifices; as a good man, so and a synnere; as a forsworun man, so and he that greetli swerith treuthe.

A man knowith not his ende; but as fischis ben takun with an hook, and as briddis ben takun with a snare, so men ben takun in yuel tyme, whanne it cometh sudeynli on hem.

As thou knowist not, which is the weye of the spirit, and bi what resoun boonys ben ioyned togidere in the wombe of a womman with childe, so thou knowist not the werkis of God, which is makere of alle thingis.

As a lilie among thornes, so is my frendesse among douytris.

As an apple tre among the trees of wodis, so my derlyng among sones.

Thi lippis ben as a reed lace, and thi speche is swete; as the relif of an appil of Punyk, so ben thi chekis, with outen that, that is hid with ynne.

As the rynde of a pumgranate, so ben thi chekis, without thi priuytees.

For this thing, as the tunge of fier deuourith stobil, and the heete of flawme brenneth, so the roote of hem schal be as a deed sparcle, and the seed of hem schal stie as dust; for thei castiden awei the lawe of the Lord of oostis, and blasfemyden the speche of the hooli of Israel.

and `alle so schulen come, and schulen reste in the strondis of valeis, and in caues of stoonis, and in alle places of buyschis, and in alle hoolis.

Forsothe he schal not deme so, and his herte schal not gesse so, but his herte schal be for to al to-breke, and to the sleynge of many folkis.

Whether not as Carcamys, so Calanno; and as Arphat, so Emath? whether not as Damask, so Samarie?

As myn hond foond the rewmes of idol, so and the symylacris of hem of Jerusalem and of Samarie.

Whether not as Y dide to Samarie, and to the idols therof, so Y schal do to Jerusalem, and to the simylacris therof?

And myn hond foond the strengthe of puplis as a nest, and as eirun ben gaderid togidere that ben forsakun, so Y gaderid togidere al erthe; and noon was that mouyde a fethere, and openyde the mouth, and grutchide.

And the Lord schal make desolat the tunge of the see of Egipt, and he schal reise his hond on the flood in the strengthe of his spirit; and he schal smyte, ethir departe, it in seuene ryueris, so that schood men passe bi it.

The Lord of oostis swoor, seiynge, Whether it schal not be so, as Y gesside, and it schal bifalle so, as Y tretide in soule?