Proverbs 14
1 A wijs womman bildith hir hous; and an unwijs womman schal distrie with hondis an hous bildid.
The wise among women buildeth her house; but the foolish pulleth 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.
In his uprightness walketh he that feareth the Lord; but perverse in his ways is he that despiseth him.
3 The yerde of pride is in the mouth of a fool; the lippis of wijs men kepen hem.
In the mouth of the foolish is a stick [for his] pride; but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where oxis ben not, the cratche is void; but where ful many cornes apperen, there the strengthe of oxe is opyn.
Where no oxen are, is the crib clean; but the abundance of harvests is [only] through the strength of the ox.
5 A feithful witnesse schal not lie; a gileful witnesse bringith forth a leesing.
A faithful witness will not lie; but a false witness constantly uttereth lies.
6 A scornere sekith wisdom, and he fyndith not; the teching of prudent men is esy.
A scorner seeketh wisdom, and there is none; but knowledge is easy to the man of understanding.
7 Go thou ayens a man a fool; and he schal not knowe the lippis of prudence.
Go far away from a foolish man, else thou wilt [never] know the lips of knowledge.
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 understand his way; but the folly of fools is deceit.
9 A fool scorneth synne; grace schal dwelle among iust men.
The fool maketh a mockery of guilt; but among the upright there is good will.
10 The herte that knowith the bittirnesse of his soule; a straunger schal not be meddlid in the ioie therof.
The heart knoweth its own bitterness; and with its joy can no stranger intermeddle.
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 many a way which seemeth even before a man; but its end are ways unto death.
13 Leiyyng schal be medlid with sorewe; and morenyng ocupieth the laste thingis of ioye.
Even in laughter the heart feeleth pain; and at its end joy is sorrow.
14 A fool schal be fillid with hise weies; and a good man schal be aboue hym.
The backslider in heart will have enough of his own ways; and from him [departeth] the good men.
15 An innocent man bileueth to eche word; a felle man biholdith hise goyngis.
The simple believeth every word; but the prudent man understandeth his steps.
16 A wijs man dredith, and bowith awei fro yuel; a fool skippith ouer, and tristith.
A wise man is fearful, and departeth from evil; but the fool exciteth himself, and is confident.
17 A man vnpacient schal worche foli; and a gileful man is odiouse.
He that is soon angry committeth folly; and a man of wicked devices is hated.
18 Litle men of wit schulen holde foli; and felle men schulen abide kunnyng.
The simple inherit folly; but the prudent crown themselves with knowledge.
19 Yuel men schulen ligge bifor goode men; and vnpitouse men bifor the yatis of iust men.
The bad sink down before the good; and the wicked are 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.
Even to his own neighbor is the poor man hateful; but the friends of the rich are many.
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 that despiseth his neighbor is a sinner; but he that is gracious to the poor—happiness attend him!
22 thei erren that worchen yuel. Merci and treuthe maken redi goodis;
Behold, those who contrive evil are in error; but kindness and truth attend on those who contrive what is good.
23 abundaunce `schal be in ech good werk. Sotheli where ful many wordis ben, there nedynesse is ofte.
In all painful labor there is profit; but mere words of the lips [lead] only to want.
24 The coroun of wise men is the richessis of hem; the fooli of foolis is vnwarnesse.
The crown of the wise is their riches; but the folly of fools is [only] folly.
25 A feithful witnesse delyuereth soulis; and a fals man bringith forth leesyngis.
A deliverer of souls is the true witness; but a witness of deceit uttereth lies.
26 In the drede of the Lord is triste of strengthe; and hope schal be to the sones of it.
In the fear of the Lord is the strong confidence [of man], and unto his children will it be a place of shelter.
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 the source of life, [teaching] to avoid 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.
In the multitude of people is the king's glory; but in the want of a population is the downfall of the prince.
29 He that is pacient, is gouerned bi myche wisdom; but he that is vnpacient, enhaunsith his foli.
He that is slow to anger is of great understanding; but he that is hasty of spirit holdeth up [to view] his folly.
30 Helthe of herte is the lijf of fleischis; enuye is rot of boonys.
A sound heart is the life of the body; but jealousy is the rottenness of 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.
He that oppresseth the poor blasphemeth his Maker; but he that is gracious to the needy honoreth him.
32 A wickid man is put out for his malice; but a iust man hopith in his deth.
Through his own evil is the wicked thrust down; but even in his death doth the righteous have confidence.
33 Wisdom restith in the herte of a wijs man; and he schal teche alle vnlerned men.
In the heart of the man of understanding resteth wisdom: but [the little which is] in the bosom of fools is made known.
34 Riytfulnesse reisith a folc; synne makith puplis wretchis.
Righteousness exalteth a people; but the disgrace of nations is sin.
35 A mynystre vndurstondynge is acceptable to a kyng; a mynystre vnprofitable schal suffre the wrathfulnesse of him.
The king's favor is bestowed on an intelligent servant; but his wrath is against him that deserveth shame.
