ECCLESIASTICUS.
Chapter 41.
A! death, thy mind is full bitter to an unjust man, and having peace in his riches; to a restful man, and whose ways be dressed in all things, that is, hath prosperity in all temporal things, and yet mighty to take meat. O! death, how bitter is thy mind to an unrightwise man, and having peace in his substances; to a quiet man, and whose ways be right straight or strait, in all things, and yet mighty to take meat. 
A! death or O! death, thy doom is good to a needy man, and which is made less in strengths or that is lessened in strength, and faileth for age, and to whom is care of all things, and unbelieveful, that loseth wisdom. 
Do not thou dread the doom of death, that is, set thou thee in such a state, that the doom of death be good to thee; have thou mind what things were before thee, and what things shall come up on thee; this doom is of or from the Lord to each man or to all flesh. 
And those things that shall come on thee in the good pleasance of the Highest; whether ten years, either an hundred, either a thousand. For why none accusing of life is in hell, that is, no man may excuse him there, in alleging goodness of life, or Forsooth there is not in hell accusing of life. 
The sons of abominations be the sons of sinners; and they that dwell beside the houses of wicked or un-pious men. 
The heritage of the sons of sinners shall perish; and the contin-uance of shame or the busyness of reproof with the seed of them. 
Sons complain of a wicked father; for they be in shame or reproof for him. 
Woe to you, ye wicked men, that have forsaken the law of the Highest or of the highest Lord. 
And if ye be born, ye shall be born in cursedness; and if ye be dead, your part shall be in cursedness, or if ye shall die, in cursing shall be your part. 
All things that be of the earth, shall return into the earth; so wicked or unpious men shall turn from cursing into perdition. 
The mourning of men is in the body of them; but the name of wicked men shall be done away. 
Have thou busyness of a good name; for why this shall dwell more with thee, than a thousand treasures great and precious. 
The number of days is the term of good life; but a good name shall dwell without end or abide still into the spiritual world. 
Sons, keep ye teaching or discipline in peace; for why wisdom hid, and treasure unseen, what profit is in ever either? 
Better is a man that hideth his folly, than a man that hideth his wisdom. 
Nevertheless turn ye again in these things that come forth of or go out of my mouth. For it is not good to keep all unreverence, and not all things please all men in faith. 
Be ye ashamed of fornication, before father, and before mother; and of a leasing, before a justice, and before a mighty man; 
and of trespass, before a prince, and before a judge; and of wicked-ness, before a synagogue, and a people; and of unrightfulness, before a fellow, and a friend; 
and of theft, in the place wherein thou dwellest; of the truth and the testament of God; of sitting down at the meat in loaves; and of the blemishing of gift or of giving, and taking, or of the darkening of the given thing, and of taken; 
of stillness, before them that greet or salutingthee; of the beholding of a lecherous or fornicary woman; and of the turning away of the cheer of a cousin. 
Turn thou not away thy face from thy neighbour; and be thou ware of taking away a part, and not restoring. Behold thou not the woman of an-other man; 
and ensearch thou not her hand-maid or handwoman of him, neither stand thou at her bed. Be thou ware of friends, of the words of upbraiding or reproof; and when thou hast given, upbraid thou not. 
Double thou not a word of hearing, of the showing or the opening of an hid word; 
and thou shalt be verily without shame or confusion, and thou shalt find grace in the sight of all men. 
