Proverbs 8
1 It is as if wisdom, with great understanding [of many things], is calling [PRS] out [to people].
Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
2 Wisdom stands on hilltops and at crossroads.
In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
3 [Wisdom also stands] at the city gates and shouts loudly,
and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!
4 “I am calling to everyone! I am shouting loudly to all people!
ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
5 You people who do not know how to do things that are smart to do, get sound judgment; you foolish people, get good understanding!
Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
6 Listen to me, because I have some excellent/important things to say. What I say is what is fair/right.
Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.
7 I speak what is true; I detest speaking [MTY] what is false/deceptive.
My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
8 Everything that I say is honest; there is nothing that I say that deceives [people].
My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
9 My words are clear to those who have good sense; those who are wise know that what I say is right.
`My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
10 [If someone offers you the kind of teaching I give] or offers you silver, choose my teaching. [If he offers to show you how to be wise] or offers you gold, choose to know how to be wise,
Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
11 because wisdom is more valuable than jewels. Nothing that you desire [is as valuable] as being wise.
For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto.
12 I, wisdom, and understanding of what is smart to do, cannot be separated. We are like two people who live in the same house. I know how to be wise and how to make smart decisions.
Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
13 [All the people] who revere Yahweh hate evil. I, wisdom, hate [people who are] proud and [people] who think they are more important [than others]. I hate [people who] behave in an evil way and those who say things to deceive [others].
The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth.
14 I give [people] good advice and I enable them to do things that are wise. I understand how things really are, and I am strong.
Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.
15 When kings are wise, they rule [well]; and when rulers are wise, they make laws that are just/fair.
Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
16 Rulers govern their people with the help of me, wisdom, and those who have authority decide things fairly/just with my help.
Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
17 I, [wisdom], love [all] those who love me, and [all] those who truly seek me [will] find me.
I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.
18 I enable [people] to become rich and to be honored; [I enable them to have] wealth that will last and to be successful.
With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
19 What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.
My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.
20 I always do what is righteous and just/fair.
Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;
21 I give wealth to those who love me; I fill their houses with valuable things.
that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.
22 Yahweh created me, [wisdom], when he began [to create the world]; he created me [to do my work] before he created anything else.
The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.
23 He appointed me long ago, before he created the earth.
Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
24 I was born before the oceans were [created], when there were no springs from which water flowed.
Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
25 I was born before the hills and mountains were formed;
and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
26 [I, wisdom], was born before Yahweh made the earth, before he made the fields and the soil on the earth.
Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.
27 I was there when Yahweh put the sky in place, when he marked the place [in the distance] where the sky and the oceans [seem to] come together.
Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.
28 I was there when Yahweh put the clouds above [the earth] and when he caused the water that is inside the earth to be secure.
Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
29 I was there when he fixed a boundary for the seas, so that the water in the seas would not go past those boundaries, and when he put down the foundations which support the earth.
Whanne he cumpasside to the see his marke; and settide lawe to watris, that tho schulden not passe her coostis. Whanne he peiside the foundementis of erthe;
30 I was at the side of Yahweh, the master worker (OR, as though I was his child). I caused him to be happy every day, and I was always rejoicing when I was with him.
Y was making alle thingis with him. And Y delitide bi alle daies, and pleiede bifore hym in al tyme,
31 I was delighted with the world that he created; I was happy with the people whom he created, too.
and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
32 So, [you people who are like] my sons, listen to me. [I am] pleased with [all] those who obey my teachings.
Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
33 Listen [carefully] to what I teach you and become wise. Do not reject my teaching!
Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.
34 [I am] pleased with those who listen to me, those who are outside my house every day, waiting [for me to come out].
Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore.
35 Those who find me will have [a long] life, and Yahweh [will] be pleased with them.
He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.
36 But those who stray away from me [just] harm themselves. All those who hate me, [it is as though] [IRO] they are loving death.”
But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
