Proverbs 20
1 Wine is, a scoffer, and strong drink, a brawler, every one therefore who erreth therein, is unwise.
Wiyn is a letcherouse thing and drunkenesse is ful of noise; who euere delitith in these, schal not be wijs.
2 The growl as of a young lion, is the dread inspired by a king, he that provoketh him, endangereth his own life.
As the roryng of a lioun, so and the drede of the kyng; he that territh hym to ire, synneth ayens his owne lijf.
3 Honour, hath the man who sitteth away from strife, but, any fool, may break through.
It is onour to a man that departith hym silf fro stryuyngis; but fonned men ben medlid with dispisyngis.
4 By reason of the autumn, a sluggard will not plough, therefore shall he beg in harvest, and there be nothing.
A slow man nolde ere for coold; therfor he schal begge in somer, and me schal not yyue to hym.
5 Deep water, is counsel in a man’s heart, but, a man of understanding, will draw it out.
As deep watir, so counsel is in the herte of a man; but a wijs man schal drawe it out.
6 A kind man one may call, a great man, —but, a faithful man, who can find?
Many men ben clepid merciful; but who schal fynde a feithful man?
7 As for a righteous man, walking in his integrity, how happy are his children after him!
Forsothe a iust man that goith in his simplenesse, schal leeue blessid sones aftir hym.
8 A king sitting on the throne of judgment, scattereth, with his eyes, all wrong.
A king that sittith in the seete of doom, distrieth al yuel bi his lokyng.
9 Who can say, I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?
Who may seie, Myn herte is clene; Y am clene of synne?
10 Divers weights, and divers measures, an abomination to Yahweh, are they, both.
A weiyte and a weiyte, a mesure and a mesure, euer eithir is abhomynable at God.
11 Even, by his doings, doth a youth make himself known, whether, pure and upright, be his work.
A child is vndurstondun bi hise studies, yf his werkis ben riytful and cleene.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Yahweh hath made them, both.
An eere heringe, and an iye seynge, God made euere eithir.
13 Do not love sleep, lest thou come to poverty, open thine eyes, be satisfied with bread.
Nyle thou loue sleep, lest nedynesse oppresse thee; opene thin iyen, and be thou fillid with looues.
14 Bad! bad! saith the buyer, but, going his way, then, he boasteth.
Ech biere seith, It is yuel, it is yuel; and whanne he hath go awey, thanne he schal haue glorie.
15 There are gold, and an abundance of corals, but, precious jewels, are the lips of knowledge.
Gold, and the multitude of iemmes, and a preciouse vessel, ben the lippis of kunnyng.
16 Take his garment who is pledge for a stranger, —then, for a woman unknown, accept him as surety.
Take thou awei the cloth of hym, that was borewe of an othere man; and for straungeris take thou awei a wed fro hym.
17 Sweet to a man, may be the bread of falsehood, but, afterward, shall his mouth be filled with gravel.
The breed of a leesing is sweet to a man; and aftirward his mouth schal be fillid with rikenyng.
18 Plans—by counsel, shalt thou establish, and, with concerted measures, make thou war.
Thouytis ben maad strong bi counselis; and bateils schulen be tretid bi gouernals.
19 A revealer of secrets, is one who goeth about talebearing, therefore, with him who openeth his lips, shalt thou not have fellowship.
Be thou not medlid with him that schewith pryuetees, and goith gylefulli, and alargith hise lippis.
20 Whoso revileth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in deep darkness.
The liyt of hym that cursith his fadir and modir, schal be quenchid in the myddis of derknessis.
21 An inheritance hastily gotten at the beginning, the latter end thereof, shall not bring blessing.
Eritage to which me haastith in the bigynnyng, schal wante blessing in the laste tyme.
22 Do not say, I will requite wrong! Wait thou for Yahweh that he may save thee.
Seie thou not, Y schal yelde yuel for yuel; abide thou the Lord, and he schal delyuere thee.
23 An abomination to Yahweh, are divers weights, and, deceptive balances, are not good.
Abhomynacioun at God is weiyte and weiyte; a gileful balaunce is not good.
24 From Yahweh, are a man’s steps, a son of earth, then—how can he discern his way?
The steppis of man ben dressid of the Lord; who forsothe of men mai vndurstonde his weie?
25 It is a snare to a man, that he should rashly cry Holy! and, after making vows, to reflect!
Falling of man is to make auow to seyntis, and aftirward to withdrawe the vowis.
26 A wise king, winnoweth out the lawless, when he hath turned over them the wheel.
A wijs kyng scaterith wickid men; and bowith a bouwe of victorie ouer hem.
27 The lamp of Yahweh, is the spirit of a son of earth, searching all the chambers of the inner man.
The lanterne of the Lord is the spirit of man, that sekith out alle the priuetees of the wombe.
28 Lovingkindness and faithfulness, will guard a king, —therefore should he support, with lovingkindness, his throne.
Merci and treuthe kepen a kyng; and his trone is maad strong bi mekenesse.
29 The beauty of young men, is their strength, and, the ornament of old men, a hoary head.
The ful out ioiyng of yonge men is the strengthe of hem; and the dignyte of elde men is hoornesse.
30 Blows that cut in, cleanse away wickedness, and, smitings, [enter] the chambers of the inner man.
The wannesse of wounde schal wipe aweie yuels, and woundis in the priuyere thingis of the wombe.
