Proverbs 31
1 THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL: The prophecie which his mother taught him.
The wordis of Lamuel, the king; the visioun bi which his modir tauyte hym.
2 What my sonne! and what ye sonne of my wombe! and what, O sonne of my desires!
What my derlyng? what the derlyng of my wombe? what the derlyng of my desiris?
3 Giue not thy strength vnto women, nor thy wayes, which is to destroy Kings.
Yyue thou not thi catel to wymmen, and thi richessis to do awei kyngis.
4 It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink wine nor for princes strog drinke,
A! Lamuel, nyle thou yiue wyn to kingis; for no pryuete is, where drunkenesse regneth.
5 Lest he drinke and forget the decree, and change the iudgement of all the children of affliction.
Lest perauenture thei drynke, and foryete domes, and chaunge the cause of the sones of a pore man.
6 Giue ye strong drinke vnto him that is readie to perish, and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart.
Yyue ye sidur to hem that morenen, and wyn to hem that ben of bitter soule.
7 Let him drinke, that he may forget his pouertie, and remember his miserie no more.
Drinke thei, and foryete thei her nedinesse; and thenke thei no more on her sorewe.
8 Open thy mouth for the domme in the cause of all the children of destruction.
Opene thi mouth for a doumb man,
9 Open thy mouth: iudge righteously, and iudge the afflicted, and the poore.
and opene thi mouth for the causes of alle sones that passen forth. Deme thou that that is iust, and deme thou a nedi man and a pore man.
10 Who shall finde a vertuous woman? for her price is farre aboue the pearles.
Who schal fynde a stronge womman? the prijs of her is fer, and fro the laste endis.
11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall haue no neede of spoyle.
The herte of hir hosebond tristith in hir; and sche schal not haue nede to spuylis.
12 She will doe him good, and not euill all the dayes of her life.
Sche schal yelde to hym good, and not yuel, in alle the daies of hir lijf.
13 She seeketh wooll and flaxe, and laboureth cheerefully with her handes.
Sche souyte wolle and flex; and wrouyte bi the counsel of hir hondis.
14 She is like the shippes of marchants: shee bringeth her foode from afarre.
Sche is maad as the schip of a marchaunt, that berith his breed fro fer.
15 And she riseth, whiles it is yet night: and giueth the portion to her houshold, and the ordinarie to her maides.
And sche roos bi nyyt, and yaf prey to hir meyneals, and metis to hir handmaidis.
16 She considereth a field, and getteth it: and with the fruite of her handes she planteth a vineyarde.
Sche bihelde a feeld, and bouyte it; of the fruyt of hir hondis sche plauntide a vyner.
17 She girdeth her loynes with strength, and strengtheneth her armes.
Sche girde hir leendis with strengthe, and made strong hir arm.
18 She feeleth that her marchandise is good: her candle is not put out by night.
Sche taastide, and siy, that hir marchaundie was good; hir lanterne schal not be quenchid in the niyt.
19 She putteth her handes to the wherue, and her handes handle the spindle.
Sche putte hir hondis to stronge thingis, and hir fyngris token the spyndil.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poore, and putteth foorth her hands to the needie.
Sche openyde hir hond to a nedi man, and stretchide forth hir hondis to a pore man.
21 She feareth not the snowe for her familie: for all her familie is clothed with skarlet.
Sche schal not drede for hir hous of the cooldis of snow; for alle hir meyneals ben clothid with double clothis.
22 She maketh her selfe carpets: fine linen and purple is her garment.
Sche made to hir a ray cloth; bijs and purpur is the cloth of hir.
23 Her husband is knowen in the gates, when he sitteth with the Elders of the land.
Hir hosebonde is noble in the yatis, whanne he sittith with the senatours of erthe.
24 She maketh sheetes, and selleth them, and giueth girdels vnto the marchant.
Sche made lynnun cloth, and selde; and yaf a girdil to a Chananei.
25 Strength and honour is her clothing, and in the latter day she shall reioyce.
Strengthe and fairnesse is the clothing of hir; and sche schal leiye in the laste dai.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdome, and the lawe of grace is in her tongue.
Sche openyde hir mouth to wisdom; and the lawe of merci is in hir tunge.
27 She ouerseeth the wayes of her housholde, and eateth not the bread of ydlenes.
Sche bihelde the pathis of hir hous; and sche eet not breed idili.
28 Her children rise vp, and call her blessed: her husband also shall prayse her, saying,
Hir sones risiden, and prechiden hir moost blessid; hir hosebonde roos, and preiside hir.
29 Many daughters haue done vertuously: but thou surmountest them all.
Many douytris gaderiden richessis; thou passidist alle.
30 Fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is vanitie: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praysed.
Fairnesse is disseiuable grace, and veyn; thilke womman, that dredith the Lord, schal be preisid.
31 Giue her of the fruite of her hands, and let her owne workes prayse her in the gates.
Yyue ye to hir of the fruyt of hir hondis; and hir werkis preise hir in the yatis.
