Proverbs 16
1 It perteyneth to man to make redi the soule; and it perteyneth to the Lord to gouerne the tunge.
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, [is] from the LORD.
2 Alle the weies of men ben opyn to the iyen of God; the Lord is a weiere of spiritis.
All the ways of a man [are] clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
3 Schewe thi werkys to the Lord; and thi thouytis schulen be dressid.
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
4 The Lord wrouyte alle thingis for hym silf; and he made redi a wickid man to the yuel dai.
The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
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.
Every one [that is] proud in heart [is] an abomination to the LORD: [though] hand [join] in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
6 Wickidnesse is ayen bouyt bi merci and treuthe; and me bowith awei fro yuel bi the drede of the Lord.
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD [men] depart from evil.
7 Whanne the weyes of man plesen the Lord, he schal conuerte, yhe, hise enemyes to pees.
When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Betere is a litil with riytfulnesse, than many fruytis with wickidnesse.
Better [is] a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
9 The herte of a man schal dispose his weie; but it perteyneth to the Lord to dresse hise steppis.
A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
10 Dyuynyng is in the lippis of a king; his mouth schal not erre in doom.
A divine sentence [is] in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.
11 The domes of the Lord ben weiyte and a balaunce; and hise werkis ben alle the stoonys of the world.
A just weight and balance [are] the LORD’s: all the weights of the bag [are] his work.
12 Thei that don wickidli ben abhomynable to the king; for the trone of the rewme is maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.
[It is] an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.
13 The wille of kyngis is iust lippis; he that spekith riytful thingis, schal be dressid.
Righteous lips [are] the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
14 Indignacioun of the kyng is messangeris of deth; and a wijs man schal plese him.
The wrath of a king [is as] messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.
15 Lijf is in the gladnesse of the `cheer of the king; and his merci is as a reyn comynge late.
In the light of the king’s countenance [is] life; and his favour [is] as a cloud of the latter rain.
16 Welde thou wisdom, for it is betere than gold; and gete thou prudence, for it is precyousere than siluer.
How much better [is it] to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
17 The path of iust men bowith awei yuelis; the kepere of his soule kepith his weie.
The highway of the upright [is] to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
18 Pride goith bifore sorewe; and the spirit schal be enhaunsid byfor fallyng.
Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 It is betere to be maad meke with mylde men, than to departe spuylis with proude men.
Better [it is to be] of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 A lerned man in word schal fynde goodis; and he that hopith in the Lord is blessid.
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy [is] he.
21 He that is wijs in herte, schal be clepid prudent; and he that is swete in speche, schal fynde grettere thingis.
The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
22 The welle of lijf is the lernyng of him that weldith; the techyng of foolis is foli.
Understanding [is] a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools [is] folly.
23 The herte of a wijs man schal teche his mouth; and schal encreesse grace to hise lippis.
The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.
24 Wordis wel set togidere is a coomb of hony; helthe of boonys is the swetnesse of soule.
Pleasant words [are as] an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
25 A weye is that semeth riytful to a man; and the laste thingis therof leden to deth.
There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
26 The soule of a man trauelinge trauelith to hym silf; for his mouth compellide hym.
He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
27 An vnwijs man diggith yuel; and fier brenneth in hise lippis.
An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips [there is] as a burning fire.
28 A weiward man reisith stryues; and a man ful of wordis departith princis.
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
29 A wickid man flaterith his frend; and ledith hym bi a weie not good.
A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way [that is] not good.
30 He that thenkith schrewid thingis with iyen astonyed, bitith hise lippis, and parformeth yuel.
He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.
31 A coroun of dignyte is eelde, that schal be foundun in the weies of riytfulnesse.
The hoary head [is] a crown of glory, [if] it be found in the way of righteousness.
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.
[He that is] slow to anger [is] better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
33 Lottis ben sent into the bosum; but tho ben temperid of the Lord.
The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof [is] of the LORD.
