Proverbs 17
1 Better is a dry morsel with joy, than a house full of victims with strife.
Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
2 A wise servant shall rule over foolish sons, and shall divide the inheritance among the brethren.
A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
3 As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace: so the Lord trieth the hearts.
As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
4 The evil man obeyeth an unjust tongue: and the deceitful hearkeneth to lying lips.
An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
5 He that despiseth the poor, reproacheth his Maker; and he that rejoiceth at another man’s ruin, 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 Children’s children are the crown of old men: and the glory of children are their fathers.
The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.
7 Eloquent words do not become a fool, nor lying lips a prince.
Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
8 The expectation of him that expecteth, is a most acceptable jewel: whithersoever he turneth himself, he understandeth wisely.
A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.
9 He that concealeth a transgression. seeketh friendships: he that repeateth it again, separateth friends.
He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
10 A reproof availeth more with a wise man, than a hundred stripes with a fool.
A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
11 An evil man always seeketh quarrels: but a cruel angel shall be sent against him.
Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her whelps, than a fool trusting in his own 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 that rendereth 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 quarrels is as when one letteth out water: before he suffereth reproach he forsaketh judgment.
He that leeueth watir, is heed of stryues; and bifor that he suffrith wrong, he forsakith dom.
15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, both are abominable before God.
Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
16 What doth it avail a fool to have riches, seeing he cannot buy wisdom? He that maketh his house high, seeketh a downfall: and he that refuseth to learn, shall fall into evils.
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 He that is a friend loveth at all times: and a brother is proved in distress.
He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
18 A foolish man will clap hands, when he is surety for his friend.
A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
19 He that studieth discords, loveth quarrels: and he that exalteth his door, seeketh ruin.
He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
20 He that is of a perverse heart, shall not find good: and he that perverteth his tongue, shall fall into evil.
He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.
21 A fool is born to his own disgrace: and even his father shall not rejoice in a fool.
A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
22 A joyful mind maketh age flourishing: a sorrowful spirit drieth up the bones.
A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
23 The wicked man taketh gifts out of the bosom, that he may pervert the paths of judgment.
A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
24 Wisdom shineth in the face of the wise: the eyes of fools 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 the anger of the father: and the sorrow of the mother that bore him.
A fonned sone is the ire of the fadir, and the sorewe of the modir that gendride hym.
26 It is no good thing to do hurt to the just: nor to strike the prince, who judgeth right.
It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.
27 He that setteth bounds to his words. is knowing and wise: and the man of understanding is of a precious spirit.
He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
28 Even a fool, if he will hold his peace shall be counted wise: and if he close his lips, a man of understanding.
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.
