Proverbs 14
1 A wijs womman bildith hir hous; and an unwijs womman schal distrie with hondis an hous bildid.
Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh 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 that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways 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 rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall 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, the crib is clean: but much increase is by 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 uttereth lies.
6 A scornere sekith wisdom, and he fyndith not; the teching of prudent men is esy.
A scorner seeketh wisdom, and [findeth it] not: but knowledge is easy unto him that hath understanding.
7 Go thou ayens a man a fool; and he schal not knowe the lippis of prudence.
Go into the presence of a foolish man, and thou shalt not perceive [in him] 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 foolish make a mock at 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 a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy.
11 The hous of wickid men schal be don awei; the tabernaclis of iust men schulen buriowne.
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tent of the upright shall 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 which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
13 Leiyyng schal be medlid with sorewe; and morenyng ocupieth the laste thingis of ioye.
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of mirth is heaviness.
14 A fool schal be fillid with hise weies; and a good man schal be aboue hym.
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man [shall be satisfied] from himself.
15 An innocent man bileueth to eche word; a felle man biholdith hise goyngis.
The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
16 A wijs man dredith, and bowith awei fro yuel; a fool skippith ouer, and tristith.
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool beareth himself insolently, and is confident.
17 A man vnpacient schal worche foli; and a gileful man is odiouse.
He that is soon angry will deal foolishly: 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 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 is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
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 neighbour sinneth: but he that hath pity on the poor, happy is he.
22 thei erren that worchen yuel. Merci and treuthe maken redi goodis;
Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth [shall be to] them that devise good.
23 abundaunce `schal be in ech good werk. Sotheli where ful many wordis ben, there nedynesse is ofte.
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips [tendeth] only to penury.
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 true witness delivereth souls: but he that uttereth lies [causeth] deceit.
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 strong 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, to depart 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.
In the multitude of people is the king’s glory: but in the want of people is the destruction 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 exalteth folly.
30 Helthe of herte is the lijf of fleischis; enuye is rot of boonys.
A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy 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 reproacheth his Maker: but he that hath mercy on the needy honoureth him.
32 A wickid man is put out for his malice; but a iust man hopith in his deth.
The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
33 Wisdom restith in the herte of a wijs man; and he schal teche alle vnlerned men.
Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but [that which is] in the inward part of fools is made known.
34 Riytfulnesse reisith a folc; synne makith puplis wretchis.
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A mynystre vndurstondynge is acceptable to a kyng; a mynystre vnprofitable schal suffre the wrathfulnesse of him.
The king’s favour is toward a servant that dealeth wisely: but his wrath shall be [against] him that causeth shame.
