Proverbs 8
1 Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice?
Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
2 On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand.
In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
3 Beside the gates to the city, at the entrances she cries out:
and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!
4 “To you, O men, I call out, and my cry is to the sons of men.
ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
5 O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding.
Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
6 Listen, for I speak of noble things, and the opening of my lips will reveal right.
Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.
7 For my mouth will speak the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; none are crooked or perverse.
My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
9 They are all plain to the discerning, and upright to those who find knowledge.
`My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
10 Receive my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.
Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
11 For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her.
For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto.
12 I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength.
Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.
15 By me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws;
Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
16 By me princes rule, and all nobles who govern justly.
Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.
I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.
18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness.
With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
19 My fruit is better than gold, pure gold, and my harvest surpasses choice silver.
My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;
21 bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.
that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.
22 The LORD created me as His first course, before His works of old.
The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.
23 From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began.
Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth, when no springs were overflowing with water.
Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,
and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
26 before He made the land or fields, or any of the dust of the earth.
Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.
27 I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.
28 when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth,
Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
29 when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.
Whanne he cumpasside to the see his marke; and settide lawe to watris, that tho schulden not passe her coostis. Whanne he peiside the foundementis of erthe;
30 Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side, and His delight day by day, rejoicing always in His presence.
Y was making alle thingis with him. And Y delitide bi alle daies, and pleiede bifore hym in al tyme,
31 I was rejoicing in His whole world, delighting together in the sons of men.
and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
32 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
33 Listen to instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.
Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore.
35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD.
He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.
36 But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”
But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
