Proverbs 16
1 It perteyneth to man to make redi the soule; and it perteyneth to the Lord to gouerne the tunge.
內心策劃在於人，應允卻在於上主。
2 Alle the weies of men ben opyn to the iyen of God; the Lord is a weiere of spiritis.
對自己的行為，人都自覺無瑕；但審察心靈的，卻是上主。
3 Schewe thi werkys to the Lord; and thi thouytis schulen be dressid.
將你的作為委託於上主，這樣你的計劃必會成功。
4 The Lord wrouyte alle thingis for hym silf; and he made redi a wickid man to the yuel dai.
上主所造的各有其用意，連惡人也有不幸的一日。
5 Abhomynacioun of the Lord is ech proude man; yhe, thouy the hond is to the hond, he schal not be innocent. The bigynnyng of good weie is to do riytwisnesse; forsothe it is more acceptable at God, than to offre sacrifices.
居心傲慢的，上主必厭惡；這一類的人，逃不掉懲罰。
6 Wickidnesse is ayen bouyt bi merci and treuthe; and me bowith awei fro yuel bi the drede of the Lord.
藉慈善忠誠，可補贖罪過；藉敬畏上主，可避免罪惡。
7 Whanne the weyes of man plesen the Lord, he schal conuerte, yhe, hise enemyes to pees.
世人的行徑，若中悅上主，他必使仇敵，再與他和好。
8 Betere is a litil with riytfulnesse, than many fruytis with wickidnesse.
收入少而守正義，勝於進款多而行不義。
9 The herte of a man schal dispose his weie; but it perteyneth to the Lord to dresse hise steppis.
人心裏都策劃自己的行徑；但他的步伐卻由上主支配。
10 Dyuynyng is in the lippis of a king; his mouth schal not erre in doom.
神明的斷語，出自君王口；他口下判斷，必不致差錯。
11 The domes of the Lord ben weiyte and a balaunce; and hise werkis ben alle the stoonys of the world.
天秤和稱盤，屬上主所有；囊中的法碼，全由他制定。
12 Thei that don wickidli ben abhomynable to the king; for the trone of the rewme is maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.
君王最厭惡的是作惡，因為王位賴正義而立。
13 The wille of kyngis is iust lippis; he that spekith riytful thingis, schal be dressid.
正義的唇舌，為君王所喜悅；說話正直者，為君王所愛戴。
14 Indignacioun of the kyng is messangeris of deth; and a wijs man schal plese him.
君王的震怒，是死訊的使者；但是智慧人，能平息王怒。
15 Lijf is in the gladnesse of the `cheer of the king; and his merci is as a reyn comynge late.
君王容光煥發，人即可活命；君王的恩澤，有如春雲時雨。
16 Welde thou wisdom, for it is betere than gold; and gete thou prudence, for it is precyousere than siluer.
獲得智慧，勝於獲得黃金；獲得智慧，勝於獲得白銀。
17 The path of iust men bowith awei yuelis; the kepere of his soule kepith his weie.
正直人的行徑遠離邪惡，謹守行為的人必確保生命。
18 Pride goith bifore sorewe; and the spirit schal be enhaunsid byfor fallyng.
驕橫是滅亡的先聲，傲慢是隕落的前導。
19 It is betere to be maad meke with mylde men, than to departe spuylis with proude men.
謙下與貧民共處，勝於與驕傲人分贓。
20 A lerned man in word schal fynde goodis; and he that hopith in the Lord is blessid.
細聽勸言的，必將受益；信賴上主的，真是有福。
21 He that is wijs in herte, schal be clepid prudent; and he that is swete in speche, schal fynde grettere thingis.
有慧心的人，被稱為哲人；溫和的口吻，更具說服力。
22 The welle of lijf is the lernyng of him that weldith; the techyng of foolis is foli.
為有智識的人，智識是生命的泉源；然而糊塗愚昧，卻是愚昧人的懲罰。
23 The herte of a wijs man schal teche his mouth; and schal encreesse grace to hise lippis.
智慧人的心，使自己的嘴靈巧，使自己的唇舌，更具說服力。
24 Wordis wel set togidere is a coomb of hony; helthe of boonys is the swetnesse of soule.
親切的言語，有如蜂蜜，使心靈愉快，使筋骨舒暢。
25 A weye is that semeth riytful to a man; and the laste thingis therof leden to deth.
有些道路，看來正直；走到盡頭，卻是死路。
26 The soule of a man trauelinge trauelith to hym silf; for his mouth compellide hym.
工人的胃口，催他勞作；工人的口腹，迫他工作。
27 An vnwijs man diggith yuel; and fier brenneth in hise lippis.
無賴之徒，圖謀邪惡；他的嘴上，似有火燒。
28 A weiward man reisith stryues; and a man ful of wordis departith princis.
乖戾的人，撒播爭端；告密的人，離間友情。
29 A wickid man flaterith his frend; and ledith hym bi a weie not good.
強橫的人，誘惑朋友；引他走入不正之徒。
30 He that thenkith schrewid thingis with iyen astonyed, bitith hise lippis, and parformeth yuel.
誰緊閉眼睛，是在策劃陰謀；誰緊咬口唇，邪惡業已完成。
31 A coroun of dignyte is eelde, that schal be foundun in the weies of riytfulnesse.
皓首白髮，是尊榮的冠冕；只在正義的道上，方可獲得。
32 A pacient man is betere than a stronge man; and he that `is lord of his soule, is betere than an ouercomere of citees.
有涵養的人，勝於勇士；克服自己的人，勝於克城的人。
33 Lottis ben sent into the bosum; but tho ben temperid of the Lord.
人儘可在懷中抽籤，但決斷卻在乎上主。
