¹ Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,

² Whether a man, yhe, whanne he is of perfit kunnyng, mai be comparisound to God?

³ What profitith it to God, if thou art iust? ethir what schalt thou yyue to hym, if thi lijf is without wem?

⁴ Whether he schal drede, and schal repreue thee, and schal come with thee in to doom,

⁵ and not for thi ful myche malice, and thi wickidnessis with out noumbre, `these peynes bifelden iustli to thee?

⁶ For thou hast take awei with out cause the wed of thi britheren; and hast spuylid nakid men of clothis.

⁷ Thou yauest not watir to the feynt man; and thou withdrowist breed fro the hungri man.

⁸ In the strengthe of thin arm thou haddist the lond in possessioun; and thou moost myyti heldist it.

⁹ Thou leftist widewis voide; and al to-brakist the schuldris of fadirles children.

¹⁰ Therfor thou art cumpassid with snaris; and sodeyn drede disturblith thee.

¹¹ And thou gessidist, that thou schuldist not se derknessis; and that thou schuldist not be oppressid with the fersnesse of watris flowyng.

¹² Whether thou thenkist, that God is hiyere than heuene, and is enhaunsid aboue the coppe of sterris?

¹³ And thou seist, What sotheli knowith God? and, He demeth as bi derknesse.

¹⁴ A cloude is his hidyng place, and he biholdith not oure thingis, and he `goith aboute the herris of heuene.

¹⁵ Whether thou coueitist to kepe the path of worldis, which wickid men han ofte go?

¹⁶ Whiche weren takun awei bifor her tyme, and the flood distriede the foundement of hem.

¹⁷ Whiche seiden to God, Go thou awei fro vs; and as if Almyyti God may do no thing, thei gessiden hym,

¹⁸ whanne he hadde fillid her housis with goodis; the sentence of whiche men be fer fro me.

¹⁹ Iust men schulen se, and schulen be glad; and an innocent man schal scorne hem.

²⁰ Whether the reisyng of hem is not kit doun, and fier schal deuoure the relifs of hem?

²¹ Therfor assente thou to God, and haue thou pees; and bi these thingis thou schalt haue best fruytis.

²² Take thou the lawe of his mouth, and sette thou hise wordis in thin herte.

²³ If thou turnest ayen to Almyyti God, thou schalt be bildid; and thou schalt make wickidnesse fer fro thi tabernacle.

²⁴ He schal yyue a flynt for erthe, and goldun strondis for a flynt.

²⁵ And Almyyti God schal be ayens thin enemyes; and siluer schal be gaderid togidere to thee.

²⁶ Thanne on Almyyti God thou schalt flowe with delicis; and thou schalt reise thi face to God.

²⁷ Thou schalt preye hym, and he schal here thee; and thou schalt yelde thi vowis.

²⁸ Thou schalt deme a thing, and it schal come to thee; and lyyt schal schyne in thi weies.

²⁹ For he that is mekid, schal be in glorie; and he that bowith doun hise iyen, schal be saued.

³⁰ An innocent schal be saued; sotheli he schal be saued in the clennesse of hise hondis.