Proverbs 27
1 Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.
Haue thou not glorie on the morewe, `not knowynge what thing the dai to comynge schal bringe forth.
2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Another man, and not thi mouth preise thee; a straunger, and not thi lippis `preise thee.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
A stoon is heuy, and grauel is chariouse; but the ire of a fool is heuyere than euer eithir.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to 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 open rebuke than hidden love.
Betere is opyn repreuyng, than loue hid.
6 The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
Betere ben the woundis of hym that loueth, than the gileful cossis of hym that hatith.
7 A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a 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 that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.
As a brid passinge ouer fro his nest, so is a man that forsakith his place.
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
The herte delitith in oynement, and dyuerse odours; and a soule is maad swete bi the good counsels of a frend.
10 Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.
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 bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.
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 sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
A fel man seynge yuel was hid; litle men of wit passinge forth suffriden harmes.
13 Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
Take thou awei his clooth, that bihiyte for a straunger; and take thou awei a wed fro hym for an alien man.
14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.
He that blessith his neiybore with greet vois; and risith bi niyt, schal be lijk hym that cursith.
15 A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:
Roouys droppynge in the dai of coold, and a womman ful of chidyng ben comparisond.
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.
He that withholdith hir, as if he holdith wynd; and auoidith the oile of his riyt hond.
17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
Yrun is whettid bi irun; and a man whettith the face of his frend.
18 Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.
He that kepith a fige tre, schal ete the fruytis therof; and he that is a kepere of his lord, schal be glorified.
19 Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
As the cheris of men biholdinge schynen in watris; so the hertis of men ben opyn to prudent men.
Helle and perdicioun schulen not be fillid; so and the iyen of men moun not be fillid. (Sheol h7585)
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.
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 you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed 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 Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds,
Knowe thou diligentli the cheere of thi beeste; and biholde thou thi flockis.
24 for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.
For thou schalt not haue power contynueli; but a coroun schal be youun to thee in generacioun and in to generacioun.
25 The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
Medewis ben openyd, and greene eerbis apperiden; and hey is gaderid fro hillis.
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.
Lambren be to thi clothing; and kidis be to the prijs of feeld.
27 There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
The mylke of geete suffice to thee for thi meetis; in to the necessarie thingis of thin hous, and to lijflode to thin handmaidis.
