Proverbs 25
1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the scribes of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
Also these ben the Parablis of Salomon, whiche the men of Ezechie, kyng of Juda, translatiden.
2 God's greatness is in doing things that can't be known, while the greatness of kings is in revealing things.
The glorie of God is to hele a word; and the glorie of kyngis is to seke out a word.
3 Just as the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth can't be known, the king's thinking can't be known.
Heuene aboue, and the erthe bynethe, and the herte of kyngis is vnserchable.
4 Remove the waste from the silver, and the silversmith has pure silver to work with.
Do thou a wei rust fro siluer, and a ful cleene vessel schal go out.
5 Remove the wicked from the king's presence and the king will rule securely and justly.
Do thou awei vnpite fro the cheer of the kyng, and his trone schal be maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.
6 Don't try to make yourself look great before the king, and don't pretend to be among the important people,
Appere thou not gloriouse bifore the kyng, and stonde thou not in the place of grete men.
7 for it's better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be humiliated before a nobleman. Even though you've seen something with your own eyes,
For it is betere, that it be seid to thee, Stie thou hidur, than that thou be maad low bifore the prince.
8 don't rush to take legal action, for what are you going to do in the end when your neighbor shows you're wrong and humiliates you?
Brynge thou not forth soone tho thingis in strijf, whiche thin iyen sien; lest aftirward thou maist not amende, whanne thou hast maad thi frend vnhonest.
9 Discuss the case with your neighbor himself, and don't betray someone else's secret,
Trete thi cause with thi frend, and schewe thou not priuyte to a straunge man;
10 otherwise whoever hears it will make you ashamed and you'll never lose your bad reputation.
lest perauenture he haue ioye of thi fal, whanne he hath herde, and ceesse not to do schenschipe to thee. Grace and frenschip delyueren, whiche kepe thou to thee, that thou be not maad repreuable.
11 Advice given at the right time is like golden apples set in silver.
A goldun pomel in beddis of siluer is he, that spekith a word in his time.
12 Constructive criticism from the wise to someone who listens is like a gold ring and a necklace of fine gold.
A goldun eere ryng, and a schinynge peerle is he, that repreueth a wijs man, and an eere obeiynge.
13 Faithful messengers are as refreshing to their master as cold snow on a hot harvest day.
As the coold of snow in the dai of heruest, so a feithful messanger to hym that sente `thilke messanger, makith his soule to haue reste.
14 Someone who boasts about a gift they never give is like cloud and wind without rain.
A cloude and wind, and reyn not suynge, is a gloriouse man, and not fillynge biheestis.
15 If you're patient you can persuade your superior, and soft words can break down opposition.
A prince schal be maad soft bi pacience; and a soft tunge schal breke hardnesse.
16 If you find honey, eat just enough, for if you eat too much, you'll be sick.
Thou hast founde hony, ete thou that that suffisith to thee; lest perauenture thou be fillid, and brake it out.
17 Don't set foot in your neighbors' homes too often, otherwise they'll get fed up with you and hate you.
Withdrawe thi foot fro the hous of thi neiybore; lest sum tyme he be fillid, and hate thee.
18 Telling lies in court against a friend is like attacking them with a mace, or a sword, or an arrow.
A dart, and a swerd, and a scharp arowe, a man that spekith fals witnessing ayens his neiybore.
19 Trusting in unreliable people in times of trouble is like eating with a broken tooth or walking on a bad foot.
A rotun tooth, and a feynt foot is he, that hopith on an vnfeithful man in the dai of angwisch,
20 Singing happy songs to someone who's broken-hearted is like taking off your coat on a cold day, or pouring vinegar onto an open wound.
and leesith his mentil in the dai of coold. Vynegre in a vessel of salt is he, that singith songis to the worste herte. As a mouyte noieth a cloth, and a worm noieth a tree, so the sorewe of a man noieth the herte.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if he's thirsty, give him a drink of water.
If thin enemy hungrith, feede thou him; if he thirstith, yyue thou watir to hym to drinke;
22 This will make him ashamed as if he had burning coals piled on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
for thou schalt gadere togidere coolis on his heed; and the Lord schal yelde to thee.
23 In the same way that the north wind brings rain, slandering people makes them angry.
The north wind scatereth reynes; and a sorewful face distrieth a tunge bacbitinge.
24 It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.
It is betere to sitte in the corner of an hous without roof, than with a womman ful of chidyng, and in a comyn hous.
25 Good news from a distant country is like cold water to an exhausted traveler.
Coold watir to a thirsti man; and a good messanger fro a fer lond.
26 Good people who give in to the wicked are like a muddied spring or a polluted well.
A welle disturblid with foot, and a veyne brokun, a iust man fallinge bifore a wickid man.
27 It's not good to eat too much honey, or to want too much praise.
As it is not good to hym that etith myche hony; so he that is a serchere of maieste, schal be put doun fro glorie.
28 Someone without control is as exposed as a town whose walls have been breached.
As a citee opyn, and with out cumpas of wallis; so is a man that mai not refreyne his spirit in speking.
