Proverbs 27
1 Do not boast thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Haue thou not glorie on the morewe, `not knowynge what thing the dai to comynge schal bringe forth.
2 Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Another man, and not thi mouth preise thee; a straunger, and not thi lippis `preise thee.
3 Heavy is a stone, and weighty is sand, —but, the vexation of a fool, is heavier than both.
A stoon is heuy, and grauel is chariouse; but the ire of a fool is heuyere than euer eithir.
4 The cruelty of rage, and the overflow of anger! But who can stand before, jealousy?
Ire hath no merci, and woodnesse brekynge out `hath no merci; and who mai suffre the fersnesse of a spirit stirid?
5 Better is a rebuke that is open, than love carefully concealed.
Betere is opyn repreuyng, than loue hid.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but lavished are the kisses of an enemy.
Betere ben the woundis of hym that loueth, than the gileful cossis of hym that hatith.
7 The surfeited soul, trampleth upon droppings from the comb, but, to the hungry soul, every bitter thing, is sweet.
A man fillid schal dispise an hony coomb; but an hungri man schal take, yhe, bittir thing for swete.
8 As a bird wandering from her nest, so, is a man wandering from his place.
As a brid passinge ouer fro his nest, so is a man that forsakith his place.
9 Oil and perfume, rejoice the heart, the sweetness of one’s friend, more than fragrant wood.
The herte delitith in oynement, and dyuerse odours; and a soule is maad swete bi the good counsels of a frend.
10 Thine own friend and thy father’s friend, do not thou forsake; but, the house of thy brother, do not enter, in thy day of calamity, Better a neighbour near, than a brother far off.
Forsake thou not thi frend, and the frend of thi fadir; and entre thou not in to the hous of thi brothir, in the dai of thi turment. Betere is a neiybore nyy, than a brothir afer.
11 Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart, that I may answer him that reproacheth me in a matter.
Mi sone, studie thou a boute wisdom, and make thou glad myn herte; that thou maist answere a word to a dispisere.
12 A prudent man, seeth calamity—he hideth himself, the simple, pass on—they suffer.
A fel man seynge yuel was hid; litle men of wit passinge forth suffriden harmes.
13 Take a man’s garment when he hath become pledge for a stranger, then, for a female unknown, accept him as surety.
Take thou awei his clooth, that bihiyte for a straunger; and take thou awei a wed fro hym for an alien man.
14 He that blesseth his friend, with a loud voice, in the morning early, a reproach, shall it be reckoned to him.
He that blessith his neiybore with greet vois; and risith bi niyt, schal be lijk hym that cursith.
15 A continuous dripping on a day of downpour, and a contentious wife, are alike:
Roouys droppynge in the dai of coold, and a womman ful of chidyng ben comparisond.
16 He that hideth her, hideth the wind, and, perfume, his right hand may proclaim.
He that withholdith hir, as if he holdith wynd; and auoidith the oile of his riyt hond.
17 Let, iron, by iron, become sharp, and let, a man, sharpen the face of his friend.
Yrun is whettid bi irun; and a man whettith the face of his frend.
18 He that guardeth the fig-tree, shall eat the fruit thereof, and, he that watcheth over his master, shall be honoured.
He that kepith a fige tre, schal ete the fruytis therof; and he that is a kepere of his lord, schal be glorified.
19 As in water, face [answereth] to face, so, the heart of man to man.
As the cheris of men biholdinge schynen in watris; so the hertis of men ben opyn to prudent men.
20 Hades and destruction, are not satisfied, and, the eyes of a man, are not satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
Helle and perdicioun schulen not be fillid; so and the iyen of men moun not be fillid. (Sheol h7585)
21 Fining pot for silver, and crucible for gold, and, a man, [is to be tried] by what he praiseth.
As siluer is preuyd in a wellyng place, and gold `is preued in a furneys; so a man is preued bi the mouth of preyseris. The herte of a wickid man sekith out yuels; but a riytful herte sekith out kunnyng.
22 Though thou pound a fool in a mortar, amidst grain, with a pestle, his folly, will not depart from him.
Thouy thou beetist a fool in a morter, as with a pestel smytynge aboue dried barli; his foli schal not be don awei fro him.
23 Note well, the appearance of thy flock, apply thy mind to thy herds;
Knowe thou diligentli the cheere of thi beeste; and biholde thou thi flockis.
24 For, not age-abiding, are riches, nor is the diadem, from generation to generation: —
For thou schalt not haue power contynueli; but a coroun schal be youun to thee in generacioun and in to generacioun.
25 The grass, is taken away, and the young shoot, showeth itself, and the herbage of the mountains, is gathered;
Medewis ben openyd, and greene eerbis apperiden; and hey is gaderid fro hillis.
26 There are, lambs, for thy clothing, and, for the price of thy field, there are he-goats;
Lambren be to thi clothing; and kidis be to the prijs of feeld.
27 With, enough goats-milk, for thy food—for the food of thy household, and, a maintenance, for thy maidens.
The mylke of geete suffice to thee for thi meetis; in to the necessarie thingis of thin hous, and to lijflode to thin handmaidis.
