Proverbs 17
1 Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
Better is a dry morsell, if peace be with it, then an house full of sacrifices with strife.
2 A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
A discrete seruant shall haue rule ouer a lewde sonne, and hee shall deuide the heritage among the brethren.
3 As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
As is the fining pot for siluer, and the fornace for golde, so the Lord trieth the heartes.
4 An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
The wicked giueth heed to false lippes, and a lyer hearkeneth to the naughtie tongue.
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.
Hee that mocketh the poore, reprocheth him, that made him: and he that reioyceth at destruction, shall not be vnpunished.
6 The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.
Childres children are the crowne of the elders: and the glory of ye children are their fathers.
7 Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
Hie talke becommeth not a foole, much lesse a lying talke a prince.
8 A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.
A rewarde is as a stone pleasant in the eyes of them that haue it: it prospereth, whithersoeuer it turneth.
9 He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
Hee that couereth a transgression, seeketh loue: but hee that repeateth a matter, separateth the prince.
10 A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
A reproofe entereth more into him that hath vnderstanding, then an hundreth stripes into a foole.
11 Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
A sedicious person seeketh onely euill, and a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
12 It spedith more to meete a femal bere, whanne the whelpis ben rauyschid, than a fool tristynge to hym silf in his foli.
It is better for a man to meete a beare robbed of her whelpes, then a foole in his follie.
13 Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.
He that rewardeth euil for good, euil shall not depart from his house.
14 He that leeueth watir, is heed of stryues; and bifor that he suffrith wrong, he forsakith dom.
The beginning of strife is as one that openeth the waters: therefore or the contention be medled with, leaue off.
15 Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
He that iustifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the iust, euen they both are abomination to the Lord.
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.
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of the foole to get wisdome, and he hath none heart?
17 He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
A friende loueth at all times: and a brother is borne for aduersitie.
18 A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
A man destitute of vnderstanding, toucheth the hande, and becommeth suretie for his neighbour.
19 He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
He loueth transgression, that loueth strife: and he that exalteth his gate, seeketh destruction.
20 He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.
The froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a naughtie tongue, shall fall into euill.
21 A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
He that begetteth a foole, getteth himselfe sorow, and the father of a foole can haue no ioy.
22 A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
A ioyfull heart causeth good health: but a sorowfull minde dryeth the bones.
23 A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosome to wrest the wayes of iudgement.
24 Wisdom schyneth in the face of a prudent man; the iyen of foolis ben in the endis of erthe.
Wisdome is in the face of him that hath vnderstanding: but the eyes of a foole are in the corners of the world.
25 A fonned sone is the ire of the fadir, and the sorewe of the modir that gendride hym.
A foolish sonne is a griefe vnto his father, and a heauines to her that bare him.
26 It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.
Surely it is not good to condemne the iust, nor that ye princes should smite such for equitie.
27 He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
Hee that hath knowledge, spareth his wordes, and a man of vnderstanding is of an excellent spirit.
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.
Euen a foole (when he holdeth his peace) is counted wise, and hee that stoppeth his lips, prudent.
