CHAPTER 44
1 Praise we glorious men, and our fathers in their generation. [We praise glorious men, and our fathers and mothers in their generation.]
2 The Lord made much glory by his great doing, from the world.
3 Great men in virtue were lords in their powers, and rich in their prudence; telling in prophets, the dignity of prophets,
4 and commanding in [the] present people, and telling holiest words to peoples, by the virtue of prudence.
5 Seeking manners of music in their knowing, and telling [the] songs [or ditties] of scriptures.
6 Rich men in virtue, having the study of fairness, making peace in their houses.
7 All these men got glory in the generations of their folk; and be had in praisings in their days.
8 They that were born of them, left a name to tell the praisings of them.
9 And some there be, of which is no mind; they perished as they that were not, and they were born as not born; and their sons perished with them.
10 But also the men of mercy be, whose pieties [or piousnesses] failed not;
11 and good heritage dwelled con-tinually with the seed of them. And the seed of their sons’ sons stood in testament,
12 and the heritage of their sons dwelleth for them, till into without end;
13 the seed of them, and the glory of them, shall not be forsaken.
14 The bodies of them be buried in peace; and the name of them shall live into generations and generations.
15 Peoples [shall] tell the wisdom of them; and the church telleth the praising of them.
16 Enoch* pleased God, and was translated or borne over into paradise, that he give wisdom to folks.
17 Noah was found perfect and just [or a perfect, rightwise man], and he was made reconciling in the time of wrathfulness [or wrath]. Therefore residue seed was left to earth, when the great flood was made.
18 Testaments of the world were set with him, lest all flesh might be done away by the great flood.
19 Abraham was the great father of the multitude of folks; and none was found like him in glory, that is, in virtuous work, [or there is not found like to him in glory],
20 which kept the law of high God[or of the Highest], and was in testament with him. He made a testament to stand in his flesh [or In his flesh he made to stand the testament]; and he was found faithful in temptation.
21 Therefore God with an oath gave to him glory in his folk; God made him to increase, as an heap of earth, and to enhance his seed as stars, and to inherit them from the sea unto the sea, from the flood unto the ends of [the] earth.
22 And to Isaac God did in the same manner, as for Abraham, his father. The Lord gave to him the blessing of all folks; and confirmed his testament
23 on the head of Jacob. He knew him in his blessings, and gave heritage to him; and parted to him a part in twelve lineages [or he divided to him part in the twelve lineages].
* CHAPTER 44:16 He shall come again from paradise about the world’s end, with Elijah, to preach against Antichrist.