Proverbs 24
1 [My] son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them.
Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
2 For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs.
For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
3 A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding.
An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
4 By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth.
Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
5 A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.
A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
6 War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.
For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
7 Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,
Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
8 but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed [men].
He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
9 The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness [attaches] to a pestilent man.
The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
10 He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.
If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
11 Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not [your help].
Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
12 But if you should say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.
If thou seist, Strengthis suffisen not; he that is biholdere of the herte, vndirstondith, and no thing disseyueth the kepere of thi soule, and he schal yelde to a man bi hise werkis.
13 [My] son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that your throat may be sweetened.
Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
14 Thus shall you perceive wisdom in your soul: for if you find it, your end shall be good, and hope shall not fail you.
`So and the techyng of wisdom is good to thi soule; and whanne thou hast founde it, thou schalt haue hope in the laste thingis, and thin hope schal not perische.
15 Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.
Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
16 For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise [again]: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.
For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.
17 If your enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.
Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
18 For the Lord will see [it], and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.
lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
19 Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.
Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
20 For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.
For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
21 [My] son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.
My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
22 For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance [inflicted] by both?
For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
23 And this thing I say to you that are wise [for you] to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgement.
Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
24 He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful amongst the nations.
Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
25 But they that reprove [him] shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;
Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
26 and [men] will kiss lips that answer well.
He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
27 Prepare your works for [your] going forth, and prepare yourself for the field; and come after me, and you shall rebuild your house.
Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
28 Be not a false witness against your [fellow] citizen, neither exaggerate with your lips.
Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
29 Say not, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, and I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.
Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk.
30 A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.
I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
31 If you let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; and he becomes destitute, and his stone walls are broken down.
nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
32 Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.
And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
33 [The sluggard says, ]I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across [my] breast.
Hou longe slepist thou, slow man? whanne schalt thou ryse fro sleep? Sotheli thou schalt slepe a litil, thou schalt nappe a litil, thou schalt ioyne togidere the hondis a litil, to take reste;
34 But if you do this, your poverty will come speedily; and your lack like a swift courier.
and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
