Proverbs 16
1 All the works of the humble [man] are manifest with God; but the ungodly shall perish in an evil day.
It perteyneth to man to make redi the soule; and it perteyneth to the Lord to gouerne the tunge.
Alle the weies of men ben opyn to the iyen of God; the Lord is a weiere of spiritis.
Schewe thi werkys to the Lord; and thi thouytis schulen be dressid.
The Lord wrouyte alle thingis for hym silf; and he made redi a wickid man to the yuel dai.
5 Every one that is proud in heart is unclean before God, and he that unjustly strikes hands with hand shall not be held guiltless. The beginning of a good way is to do justly; and it is more acceptable with God than to offer sacrifices. He that seeks the Lord shall find knowledge with righteousness: and they that rightly seek him shall find peace. All of the works of the Lord [are done] with righteousness; and the ungodly [man] is kept for the evil day.
Abhomynacioun of the Lord is ech proude man; yhe, thouy the hond is to the hond, he schal not be innocent. The bigynnyng of good weie is to do riytwisnesse; forsothe it is more acceptable at God, than to offre sacrifices.
Wickidnesse is ayen bouyt bi merci and treuthe; and me bowith awei fro yuel bi the drede of the Lord.
Whanne the weyes of man plesen the Lord, he schal conuerte, yhe, hise enemyes to pees.
Betere is a litil with riytfulnesse, than many fruytis with wickidnesse.
The herte of a man schal dispose his weie; but it perteyneth to the Lord to dresse hise steppis.
10 [There is] an oracle upon the lips of a king; and his mouth shall not err in judgment.
Dyuynyng is in the lippis of a king; his mouth schal not erre in doom.
11 The poise of the balance is righteousness with the Lord; and his works are righteous measures.
The domes of the Lord ben weiyte and a balaunce; and hise werkis ben alle the stoonys of the world.
12 An evil-doer is an abomination to a king; for the throne of rule is established by righteousness.
Thei that don wickidli ben abhomynable to the king; for the trone of the rewme is maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.
13 Righteous lips are acceptable to a king; and he loves right words.
The wille of kyngis is iust lippis; he that spekith riytful thingis, schal be dressid.
14 The anger of a king is a messenger of death; but a wise man will pacify him.
Indignacioun of the kyng is messangeris of deth; and a wijs man schal plese him.
15 The son of a king is in the light of life; and they that are in favour with him are as a cloud of latter rain.
Lijf is in the gladnesse of the `cheer of the king; and his merci is as a reyn comynge late.
16 The brood of wisdom is more to be chosen than gold, and the brood of prudence more to be chosen than silver.
Welde thou wisdom, for it is betere than gold; and gete thou prudence, for it is precyousere than siluer.
17 The paths of life turn aside from evil; and the ways of righteousness are length of life. He that receives instruction shall be in prosperity; and he that regards reproofs shall be made wise. He that keeps his ways, preserves his own soul; and he that loves his life will spare his mouth.
The path of iust men bowith awei yuelis; the kepere of his soule kepith his weie.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and folly before a fall.
Pride goith bifore sorewe; and the spirit schal be enhaunsid byfor fallyng.
19 Better is a meek-spirited [man] with lowliness, than one who divides spoils with the proud.
It is betere to be maad meke with mylde men, than to departe spuylis with proude men.
20 [He who is] skillful in business finds good: but he that trusts in God is most blessed.
A lerned man in word schal fynde goodis; and he that hopith in the Lord is blessid.
21 [Men] call the wise and understanding evil: but they that are pleasing in speech shall hear more.
He that is wijs in herte, schal be clepid prudent; and he that is swete in speche, schal fynde grettere thingis.
22 Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessors; but the instruction of fools is evil.
The welle of lijf is the lernyng of him that weldith; the techyng of foolis is foli.
23 The heart of the wise will discern the [things which proceed] from his own mouth; and on his lips he will wear knowledge.
The herte of a wijs man schal teche his mouth; and schal encreesse grace to hise lippis.
24 Good words are honeycombs, and the sweetness thereof is a healing of the soul.
Wordis wel set togidere is a coomb of hony; helthe of boonys is the swetnesse of soule.
25 There are ways that seem to be right to a man, but the end of them looks to the depth of hell. (questioned)
A weye is that semeth riytful to a man; and the laste thingis therof leden to deth.
26 A man who labours, labours for himself, and drives from [him] his own ruin.
The soule of a man trauelinge trauelith to hym silf; for his mouth compellide hym.
27 But the perverse bears destruction upon his own mouth: a foolish man digs up evil for himself, and treasures fire on his own lips.
An vnwijs man diggith yuel; and fier brenneth in hise lippis.
28 A perverse man spreads mischief, and will kindle a torch of deceit with mischiefs; and he separates friends.
A weiward man reisith stryues; and a man ful of wordis departith princis.
29 A transgressor tries [to ensnare] friends, and leads them in ways [that are] not good.
A wickid man flaterith his frend; and ledith hym bi a weie not good.
30 And the man that fixes his eyes devises perverse things, and marks out with his lips all evil: he is a furnace of wickedness.
He that thenkith schrewid thingis with iyen astonyed, bitith hise lippis, and parformeth yuel.
31 Old age is a crown of honour, but it is found in the ways of righteousness.
A coroun of dignyte is eelde, that schal be foundun in the weies of riytfulnesse.
32 A man slow to anger is better than a strong [man]; and he that governs [his] temper better than he that takes a city.
A pacient man is betere than a stronge man; and he that `is lord of his soule, is betere than an ouercomere of citees.
33 All [evils] come upon the ungodly into [their] bosoms; but all righteous things [come] of the Lord.
Lottis ben sent into the bosum; but tho ben temperid of the Lord.
