Proverbs 22
1 A good reputation is a much better choice than plenty of money; respect is better than silver and gold.
Betere is a good name, than many richessis; for good grace is aboue siluer and gold.
2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord created them all.
A riche man and a pore man metten hem silf; the Lord is worchere of euer eithir.
3 If you're sensible you see danger coming and get out of the way; but stupid people just keep going and pay for it.
A felle man seeth yuel, and hidith him silf; and an innocent man passid, and he was turmentid bi harm.
4 The reward you receive for being humble and respecting the Lord is wealth, honor, and life.
The ende of temperaunce is the drede of the Lord; richessis, and glorye, and lijf.
5 Thorns and traps lie in the path of crooked people; those who value their lives will stay away from them.
Armuris and swerdis ben in the weie of a weiward man; but the kepere of his soule goith awey fer fro tho.
6 Teach children the right way to live, and when they grow up they'll go on doing so.
It is a prouerbe, A yong wexynge man bisidis his weie, and whanne he hath wexe elde, he schal not go awei fro it.
7 The rich rule the poor, and borrowers are slaves to their lenders.
A riche man comaundith to pore men; and he that takith borewyng, is the seruaunt of the leenere.
8 Those who sow injustice will reap disaster, and the angry beatings they inflict on others will be stopped.
He that sowith wickidnes, schal repe yuels; and the yerde of his yre schal be endid.
9 If you're generous, you'll be blessed, for you share your food with those in need.
He that is redi to merci, schal be blessid; for of his looues he yaf to a pore man. He that yyueth yiftis, schal gete victorie and onour; forsothe he takith awei the soule of the takeris.
10 Get rid of the scornful, and you'll get rid of conflict too—no more arguments or insults!
Caste thou out a scornere, and strijf schal go out with hym; and causis and dispisyngis schulen ceesse.
11 Anyone who loves sincerity and a gracious way of speaking will have the king as their friend.
He that loueth the clennesse of herte, schal haue the kyng a freend, for the grace of hise lippis.
12 The Lord watches over true knowledge, but counteracts the words of liars.
The iyen of the Lord kepen kunnyng; and the wordis of a wickid man ben disseyued.
13 Lazy people make claims like, “There's a lion outside! I might be killed if I go out there!”
A slow man schal seie, A lioun is withoutforth; Y schal be slayn in the myddis of the stretis.
14 The seductive words of an immoral woman are a dangerous trap—if the Lord's angry with you, then you'll fall right in.
The mouth of an alien womman is a deep diche; he to whom the Lord is wrooth, schal falle in to it.
15 Children are naturally foolish; physical correction helps them to see sense.
Foli is boundun togidere in the herte of a child; and a yerde of chastisyng schal dryue it awey.
16 If you oppress the poor to make yourself rich, or if you're generous to the rich, you'll end up poor yourself.
He that falsli chalengith a pore man, to encreesse hise owne richessis, schal yyue to a richere man, and schal be nedi.
17 Pay attention and listen to the words of the wise, and think carefully about my teachings—
My sone, bowe doun thin eere, and here thou the wordis of wise men; but sette thou the herte to my techyng.
18 for it's good to keep them in mind so you can be ready to share them.
That schal be fair to thee, whanne thou hast kept it in thin herte, and it schal flowe ayen in thi lippis.
19 I'm explaining this to you today so you can trust in the Lord—yes, you!
That thi trist be in the Lord; wherfor and Y haue schewid it to thee to dai.
20 Haven't I written down for you thirty sayings of advice and wisdom?
Lo! Y haue discryued it in thre maneres, in thouytis and kunnyng,
21 They are to make it clear to you what's right and true, so you can give a truthful explanation to those who sent you.
that Y schulde schewe to thee the sadnesse and spechis of trewthe; to answere of these thingis to hem, that senten thee.
22 For you shouldn't steal from the poor just because they're poor; and you shouldn't crush those with limited means in court,
Do thou not violence to a pore man, for he is pore; nethir defoule thou a nedi man in the yate.
23 for the Lord will plead their case, and he will take back whatever was stolen from them.
For the Lord schal deme his cause, and he schal turmente hem, that turmentiden his soule.
24 Don't make friends with someone who gets upset easily; don't associate with angry people,
Nyle thou be freend to a wrathful man, nether go thou with a wood man;
25 in case you learn to be like them and make a mess of your life.
lest perauenture thou lerne hise weies, and take sclaundir to thi soule.
26 Don't shake hands and guarantee someone's debt,
Nyle thou be with hem that oblischen her hondis, and that proferen hem silf borewis for dettis; for if he hath not wherof he schal restore,
27 for if you can't pay, why should your bed be taken away from beneath you?
what of cause is, that thou take awei hilyng fro thi bed?
28 Don't move ancient boundary markers that your forefathers put in place.
Go thou not ouer the elde markis, whiche thi faders han set.
29 If you see someone skilled in what they do, they'll work for kings and not for ordinary people.
Thou hast seyn a man smert in his werk; he schal stonde bifore kyngis, and he schal not be bifor vnnoble men.
