WISDOM OF SOLOMON
CHAPTER 1
Ye that deem the earth, love rightfulness [or rightwiseness]; feel ye of the Lord in goodness, and seek ye him in the simpleness of heart.
For he is found of them, that tempt not him [or that tempt him not]; forsooth he appeareth to them, that have faith into him.
For why wayward thoughts part [or sever] from God; but proved virtue reproveth unwise men.
For why wisdom shall not enter into an evil-willed soul; neither it shall dwell in a body subject to sins.
Forsooth the Holy Ghost of wisdom shall fly or flee away from a feigned man [or a feigner], and he shall take away himself from thoughts, that be without understanding; and the unwise man shall be punished of wickedness coming above.
For the spirit of wisdom is benign, and he shall not deliver a cursed man from his lips; for why God is witness of his reins, and the searcher of his heart is true, and the hearer of his tongue.
For why the Spirit of the Lord hath filled the world; and this thing, that containeth all things, hath the knowing of voice.
Therefore this he that speaketh wicked thing [or For that he that speaketh wicked things], may not be hid; and doom and punishing shall not pass him.
For why asking shall be in the thoughts of a wicked man [or of the unpious]. Forsooth the hearing of his words shall come to God, and to the punishing [or the correction] of his wickednesses;
10 for the ear of fervent love [or of the jealous] heareth all things, and the noise of grutchings shall not be hid.
11 Therefore keep ye you from grutching, that profiteth nothing, and from backbiting spare ye the tongue; for a dark word shall not go into vain; forsooth the mouth that lieth, slayeth the soul.
12 Do not ye covet death, in the error of your life, neither get ye perdition in the works of your hands;
13 for God made not death, neither he is glad in the perdition of living men.
14 For why God made of nought all things, that those should be; and he made the nations of the world able to be healed. For why medicine of destroying is not in those men, neither the realm of hells [or of hell] is in earth.
15 For rightfulness is everlasting, and undeadly; but unrightfulness is getting of death. [Rightwiseness forsooth is perpetual, and undeadly; unrightwise-ness forsooth purchasing of death.]
16 Forsooth wicked [or unpious] men called that unrightfulness by hands and words, and they guessed [or esteemed] it a friend, and floated away, and they putted promises to it; for they be worthy the death, that be of the part thereof.