Proverbs 25
1 Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon [wrote]. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them [from a scroll that Solomon had written].
Also these ben the Parablis of Salomon, whiche the men of Ezechie, kyng of Juda, translatiden.
2 [We consider] God to be great because he (acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand); [we consider] kings to be great because they explain things.
The glorie of God is to hele a word; and the glorie of kyngis is to seke out a word.
3 [It is not possible for anyone to measure] how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is; likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know [all] that kings are thinking.
Heuene aboue, and the erthe bynethe, and the herte of kyngis is vnserchable.
4 [If workers] burn out the impure bits that are in silver, a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.
Do thou a wei rust fro siluer, and a ful cleene vessel schal go out.
5 [Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
Do thou awei vnpite fro the cheer of the kyng, and his trone schal be maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.
6 When you stand in front of a king, do not try to (impress him/honor yourself) and do not (act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit; )
Appere thou not gloriouse bifore the kyng, and stonde thou not in the place of grete men.
7 it is better if someone tells you to sit closer [to the king] than for [someone to tell you], while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important [may sit closer to the king].
For it is betere, that it be seid to thee, Stie thou hidur, than that thou be maad low bifore the prince.
8 Do not quickly go to a court [to tell the judge about] something that you have seen, because another witness may later [say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result] you will be disgraced/ashamed. If that happens, (what will you do?/you will not know what to do.) [RHQ]
Brynge thou not forth soone tho thingis in strijf, whiche thin iyen sien; lest aftirward thou maist not amende, whanne thou hast maad thi frend vnhonest.
9 If you and someone else think differently about some matter, settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret [that he has told you].
Trete thi cause with thi frend, and schewe thou not priuyte to a straunge man;
10 If others find out that you have told secrets, you will be ashamed, and from that time on, (you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you).
lest perauenture he haue ioye of thi fal, whanne he hath herde, and ceesse not to do schenschipe to thee. Grace and frenschip delyueren, whiche kepe thou to thee, that thou be not maad repreuable.
11 Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
A goldun pomel in beddis of siluer is he, that spekith a word in his time.
12 When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen, that is [as valuable as] [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.
A goldun eere ryng, and a schinynge peerle is he, that repreueth a wijs man, and an eere obeiynge.
13 A messenger who (is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say) refreshes [the spirits of] his bosses who sent him like [SIM] (snow/cold water) refreshes [the ground] at the time that [people] harvest crops.
As the coold of snow in the dai of heruest, so a feithful messanger to hym that sente `thilke messanger, makith his soule to haue reste.
14 When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it, [that disappoints us] as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.
A cloude and wind, and reyn not suynge, is a gloriouse man, and not fillynge biheestis.
15 If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will [often] agree to do it; similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can [often] convince [others that what we say is right] [IDM].
A prince schal be maad soft bi pacience; and a soft tunge schal breke hardnesse.
16 If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
Thou hast founde hony, ete thou that that suffisith to thee; lest perauenture thou be fillid, and brake it out.
17 Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often [to talk with him]; if you go [very] often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.
Withdrawe thi foot fro the hous of thi neiybore; lest sum tyme he be fillid, and hate thee.
18 To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
A dart, and a swerd, and a scharp arowe, a man that spekith fals witnessing ayens his neiybore.
19 Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles is [as bad] as [trying to eat when] you have a bad/hurting tooth or [trying to walk when] your foot is crippled.
A rotun tooth, and a feynt foot is he, that hopith on an vnfeithful man in the dai of angwisch,
20 Singing to someone who is depressed [just causes him to feel worse]; it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day or like putting vinegar on a wound.
and leesith his mentil in the dai of coold. Vynegre in a vessel of salt is he, that singith songis to the worste herte. As a mouyte noieth a cloth, and a worm noieth a tree, so the sorewe of a man noieth the herte.
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
If thin enemy hungrith, feede thou him; if he thirstith, yyue thou watir to hym to drinke;
22 doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
for thou schalt gadere togidere coolis on his heed; and the Lord schal yelde to thee.
23 When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain; [similarly] [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.
The north wind scatereth reynes; and a sorewful face distrieth a tunge bacbitinge.
24 It is better to live ([alone/by yourself]) in the corner of an attic/housetop than to live inside the house with a wife who is [always] nagging.
It is betere to sitte in the corner of an hous without roof, than with a womman ful of chidyng, and in a comyn hous.
25 Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
Coold watir to a thirsti man; and a good messanger fro a fer lond.
26 When a righteous/good person (gives in/yields) to wicked [people], that is [as bad] as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.
A welle disturblid with foot, and a veyne brokun, a iust man fallinge bifore a wickid man.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
As it is not good to hym that etith myche hony; so he that is a serchere of maieste, schal be put doun fro glorie.
28 People who (cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry) [are unable to defend their behavior]; that is like [having] a city without a wall around it, [with the result that no one can defend it].
As a citee opyn, and with out cumpas of wallis; so is a man that mai not refreyne his spirit in speking.
