Proverbs 20
1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise.
Wiyn is a letcherouse thing and drunkenesse is ful of noise; who euere delitith in these, schal not be wijs.
2 The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion: He that provoketh him to anger sinneth [against] his own life.
As the roryng of a lioun, so and the drede of the kyng; he that territh hym to ire, synneth ayens his owne lijf.
3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; But every fool will be quarrelling.
It is onour to a man that departith hym silf fro stryuyngis; but fonned men ben medlid with dispisyngis.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
A slow man nolde ere for coold; therfor he schal begge in somer, and me schal not yyue to hym.
5 Counsel in the heart of man is [like] deep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out.
As deep watir, so counsel is in the herte of a man; but a wijs man schal drawe it out.
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own kindness; But a faithful man who can find?
Many men ben clepid merciful; but who schal fynde a feithful man?
7 A righteous man that walketh in his integrity, Blessed are his children after him.
Forsothe a iust man that goith in his simplenesse, schal leeue blessid sones aftir hym.
8 A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment Scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
A king that sittith in the seete of doom, distrieth al yuel bi his lokyng.
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
Who may seie, Myn herte is clene; Y am clene of synne?
10 Diverse weights, and diverse measures, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
A weiyte and a weiyte, a mesure and a mesure, euer eithir is abhomynable at God.
11 Even a child maketh himself known by his doings, Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
A child is vndurstondun bi hise studies, yf his werkis ben riytful and cleene.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.
An eere heringe, and an iye seynge, God made euere eithir.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, [and] thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
Nyle thou loue sleep, lest nedynesse oppresse thee; opene thin iyen, and be thou fillid with looues.
14 It is bad, it is bad, saith the buyer; But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
Ech biere seith, It is yuel, it is yuel; and whanne he hath go awey, thanne he schal haue glorie.
15 There is gold, and abundance of rubies; But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
Gold, and the multitude of iemmes, and a preciouse vessel, ben the lippis of kunnyng.
16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge [that is surety] for foreigners.
Take thou awei the cloth of hym, that was borewe of an othere man; and for straungeris take thou awei a wed fro hym.
17 Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
The breed of a leesing is sweet to a man; and aftirward his mouth schal be fillid with rikenyng.
18 Every purpose is established by counsel; And by wise guidance make thou war.
Thouytis ben maad strong bi counselis; and bateils schulen be tretid bi gouernals.
19 He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; Therefore company not with him that openeth wide his lips.
Be thou not medlid with him that schewith pryuetees, and goith gylefulli, and alargith hise lippis.
20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, His lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
The liyt of hym that cursith his fadir and modir, schal be quenchid in the myddis of derknessis.
21 An inheritance [may be] gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed.
Eritage to which me haastith in the bigynnyng, schal wante blessing in the laste tyme.
22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee.
Seie thou not, Y schal yelde yuel for yuel; abide thou the Lord, and he schal delyuere thee.
23 Diverse weights are an abomination to Jehovah; And a false balance is not good.
Abhomynacioun at God is weiyte and weiyte; a gileful balaunce is not good.
24 A man’s goings are of Jehovah; How then can man understand his way?
The steppis of man ben dressid of the Lord; who forsothe of men mai vndurstonde his weie?
25 It is a snare to a man rashly to say, [It is] holy, And after vows to make inquiry.
Falling of man is to make auow to seyntis, and aftirward to withdrawe the vowis.
26 A wise king winnoweth the wicked, And bringeth the [threshing]-wheel over them.
A wijs kyng scaterith wickid men; and bowith a bouwe of victorie ouer hem.
27 The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all his innermost parts.
The lanterne of the Lord is the spirit of man, that sekith out alle the priuetees of the wombe.
28 Kindness and truth preserve the king; And his throne is upholden by kindness.
Merci and treuthe kepen a kyng; and his trone is maad strong bi mekenesse.
29 The glory of young men is their strength; And the beauty of old men is the hoary head.
The ful out ioiyng of yonge men is the strengthe of hem; and the dignyte of elde men is hoornesse.
30 Stripes that wound cleanse away evil; And strokes [reach] the innermost parts.
The wannesse of wounde schal wipe aweie yuels, and woundis in the priuyere thingis of the wombe.
