Proverbs 17
1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness with it, than a house full of feasting with strife.
Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
2 A servant who deals wisely shall have rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have part in the inheritance among the brothers.
A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but Jehovah tries the hearts.
As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
4 An evildoer gives heed to wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
5 He who mocks a poor man reproaches his maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
He that dispisith a pore man, repreueth his maker; and he that is glad in the fallyng of another man, schal not be vnpunyschid.
6 Son's sons are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons are their fathers.
The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.
7 Excellent speech is not appropriate to a fool, much less lying lips to a prince.
Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
8 A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who has it; wherever it turns, it prospers.
A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.
9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates chief friends.
He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
10 A rebuke enters deeper into him who has understanding than a hundred stripes into a fool.
A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion. Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly.
It spedith more to meete a femal bere, whanne the whelpis ben rauyschid, than a fool tristynge to hym silf in his foli.
13 He who rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water. Therefore leave off contention, before there is quarrelling.
He that leeueth watir, is heed of stryues; and bifor that he suffrith wrong, he forsakith dom.
15 He who justifies a wicked man, and he who condemns a righteous man, both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
16 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding?
What profitith it to a fool to haue richessis, sithen he mai not bie wisdom? He that makith his hous hiy, sekith falling; and he that eschewith to lerne, schal falle in to yuels.
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
18 A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes surety in the presence of his neighbor.
A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
19 He loves transgression who loves strife. He who raises high his gate seeks destruction.
He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
20 He who has a wayward heart finds no good, and he who has a perverse tongue falls into mischief.
He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.
21 He who begets a fool it is to his sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.
A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
23 A wicked man receives a bribe out of the bosom, to pervert the ways of justice.
A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
24 Wisdom is before the face of him who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
Wisdom schyneth in the face of a prudent man; the iyen of foolis ben in the endis of erthe.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.
A fonned sone is the ire of the fadir, and the sorewe of the modir that gendride hym.
26 Also to punish a righteous man is not good, nor to smite nobles for uprightness.
It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.
27 He who spares his words has knowledge, and he who is of a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
28 Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is considered wise. When he shuts his lips, he is prudent.
Also a foole, if he is stille, schal be gessid a wijs man; and, if he pressith togidre hise lippis, he `schal be gessid an vndurstondynge man.
