Proverbs 17
1 Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than 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 wise servant shall have rule over a son that causes shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brothers.
3 As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD tries the hearts.
4 An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
A wicked doer gives heed to false lips; and a liar gives ear to a naughty 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.
Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.
6 The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.
Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
7 Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
Excellent speech becomes not a fool: much less do lying lips 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 gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that has it: wherever it turns, it prospers.
9 He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
He that covers a transgression seeks love; but he that repeats a matter separates very friends.
10 A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
A reproof enters more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
11 Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
An evil man seeks only rebellion: therefore 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.
Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
13 Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.
Whoever rewards evil for good, evil 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 when one lets out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
15 Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
He that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the just, even 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.
Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he has no heart to it?
17 He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes surety in the presence of his friend.
19 He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
He loves transgression that loves strife: and he that exalts his gate seeks destruction.
20 He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.
He that has a fraudulent heart finds no good: and he that has a perverse tongue falls into mischief.
21 A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
He that begets a fool does it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.
23 A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
A wicked man takes a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
24 Wisdom schyneth in the face of a prudent man; the iyen of foolis ben in the endis of erthe.
Wisdom is before him that has understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
25 A fonned sone is the ire of the fadir, and the sorewe of the modir that gendride hym.
A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bore him.
26 It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.
Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.
27 He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
He that has knowledge spares his words: and a man of understanding 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.
Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
