Proverbs 20
1 Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Wiyn is a letcherouse thing and drunkenesse is ful of noise; who euere delitith in these, schal not be wijs.
2 The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
As the roryng of a lioun, so and the drede of the kyng; he that territh hym to ire, synneth ayens his owne lijf.
3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
It is onour to a man that departith hym silf fro stryuyngis; but fonned men ben medlid with dispisyngis.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
A slow man nolde ere for coold; therfor he schal begge in somer, and me schal not yyue to hym.
5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
As deep watir, so counsel is in the herte of a man; but a wijs man schal drawe it out.
6 Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?
Many men ben clepid merciful; but who schal fynde a feithful man?
7 A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him.
Forsothe a iust man that goith in his simplenesse, schal leeue blessid sones aftir hym.
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.
A king that sittith in the seete of doom, distrieth al yuel bi his lokyng.
9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin”?
Who may seie, Myn herte is clene; Y am clene of synne?
10 Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.
A weiyte and a weiyte, a mesure and a mesure, euer eithir is abhomynable at God.
11 Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
A child is vndurstondun bi hise studies, yf his werkis ben riytful and cleene.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Yahweh has made even both of them.
An eere heringe, and an iye seynge, God made euere eithir.
13 Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.
Nyle thou loue sleep, lest nedynesse oppresse thee; opene thin iyen, and be thou fillid with looues.
14 “It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.
Ech biere seith, It is yuel, it is yuel; and whanne he hath go awey, thanne he schal haue glorie.
15 There is gold and abundance of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.
Gold, and the multitude of iemmes, and a preciouse vessel, ben the lippis of kunnyng.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.
Take thou awei the cloth of hym, that was borewe of an othere man; and for straungeris take thou awei a wed fro hym.
17 Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.
The breed of a leesing is sweet to a man; and aftirward his mouth schal be fillid with rikenyng.
18 Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war!
Thouytis ben maad strong bi counselis; and bateils schulen be tretid bi gouernals.
19 He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.
Be thou not medlid with him that schewith pryuetees, and goith gylefulli, and alargith hise lippis.
20 Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
The liyt of hym that cursith his fadir and modir, schal be quenchid in the myddis of derknessis.
21 An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning won’t be blessed in the end.
Eritage to which me haastith in the bigynnyng, schal wante blessing in the laste tyme.
22 Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for Yahweh, and he will save you.
Seie thou not, Y schal yelde yuel for yuel; abide thou the Lord, and he schal delyuere thee.
23 Yahweh detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing.
Abhomynacioun at God is weiyte and weiyte; a gileful balaunce is not good.
24 A man’s steps are from Yahweh; how then can man understand his way?
The steppis of man ben dressid of the Lord; who forsothe of men mai vndurstonde his weie?
25 It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.
Falling of man is to make auow to seyntis, and aftirward to withdrawe the vowis.
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them.
A wijs kyng scaterith wickid men; and bowith a bouwe of victorie ouer hem.
27 The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp, searching all his innermost parts.
The lanterne of the Lord is the spirit of man, that sekith out alle the priuetees of the wombe.
28 Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love.
Merci and treuthe kepen a kyng; and his trone is maad strong bi mekenesse.
29 The glory of young men is their strength. The splendor of old men is their gray hair.
The ful out ioiyng of yonge men is the strengthe of hem; and the dignyte of elde men is hoornesse.
30 Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts.
The wannesse of wounde schal wipe aweie yuels, and woundis in the priuyere thingis of the wombe.
