Proverbs 20
1 Wine turns you into a mocker, alcohol makes you aggressive; you're stupid to be deceived by drink.
Wiyn is a letcherouse thing and drunkenesse is ful of noise; who euere delitith in these, schal not be wijs.
2 When a king gets terribly angry, he sounds like a roaring lion; anyone who makes him furious is liable to be killed.
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 Avoiding conflict is the proper thing to do, but stupid people are quick to argue.
It is onour to a man that departith hym silf fro stryuyngis; but fonned men ben medlid with dispisyngis.
4 Slackers don't sow when they should, so when harvest comes they don't have anything.
A slow man nolde ere for coold; therfor he schal begge in somer, and me schal not yyue to hym.
5 Discovering what someone is planning in their mind is like looking at deep water, but a person who has understanding will find out.
As deep watir, so counsel is in the herte of a man; but a wijs man schal drawe it out.
6 Many people tell you they're loyal, but can you find someone really trustworthy?
Many men ben clepid merciful; but who schal fynde a feithful man?
7 Good people live honestly; how happy are their children if they follow them.
Forsothe a iust man that goith in his simplenesse, schal leeue blessid sones aftir hym.
8 When a king sits in judgment he recognizes all that isn't right.
A king that sittith in the seete of doom, distrieth al yuel bi his lokyng.
9 Who can claim, “I've made sure my conscience is clean; I've purified myself from sin”?
Who may seie, Myn herte is clene; Y am clene of synne?
10 The Lord hates both dishonest weights and dishonest measures.
A weiyte and a weiyte, a mesure and a mesure, euer eithir is abhomynable at God.
11 Even children reveal what they're like by what they do, whether their actions are good and right.
A child is vndurstondun bi hise studies, yf his werkis ben riytful and cleene.
12 The Lord made our ears to hear and our eyes to see.
An eere heringe, and an iye seynge, God made euere eithir.
13 If you love sleeping you'll become poor. Wake up and get busy, and you'll have plenty to eat.
Nyle thou loue sleep, lest nedynesse oppresse thee; opene thin iyen, and be thou fillid with looues.
14 “It's really rubbish,” says the one buying, but afterwards goes and boasts to others about making a good deal.
Ech biere seith, It is yuel, it is yuel; and whanne he hath go awey, thanne he schal haue glorie.
15 There's gold and plenty of expensive gemstones, but talking sense is a more valuable jewel.
Gold, and the multitude of iemmes, and a preciouse vessel, ben the lippis of kunnyng.
16 If someone guarantees a stranger's debt with their cloak, be sure to take it! Make sure you have whatever is pledged to 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 Food you get by cheating may taste sweet, but afterwards it will be like a mouthful of gravel.
The breed of a leesing is sweet to a man; and aftirward his mouth schal be fillid with rikenyng.
18 With sound advice, plans are successful; if you're going to war, make sure you have good guidance.
Thouytis ben maad strong bi counselis; and bateils schulen be tretid bi gouernals.
19 A gossip goes around revealing secrets; stay away from people who talk a lot.
Be thou not medlid with him that schewith pryuetees, and goith gylefulli, and alargith hise lippis.
20 Anyone who curses their father or mother will have their light put out and end in utter darkness.
The liyt of hym that cursith his fadir and modir, schal be quenchid in the myddis of derknessis.
21 Wealth gained too soon won't do you any good in the end.
Eritage to which me haastith in the bigynnyng, schal wante blessing in the laste tyme.
22 Don't say, “I'll get you back for doing me wrong.” Leave it to the Lord, and he'll help you.
Seie thou not, Y schal yelde yuel for yuel; abide thou the Lord, and he schal delyuere thee.
23 The Lord hates incorrect weights; using dishonest scales is wrong.
Abhomynacioun at God is weiyte and weiyte; a gileful balaunce is not good.
24 The Lord shows us the way to go, so how would we decide for ourselves?
The steppis of man ben dressid of the Lord; who forsothe of men mai vndurstonde his weie?
25 It's a mistake to make a promise to God and then have second thoughts about it later.
Falling of man is to make auow to seyntis, and aftirward to withdrawe the vowis.
26 A wise king separates out the wicked by winnowing and punishes them by threshing.
A wijs kyng scaterith wickid men; and bowith a bouwe of victorie ouer hem.
27 The Lord's light shines on the conscience, revealing our deepest thoughts.
The lanterne of the Lord is the spirit of man, that sekith out alle the priuetees of the wombe.
28 Trustworthy love and faithfulness keep a king safe; trustworthy love supports his rule.
Merci and treuthe kepen a kyng; and his trone is maad strong bi mekenesse.
29 Young men value their strength, but the old value even more the wisdom that comes with gray hair.
The ful out ioiyng of yonge men is the strengthe of hem; and the dignyte of elde men is hoornesse.
30 Wounds and blows clean away what's evil; beatings clean what's deep down inside.
The wannesse of wounde schal wipe aweie yuels, and woundis in the priuyere thingis of the wombe.
