Proverbs 17
1 Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
乾餅一張而平安共食，勝於滿屋佳餚而互相爭吵。
2 A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
聰明的僕人必能管治任性的兒子，且可與弟兄們共分產業。
3 As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
鍋煉銀，爐煉金，上主煉人心。
4 An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
奸詐的人，愛聽胡言亂語；說謊的人，輕信是非長短。
5 He that dispisith a pore man, repreueth his maker; and he that is glad in the fallyng of another man, schal not be vnpunyschid.
嘲笑窮人的是凌辱他的造主；幸災樂禍的，必不能脫免懲罰。
6 The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.
孫兒是老人的冠冕，父親是兒女的光榮。
7 Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
優雅的言詞，不適宜於愚人；虛偽的狂語，更不宜於君王。
8 A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.
賄賂在饋贈者眼中，有如寶石；不論他要轉向何方，無往不利。
9 He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
掩飾他人的過錯，可獲得友愛；屢念舊日的過惡，則離間友誼。
10 A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
對明智人一句指責，勝過對愚昧人百次杖擊。
11 Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
暴徒只求叛亂，但有殘酷使者，奉命前來對付。
12 It spedith more to meete a femal bere, whanne the whelpis ben rauyschid, than a fool tristynge to hym silf in his foli.
寧願遇見失掉幼子的母熊，不願逢著正在發狂的愚人。
13 Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.
誰以怨報德，災禍必不離開他的家。
14 He that leeueth watir, is heed of stryues; and bifor that he suffrith wrong, he forsakith dom.
爭論的開端，如水之破堤；在激辯之前，應極加制止。
15 Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
宣判罪人無罪，判定義人有罪：二者同為上主所憎惡。
16 What profitith it to a fool to haue richessis, sithen he mai not bie wisdom? He that makith his hous hiy, sekith falling; and he that eschewith to lerne, schal falle in to yuels.
愚昧的人，既沒有頭腦，手執金錢買智慧，又何益之有﹖
17 He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
朋友平時常相愛，唯在難中見兄弟。
18 A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
常為人擊掌作保，實是個無知之徒。
19 He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
好爭辯的人，實喜愛罪過；高舉門戶的，必自趨滅亡。
20 He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.
誰存心欺詐，不會得幸福；誰搬弄是非，必陷於災禍。
21 A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
生糊塗孩子的，只有悲哀；糊塗人的父親，毫無樂趣。
22 A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
愉快的心，是良好的治療；神志憂鬱，能使筋骨枯萎。
23 A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
惡人在大衣下受賄賂，是為顛倒正義的判詞。
24 Wisdom schyneth in the face of a prudent man; the iyen of foolis ben in the endis of erthe.
精明的人，常面向智慧；愚者的眼，向地極呆望，
25 A fonned sone is the ire of the fadir, and the sorewe of the modir that gendride hym.
愚昧的兒子，是他父親的痛苦，是他生母的憂傷。
26 It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.
科罰無辜，已屬不當；杖責君子，更屬不義。
27 He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
智者必沉默寡言，達人必心神鎮定。
28 Also a foole, if he is stille, schal be gessid a wijs man; and, if he pressith togidre hise lippis, he `schal be gessid an vndurstondynge man.
愚人不發言，亦可充作智者；若謹口慎言，亦可視為哲人。
