Proverbs 16

1 It perteyneth to man to make redi the soule; and it perteyneth to the Lord to gouerne the tunge.

2 Alle the weies of men ben opyn to the iyen of God; the Lord is a weiere of spiritis.

3 Schewe thi werkys to the Lord; and thi thouytis schulen be dressid.

4 The Lord wrouyte alle thingis for hym silf; and he made redi a wickid man to the yuel dai.

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.

6 Wickidnesse is ayen bouyt bi merci and treuthe; and me bowith awei fro yuel bi the drede of the Lord.

7 Whanne the weyes of man plesen the Lord, he schal conuerte, yhe, hise enemyes to pees.

8 Betere is a litil with riytfulnesse, than many fruytis with wickidnesse.

9 The herte of a man schal dispose his weie; but it perteyneth to the Lord to dresse hise steppis.

10 Dyuynyng is in the lippis of a king; his mouth schal not erre in doom.

11 The domes of the Lord ben weiyte and a balaunce; and hise werkis ben alle the stoonys of the world.

12 Thei that don wickidli ben abhomynable to the king; for the trone of the rewme is maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.

13 The wille of kyngis is iust lippis; he that spekith riytful thingis, schal be dressid.

14 Indignacioun of the kyng is messangeris of deth; and a wijs man schal plese him.

15 Lijf is in the gladnesse of the `cheer of the king; and his merci is as a reyn comynge late.

16 Welde thou wisdom, for it is betere than gold; and gete thou prudence, for it is precyousere than siluer.

17 The path of iust men bowith awei yuelis; the kepere of his soule kepith his weie.

18 Pride goith bifore sorewe; and the spirit schal be enhaunsid byfor fallyng.

19 It is betere to be maad meke with mylde men, than to departe spuylis with proude men.

20 A lerned man in word schal fynde goodis; and he that hopith in the Lord is blessid.

21 He that is wijs in herte, schal be clepid prudent; and he that is swete in speche, schal fynde grettere thingis.

22 The welle of lijf is the lernyng of him that weldith; the techyng of foolis is foli.

23 The herte of a wijs man schal teche his mouth; and schal encreesse grace to hise lippis.

24 Wordis wel set togidere is a coomb of hony; helthe of boonys is the swetnesse of soule.

25 A weye is that semeth riytful to a man; and the laste thingis therof leden to deth.

26 The soule of a man trauelinge trauelith to hym silf; for his mouth compellide hym.

27 An vnwijs man diggith yuel; and fier brenneth in hise lippis.

28 A weiward man reisith stryues; and a man ful of wordis departith princis.

29 A wickid man flaterith his frend; and ledith hym bi a weie not good.

30 He that thenkith schrewid thingis with iyen astonyed, bitith hise lippis, and parformeth yuel.

31 A coroun of dignyte is eelde, that schal be foundun in the weies of riytfulnesse.

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.

33 Lottis ben sent into the bosum; but tho ben temperid of the Lord.