1 Lo! the kyng schal regne in riytfulnesse, and princes schulen be souereyns in doom.

2 And a man schal be, as he that is hid fro wynd, and hidith hym silf fro tempest; as stremes of watris in thirst, and the schadewe of a stoon stondynge fer out in a desert lond.

3 The iyen of profetis schulen not dasewe, and the eeris of heereris schulen herke diligentli;

4 and the herte of foolis schal vndurstonde kunnyng, and the tunge of stuttynge men schal speke swiftli, and pleynli.

5 He that is vnwijs, schal no more be clepid prince, and a gileful man schal not be clepid the grettere.

6 Forsothe a fool shal speke foli thingis, and his herte schal do wickidnesse, that he performe feynyng, and speke to the Lord gilefuli; and he schal make voide the soule of an hungry man, and schal take awei drynke fro a thirsti man.

7 The vessels of a gileful man ben worste; for he schal make redi thouytis to leese mylde men in the word of a leesyng, whanne a pore man spak doom.

8 Forsothe a prince schal thenke tho thingis that ben worthi to a prince, and he schal stonde ouer duykis.

9 Riche wymmen, rise ye, and here my vois; douytris tristynge, perseyue ye with eeris my speche.

10 For whi aftir daies and a yeer, and ye that tristen schulen be disturblid; for whi vyndage is endid, gaderyng schal no more come.

11 Ye riche wymmen, be astonyed; ye that tristen, be disturblid; vnclothe ye you, and be ye aschamed;

12 girde youre leendis; weile ye on brestis, on desirable cuntrei, on the plenteuouse vyner.

13 Thornes and breris schulen stie on the erthe of my puple; hou myche more on alle the housis of ioie of the citee makynge ful out ioie?

14 For whi the hous is left, the multitude of the citee is forsakun; derknessis and gropyng ben maad on dennes, `til in to with outen ende. The ioie of wield assis is the lesewe of flockis;

15 til the spirit be sched out on us fro an hiy, and the desert schal be in to Chermel, and Chermel schal be arettid in to a forest.

16 And doom schal dwelle in wildirnesse, and riytfulnesse schal sitte in Chermel;

17 and the werk of riytfulnesse schal be pees, and the tilthe of riytfulnesse schal be stilnesse and sikirnesse, `til in to with outen ende.

18 And my puple schal sitte in the fairnesse of pees, and in the tabernaclis of trist, and in riche reste.

19 But hail schal be in the coming doun of the foreste, and bi lownesse the citee schal be maad low.

20 Blessid ben ye, that sowen on alle watris, and putten yn the foot of an oxe and of an asse.