箴言 31
1 瑪薩的君王肋慕耳的格言，是他母親教給他的：
The wordis of Lamuel, the king; the visioun bi which his modir tauyte hym.
2 我兒! 我的親生兒! 我的長子肋慕耳! 我許願所得的孩子! 我可給你說些什麼﹖
What my derlyng? what the derlyng of my wombe? what the derlyng of my desiris?
3 你不要將你的精力，為女人而消耗；也不要為君王的宮女，白費你的血氣。
Yyue thou not thi catel to wymmen, and thi richessis to do awei kyngis.
4 肋慕耳! 清酒不宜於君王，醇酒不宜於公侯，
A! Lamuel, nyle thou yiue wyn to kingis; for no pryuete is, where drunkenesse regneth.
5 免得在酒興之餘，輕易將法律忘掉，顛倒窮人的是非。
Lest perauenture thei drynke, and foryete domes, and chaunge the cause of the sones of a pore man.
6 應將醇酒給與哀慟欲絕的人，應將清酒給與心靈痛楚的人，
Yyue ye sidur to hem that morenen, and wyn to hem that ben of bitter soule.
7 好叫他們喝了，完全忘掉自己的貧乏，不再記憶自己的憂苦。
Drinke thei, and foryete thei her nedinesse; and thenke thei no more on her sorewe.
8 你應為啞吧開口，為被棄的人辯護；
Opene thi mouth for a doumb man,
9 你應開口秉公行審，應為貧苦弱小辯護。
and opene thi mouth for the causes of alle sones that passen forth. Deme thou that that is iust, and deme thou a nedi man and a pore man.
10 賢淑的婦女，有誰能找到﹖她本身價值，遠勝過珠寶。
Who schal fynde a stronge womman? the prijs of her is fer, and fro the laste endis.
11 她的丈夫對她衷心信賴，一切所需從來不會缺少。
The herte of hir hosebond tristith in hir; and sche schal not haue nede to spuylis.
12 她一生歲月，只叫他幸福，不給他煩惱。
Sche schal yelde to hym good, and not yuel, in alle the daies of hir lijf.
13 她弄來羊毛細麻，愉快地親手勞作。
Sche souyte wolle and flex; and wrouyte bi the counsel of hir hondis.
14 她宛如一隻商船，由遠處運來食糧。
Sche is maad as the schip of a marchaunt, that berith his breed fro fer.
15 天還未明，她已起身，為給家人分配食物，給婢女們分派家務。
And sche roos bi nyyt, and yaf prey to hir meyneals, and metis to hir handmaidis.
16 她看中一塊田地，就將它買了來，以雙手所得的收入，栽植了葡萄園。
Sche bihelde a feeld, and bouyte it; of the fruyt of hir hondis sche plauntide a vyner.
17 她以勇力束腰，增強自己臂力。
Sche girde hir leendis with strengthe, and made strong hir arm.
18 她發覺自己經營生利，她的燈盞夜間仍不熄滅。
Sche taastide, and siy, that hir marchaundie was good; hir lanterne schal not be quenchid in the niyt.
19 她手執紡錘，手指旋轉紗錠。
Sche putte hir hondis to stronge thingis, and hir fyngris token the spyndil.
20 對貧苦的人，她隨手賙濟；對無靠的人，她伸手扶助。
Sche openyde hir hond to a nedi man, and stretchide forth hir hondis to a pore man.
21 為自己的家人，她不害怕風雪，因為全家上下，都穿雙料衣裳。
Sche schal not drede for hir hous of the cooldis of snow; for alle hir meyneals ben clothid with double clothis.
22 她為自己做了華麗的舖蓋，身穿的是細麻和紫錦的衣裳。
Sche made to hir a ray cloth; bijs and purpur is the cloth of hir.
23 她的丈夫與當地長老同席，在城門口深為眾人所認識。
Hir hosebonde is noble in the yatis, whanne he sittith with the senatours of erthe.
24 她紡織紗布予以出售，又製造腰帶賣與商賈。
Sche made lynnun cloth, and selde; and yaf a girdil to a Chananei.
25 剛毅和尊嚴是她的服飾，一念及將來便笑容滿面。
Strengthe and fairnesse is the clothing of hir; and sche schal leiye in the laste dai.
26 她一開口即傾吐智慧，舌上常有仁慈的訓誨。
Sche openyde hir mouth to wisdom; and the lawe of merci is in hir tunge.
27 她不斷督察家務，從不白吃閒飯。
Sche bihelde the pathis of hir hous; and sche eet not breed idili.
28 她的子女起來向她祝福，她的丈夫對她讚不絕口：「
Hir sones risiden, and prechiden hir moost blessid; hir hosebonde roos, and preiside hir.
29 賢淑的女子很多，唯有你超群群出眾。」
Many douytris gaderiden richessis; thou passidist alle.
30 姿色是虛幻，美麗是泡影；敬畏上主的女人，纔堪當受人讚美。
Fairnesse is disseiuable grace, and veyn; thilke womman, that dredith the Lord, schal be preisid.
31 願她享受她雙手操勞的成果! 願她的事業在城門口使她受讚揚!
Yyue ye to hir of the fruyt of hir hondis; and hir werkis preise hir in the yatis.
