Proverbs 14
1 A wijs womman bildith hir hous; and an unwijs womman schal distrie with hondis an hous bildid.
Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 A man goynge in riytful weie, and dredinge God, is dispisid of hym, that goith in a weie of yuel fame.
He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
3 The yerde of pride is in the mouth of a fool; the lippis of wijs men kepen hem.
The proud speech of a fool brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
4 Where oxis ben not, the cratche is void; but where ful many cornes apperen, there the strengthe of oxe is opyn.
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the ox.
5 A feithful witnesse schal not lie; a gileful witnesse bringith forth a leesing.
An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness pours forth lies.
6 A scornere sekith wisdom, and he fyndith not; the teching of prudent men is esy.
A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.
7 Go thou ayens a man a fool; and he schal not knowe the lippis of prudence.
Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech.
8 The wisdom of a fel man is to vndirstonde his weie; and the vnwarnesse of foolis errith.
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.
9 A fool scorneth synne; grace schal dwelle among iust men.
Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright.
10 The herte that knowith the bittirnesse of his soule; a straunger schal not be meddlid in the ioie therof.
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.
11 The hous of wickid men schal be don awei; the tabernaclis of iust men schulen buriowne.
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 Sotheli a weie is, that semeth iust to a man; but the laste thingis therof leden forth to deth.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
13 Leiyyng schal be medlid with sorewe; and morenyng ocupieth the laste thingis of ioye.
Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow.
14 A fool schal be fillid with hise weies; and a good man schal be aboue hym.
The backslider in heart receives the fill of his own ways, but a good man is rewarded for his ways.
15 An innocent man bileueth to eche word; a felle man biholdith hise goyngis.
The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.
16 A wijs man dredith, and bowith awei fro yuel; a fool skippith ouer, and tristith.
A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.
17 A man vnpacient schal worche foli; and a gileful man is odiouse.
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a devious man is hated.
18 Litle men of wit schulen holde foli; and felle men schulen abide kunnyng.
The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Yuel men schulen ligge bifor goode men; and vnpitouse men bifor the yatis of iust men.
The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 A pore man schal be hateful, yhe, to his neiybore; but many men ben frendis of riche men.
The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but many are those who love the rich.
21 He that dispisith his neiybore, doith synne; but he that doith merci to a pore man, schal be blessid. He that bileueth in the Lord, loueth merci;
He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.
22 thei erren that worchen yuel. Merci and treuthe maken redi goodis;
Do not those who contrive evil go astray? But those who plan goodness find loving devotion and faithfulness.
23 abundaunce `schal be in ech good werk. Sotheli where ful many wordis ben, there nedynesse is ofte.
There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The coroun of wise men is the richessis of hem; the fooli of foolis is vnwarnesse.
The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the effort of fools is folly.
25 A feithful witnesse delyuereth soulis; and a fals man bringith forth leesyngis.
A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is deceitful.
26 In the drede of the Lord is triste of strengthe; and hope schal be to the sones of it.
He who fears the LORD is secure in confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge.
27 The drede of the Lord is a welle of lijf; that it bowe awei fro the fallyng of deth.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
28 The dignite of the king is in the multitude of puple; and the schenschipe of a prince is in the fewnesse of puple.
A large population is a king’s splendor, but a lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin.
29 He that is pacient, is gouerned bi myche wisdom; but he that is vnpacient, enhaunsith his foli.
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.
30 Helthe of herte is the lijf of fleischis; enuye is rot of boonys.
A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
31 He that falsli chalengith a nedi man, dispisith his maker; but he that hath merci on a pore man, onourith that makere.
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
32 A wickid man is put out for his malice; but a iust man hopith in his deth.
The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous man has a refuge even in death.
33 Wisdom restith in the herte of a wijs man; and he schal teche alle vnlerned men.
Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; even among fools she is known.
34 Riytfulnesse reisith a folc; synne makith puplis wretchis.
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 A mynystre vndurstondynge is acceptable to a kyng; a mynystre vnprofitable schal suffre the wrathfulnesse of him.
A king delights in a wise servant, but his anger falls on the shameful.
