Proverbs 1
1 The parablis of Salomon, the sone of Dauid, king of Israel;
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
2 to kunne wisdom and kunnyng;
for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
3 to vndurstonde the wordis of prudence; and to take the lernyng of teching; to take riytfulnesse, and dom, and equyte;
and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
4 that felnesse be youun to litle children, and kunnyng, and vndurstonding to a yong wexynge man.
To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
5 A wise man heringe schal be wisere; and a man vndurstondinge schal holde gouernails.
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
6 He schal perseyue a parable, and expownyng; the wordis of wise men, and the derk figuratif spechis of hem.
by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The drede of the Lord is the bigynning of wisdom; foolis dispisen wisdom and teching.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 My sone, here thou the teching of thi fadir, and forsake thou not the lawe of thi modir;
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
9 that grace be addid, ethir encreessid, to thin heed, and a bie to thi necke.
For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
10 Mi sone, if synneris flateren thee, assente thou not to hem.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
11 If thei seien, Come thou with vs, sette we aspies to blood, hide we snaris of disseitis ayens an innocent without cause;
If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
12 swolowe we him, as helle swolowith a man lyuynge; and al hool, as goynge doun in to a lake; we schulen fynde al preciouse catel, (Sheol h7585)
let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 we schulen fille oure housis with spuylis; sende thou lot with vs,
We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
14 o purs be of vs alle;
Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
15 my sone, go thou not with hem; forbede thi foot fro the pathis of hem.
my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
16 For the feet of hem rennen to yuel; and thei hasten to schede out blood.
For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
17 But a net is leid in veyn bifore the iyen of briddis, that han wengis.
How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
18 Also `thilke wickid disseyueris setten aspies ayens her owne blood; and maken redi fraudis ayens her soulis.
But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19 So the pathis of ech auerouse man rauyschen the soulis of hem that welden.
Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
20 Wisdom prechith with outforth; in stretis it yyueth his vois.
Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
21 It crieth ofte in the heed of cumpenyes; in the leeues of yatis of the citee it bringith forth hise wordis,
in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
22 and seith, Hou long, ye litle men in wit, louen yong childhod, and foolis schulen coueyte tho thingis, that ben harmful to hem silf, and vnprudent men schulen hate kunnyng?
“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
23 Be ye conuertid at my repreuyng; lo, Y schal profre forth to you my spirit, and Y schal schewe my wordis.
If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
24 For Y clepide, and ye forsoken; Y helde forth myn hond, and noon was that bihelde.
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
25 Ye dispisiden al my councel; and chargiden not my blamyngis.
because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
26 And Y schal leiye in youre perisching; and Y schal scorne you, whanne that, that ye dreden, cometh to you.
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
27 Whanne sodeyne wretchidnesse fallith in, and perisching bifallith as tempest; whanne tribulacioun and angwisch cometh on you.
when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
28 Thanne thei schulen clepe me, and Y schal not here; thei schulen rise eerli, and thei schulen not fynde me.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
29 For thei hatiden teching, and thei token not the drede of the Lord,
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
30 nether assentiden to my councel, and depraueden al myn amendyng.
They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
31 Therfor thei schulen ete the fruytis of her weie; and thei schulen be fillid with her counseils.
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 The turnyng awei of litle men in wit schal sle hem; and the prosperite of foolis schal leese hem.
For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But he that herith me, schal reste with outen drede; and he schal vse abundaunce, whanne the drede of yuels is takun awei.
But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
