Proverbs 17
1 Better is a piece of dry bread, and quiet therewith, than a house full of the sacrifices of contention.
Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
2 An intelligent servant will have rule over a son that bringeth shame, and among the brothers will he have part of the inheritance.
A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but the Lord probeth the hearts.
As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
4 An evil-doer listeneth to unjust lips: falsehood giveth ear to a tongue that bringeth destruction.
An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
5 Whoso mocketh the poor blasphemeth his Maker: he that is glad at calamities will not remain unpunished.
He that dispisith a pore man, repreueth his maker; and he that is glad in the fallyng of another man, schal not be vnpunyschid.
6 The crown of old men are children's children; and the ornament of children are their fathers.
The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.
7 High-toned language is not seemly to a worthless fool: and yet much less the language of falsehood to a noble.
Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
8 As a precious stone appeareth a bribe in the eyes of him that obtaineth it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.
9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth confident friends.
He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
10 A reproof penetrateth more deeply into a wise man, than a hundred stripes into a fool.
A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
11 Only rebellion doth a bad man seek: therefore a cruel messenger will be sent out against him.
Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
12 A man may meet a she-bear robbed of her whelps, but not a fool in his folly.
It spedith more to meete a femal bere, whanne the whelpis ben rauyschid, than a fool tristynge to hym silf in his foli.
13 Whoso bestoweth evil in return for good—evil shall not depart from his house.
Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.
14 As one letteth loose [a stream] of water, so is the beginning of strife: therefore before it be enkindled, leave off the contest.
He that leeueth watir, is heed of stryues; and bifor that he suffrith wrong, he forsakith dom.
15 He that declareth the wicked innocent, and he that condemneth the righteous, yea, both of them are equally an abomination to the Lord.
Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
16 Wherefore is the purchase-money in the hand of a fool to acquire wisdom, seeing he hath no sense?
What profitith it to a fool to haue richessis, sithen he mai not bie wisdom? He that makith his hous hiy, sekith falling; and he that eschewith to lerne, schal falle in to yuels.
17 A friend loveth at all times, and as a brother is he born for [the time of] distress.
He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
18 A man void of sense pledgeth his hand, and becometh surety for his friend.
A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
19 He loveth transgression that loveth quarrel; and he that maketh high his door seeketh destruction.
He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
20 He that hath a froward heart will not find happiness; and he that hath a perverse tongue will fall into evil.
He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.
21 He that begetteth a fool [doth it] to his sorrow; and the father of a worthless fool cannot have any joy.
A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
22 A merry heart causeth a healthy appearance of the countenance, but a depressed spirit drieth up the bones.
A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
23 A wicked man taketh a bribe out of the bosom, to pervert the paths of justice.
A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
24 Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are at the ends of the earth.
Wisdom schyneth in the face of a prudent man; the iyen of foolis ben in the endis of erthe.
25 A foolish son is a vexation to his father, and bitterness to her that hath born him.
A fonned sone is the ire of the fadir, and the sorewe of the modir that gendride hym.
26 To punish the just with a fine even is not good, nor to strike the noble [-hearted] for [their] equity.
It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.
27 He that holdeth back his speeches hath knowledge; and he that is sparing of his spirit is a man of understanding.
He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
28 Even a fool, when he keepeth silence, is counted wise: he that shutteth his lips [is esteemed] a man of understanding.
Also a foole, if he is stille, schal be gessid a wijs man; and, if he pressith togidre hise lippis, he `schal be gessid an vndurstondynge man.
