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 the 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 his uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is perverse 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 fool’s talk 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 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 truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.
6 A scornere sekith wisdom, and he fyndith not; the teching of prudent men is esy.
A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
7 Go thou ayens a man a fool; and he schal not knowe the lippis of prudence.
Stay away from a foolish man, for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.
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 think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.
9 A fool scorneth synne; grace schal dwelle among iust men.
Fools mock at making atonement for sins, but amongst 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 knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.
11 The hous of wickid men schal be don awei; the tabernaclis of iust men schulen buriowne.
The house of the wicked will be overthrown, 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 which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
13 Leiyyng schal be medlid with sorewe; and morenyng ocupieth the laste thingis of ioye.
Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.
14 A fool schal be fillid with hise weies; and a good man schal be aboue hym.
The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
15 An innocent man bileueth to eche word; a felle man biholdith hise goyngis.
A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.
16 A wijs man dredith, and bowith awei fro yuel; a fool skippith ouer, and tristith.
A wise man fears and shuns evil, but the fool is hot headed and reckless.
17 A man vnpacient schal worche foli; and a gileful man is odiouse.
He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, and a crafty 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 down 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 person is shunned even by his own neighbour, but the rich person has 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 who despises his neighbour sins, but he who has pity on the poor is blessed.
22 thei erren that worchen yuel. Merci and treuthe maken redi goodis;
Don’t they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
23 abundaunce `schal be in ech good werk. Sotheli where ful many wordis ben, there nedynesse is ofte.
In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips 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 riches, but the folly of fools crowns them with folly.
25 A feithful witnesse delyuereth soulis; and a fals man bringith forth leesyngis.
A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.
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 a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children.
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 people 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 lack 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 who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
30 Helthe of herte is the lijf of fleischis; enuye is rot of boonys.
The life of the body is a heart at peace, 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.
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honours him.
32 A wickid man is put out for his malice; but a iust man hopith in his deth.
The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
33 Wisdom restith in the herte of a wijs man; and he schal teche alle vnlerned men.
Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.
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.
The king’s favour is towards a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath is towards one who causes shame.
