Matthew(i)
1 Man that is borne of a woman, hath but a shorte tyme to lyue, and is full of diuerse miseries.
2 He commeth vp and falleth awaye lyke a floure. He flyeth as it were a shadowe, and neuer continueth in one state.
3 Thynkest thou it now well done to open thyne eyes vpon soche one, and to brynge me before the in iudgement?
4 Who can make it cleane, that commeth of an vncleane thynge? No body.
5 The dayes of man are shorte, the nombre of his monethes are knowne only vnto the. Thou hast apoynted hym his boundes, he can not go beyond them.
6 Goo from him, that he maye rest a lytle: vntyll hys daye come, whiche he loketh for, lyke as an hyrelynge doth.
7 If a tre be cut downe, there is some hope yet, that it wyll sproute and shute forth the braunches agayne:
8 For though a rote be waxen olde and deed in the grounde, yet when the stocke
9 getteth the sent of water, yt wyll budde, and brynge forth bowes, lyke as whent it was fyrst planted.
10 But as for man, when he is deed, perysshed and consumed awaye, what becommeth of hym?
11 The floudes when they be dryed vp, and the ryuers when they be emptie, are fylled agayne thorowe the flowynge waters of the sea:
12 but when man slepeth, he ryseth not agayne, vntyll the heauen perish: he shall not wake vp ner ryse out of his slepe.
13 O that thou woldest kepe me, and hyde me in the hell, vntyll thy wrath were stylled: and to appoynte me a tyme, wherin thou myghtest remembre me.
14 Maye a deed man lyue agayne? All the dayes of thys my pilgremage am I lokynge, when my chaunginge shall come.
15 If thou woldest but call me, I shulde obeye the, only despyse not the worke of thyne owne handes.
16 For thou hast nombred all my goynges, yet be not thou to extreame vpon my synnes.
17 Thou haste sealed vp myne offences, as it were in a bagge: but be mercyfull vnto my wyckednesse.
18 The mountaynes fall awaye at the last, the rockes are remoued out of theyr place,
19 the waters pearse thorow the very stones by lytle & litle, the floudes wasshe away the grauell & earth: Euen so destroyest thou the hope of man in lyke maner.
20 Thou preuaylest agaynst hym, so that he passeth awaye: thou chaungest his estate, & puttest hym from the.
21 Whether his chyldren come to worshippe or no, he can not tell: And yf they be men of lowe degre, he knoweth not.
22 While he liueth his flesh must haue trauayle: and whyle the soule is in hym, he must be in sorowe.