Proverbs 26
1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so, unbecoming to a dullard is honour.
As snow in somer, and reyn in heruest; so glorie is vnsemeli to a fool.
2 As a sparrow in wandering, as a swallow in flying, so, a causeless curse, shall not alight.
For whi as a brid fliynge ouer to hiy thingis, and a sparowe goynge in to vncerteyn; so cursing brouyt forth with out resonable cause schal come aboue in to sum man.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of dullards.
Beting to an hors, and a bernacle to an asse; and a yerde in the bak of vnprudent men.
4 Do not answer a dullard, according to his folly, lest, even thou thyself, become like him;
Answere thou not to a fool bi his foli, lest thou be maad lijk hym.
5 Answer a dullard according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
Answere thou a fool bi his fooli, lest he seme to him silf to be wijs.
6 One who cutteth off feet, one who drinketh down wrong, is he who sendeth a message by the hand of a dullard.
An haltinge man in feet, and drinkinge wickidnesse, he that sendith wordis by a fonned messanger.
7 Useless are the legs of the lame, and a proverb, in the mouth of a dullard.
As an haltinge man hath faire leggis in veyn; so a parable is vnsemeli in the mouth of foolis.
8 Like tying a stone to a sling, so, is he that giveth honour, to a dullard.
As he that casteth a stoon in to an heep of mercurie; so he that yyueth onour to an vnwijs man.
9 A brier cometh into the hand of a drunken-man, a proverb into the mouth of dullards.
As if a thorn growith in the hond of a drunkun man; so a parable in the mouth of foolis.
10 [As] an archer who woundeth every thing, [so] one who hireth a dullard, and a drunkard crossing the sea.
Doom determyneth causis; and he that settith silence to a fool, swagith iris.
11 As, a dog, returneth onto his own vomit, a dullard, repeateth his folly.
As a dogge that turneth ayen to his spuyng; so is an vnprudent man, that rehersith his fooli.
12 Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eye, —more hope of a dullard, than of him!
Thou hast seyn a man seme wijs to hym silf; an vnkunnyng man schal haue hope more than he.
13 Saith the sluggard, A roaring lion in the road! A tearing lion in the midst of the broadways.
A slow man seith, A lioun is in the weie, a liounnesse is in the foot pathis.
14 The door, turneth on its hinges, and, the sluggard, upon his bed.
As a dore is turned in his hengis; so a slow man in his bed.
15 The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
A slow man hidith hise hondis vndur his armpit; and he trauelith, if he turneth tho to his mouth.
16 Wiser is the sluggard in his own eyes, than, seven persons, who can answer with judgment.
A slow man semeth wysere to hym silf, than seuene men spekynge sentensis.
17 As he who layeth hold of the ears of a dog, is a passer-by, who giveth vent to his wrath over a quarrel, not his!
As he that takith a dogge bi the eeris; so he that passith, and is vnpacient, and is meddlid with the chiding of anothir man.
18 As a madman throwing firebrands, arrows and death,
As he is gilti, that sendith speris and arowis in to deth;
19 So, is a man who deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Was not, I, in sport?
so a man that anoieth gilefuli his frend, and whanne he is takun, he schal seie, Y dide pleiynge.
20 Without wood a fire is quenched, and, where there is no tattler, strife is hushed.
Whanne trees failen, the fier schal be quenchid; and whanne a priuy bacbitere is withdrawun, stryues resten.
21 Black coal to burning blocks, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man, for kindling strife.
As deed coolis at quic coolis, and trees at the fier; so a wrathful man reisith chidyngis.
22 the words of a tattler, are dainties, they, therefore go down into the chambers of the inner man.
The wordis of a pryuei bacbitere ben as symple; and tho comen til to the ynneste thingis of the herte.
23 Dross silver overlaid upon earthenware, so are burning lips, with a mischievous heart:
As if thou wolt ourne a vessel of erthe with foul siluer; so ben bolnynge lippis felouschipid with `the werste herte.
24 With his lips, the hater dissembleth, but, within himself, he layeth up deceit:
An enemy is vndirstondun bi hise lippis, whanne he tretith giles in the herte.
25 Though he make gracious his voice, do not trust him, for, seven abominations, are in his heart:
Whanne he `makith low his vois, bileue thou not to hym; for seuene wickidnessis ben in his herte.
26 Hatred may clothe itself with guile, his wickedness shall be disclosed in the convocation.
The malice of hym that hilith hatrede gilefuli, schal be schewid in a counsel.
27 He that diggeth a pit, thereinto, shall fall, and, he that rolleth a stone, upon himself, shall it return.
He that delueth a diche, schal falle in to it; and if a man walewith a stoon, it schal turne ayen to hym.
28 A false tongue, hateth them who are crushed by it, and, a flattering mouth, worketh occasion of stumbling.
A fals tunge loueth not treuth; and a slidir mouth worchith fallyngis.
