Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and discover what makes sense,
Sones, here ye the teching of the fadir; and perseiue ye, that ye kunne prudence.
2 for what I am passing on to you is reliable. Don't reject my teachings.
Y schal yyue to you a good yifte; forsake ye not my lawe.
3 When I was a son with my father—a tender young boy, my mother's only child—
For whi and Y was the sone of my fadir, a tendir sone, and oon `gendride bifore my modir.
4 he was the one who taught me. He told me, “Pay attention to the words I say and keep them in mind; do what I tell you and you will live.
And my fadir tauyte me, and seide, Thin herte resseyue my wordis; kepe thou myn heestis, and thou schalt lyue.
5 Get wisdom, find out what makes sense. Don't forget my words or reject them.
Welde thou wisdom, welde thou prudence; foryete thou not, nethir bowe thou awey fro the wordis of my mouth.
6 Don't give up on wisdom for she will keep you safe. Love wisdom and she will protect you.
Forsake thou not it, and it schal kepe thee; loue thou it, and it schal kepe thee.
7 The first thing in becoming wise is to get wisdom! Whatever else you gain, gain insight.
The bigynnyng of wisdom, welde thou wisdom; and in al thi possessioun gete thou prudence.
8 Treasure wisdom, and she will praise you; embrace her, and she will honor you.
Take thou it, and it schal enhaunse thee; thou schalt be glorified of it, whanne thou hast biclippid it.
9 She will place on your head a wreath of grace; she will present to you a crown of glory.”
It schal yyue encresyngis of graces to thin heed; and a noble coroun schal defende thee.
10 Listen, my son, if you accept what I tell you, then you will live a long life.
Mi sone, here thou, and take my wordis; that the yeris of lijf be multiplied to thee.
11 I have explained to you the way of wisdom; I have guided you along the right paths.
Y schal schewe to thee the weie of wisdom; and Y schal lede thee bi the pathis of equyte.
12 Nothing will block your way when you walk, you won't stumble when you run.
In to whiche whanne thou hast entrid, thi goyngis schulen not be maad streit; and thou schalt rennen, and schalt not haue hirtyng.
13 Hold on to these instructions—don't let them go. Protect them, for they are life's foundation.
Holde thou teching, and forsake it not; kepe thou it, for it is thi lijf.
14 Don't go the way of the wicked or follow the example of those who do evil.
Delite thou not in the pathis of wyckid men; and the weie of yuele men plese not thee.
15 Avoid that way completely. Don't go there! Turn away, and walk on.
Fle thou fro it, and passe thou not therbi; bowe thou awei, and forsake it.
16 Evil people won't rest until they've done something wrong; they can't sleep unless they've tripped someone up.
For thei slepen not, `no but thei han do yuele; and sleep is rauyschid fro hem, no but thei han disseyued.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
Thei eten the breed of vnpite, and drinken the wyn of wickidnesse.
18 The way of life of the good is like the light of the sunrise, glowing brighter and brighter until the full light of day shines out.
But the path of iust men goith forth as liyt schynynge, and encreessith til to perfit dai.
19 But the way of life of the wicked is like complete darkness; they don't even know what they're tripping over.
The weie of wickid men is derk; thei witen not where thei schulen falle.
20 My son, pay attention to what I tell you; listen to the words I'm saying.
Mi sone, herkene thou my wordis; and bowe doun thin eeris to my spechis.
21 Don't lose sight of them; think about them deeply,
Go not tho awei fro thyn iyen; kepe thou hem in the myddil of thin herte.
22 for they are life to anyone who finds them, and make the whole body healthy.
For tho ben lijf to men fyndynge thoo, and heelthe `of al fleisch.
23 Most of all, protect your mind, for everything in life flows from it.
With al keping kepe thin herte, for lijf cometh forth of it.
24 Don't ever lie, and don't say anything dishonest.
Remoue thou a schrewid mouth fro thee; and backbitynge lippis be fer fro thee.
25 Focus on what's ahead of you; look at what's in front of you.
Thin iyen se riytful thingis; and thin iyeliddis go bifore thi steppis.
26 Pay attention to the path you decide to follow, and you'll be safe wherever you go.
Dresse thou pathis to thi feet, and alle thi weies schulen be stablischid.
27 Don't deviate to the right or the left, and turn away from evil.
Bowe thou not to the riytside, nether to the leftside; turne awei thi foot fro yuel. For the Lord knowith the weies that ben at the riytside; but the weies ben weiward, that ben at the leftside. Forsothe he schal make thi goyngis riytful; and thi weies schulen be brouyt forth in pees.
