Proverbs 24
1 Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
2 for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief.
For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
3 Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;
An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.
Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
5 A wise man has great power. A knowledgeable man increases strength,
A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
6 for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.
For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
8 One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.
He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
9 The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.
The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
10 If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.
If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
11 Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
12 If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?
If thou seist, Strengthis suffisen not; he that is biholdere of the herte, vndirstondith, and no thing disseyueth the kepere of thi soule, and he schal yelde to a man bi hise werkis.
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;
Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
14 so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.
`So and the techyng of wisdom is good to thi soule; and whanne thou hast founde it, thou schalt haue hope in the laste thingis, and thin hope schal not perische.
15 Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;
Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
16 for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.
17 Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
18 lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
19 Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;
Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
20 for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
21 My son, fear the LORD and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,
My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
22 for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?
For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgement is not good.
Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—
Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.
Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
27 Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.
Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
28 Don’t be a witness against your neighbour without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.
Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
29 Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk.
30 I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
31 Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
32 Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
33 a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
Hou longe slepist thou, slow man? whanne schalt thou ryse fro sleep? Sotheli thou schalt slepe a litil, thou schalt nappe a litil, thou schalt ioyne togidere the hondis a litil, to take reste;
34 so your poverty will come as a robber and your want as an armed man.
and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
