Proverbs 17
1 Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
Better is a piece of dry bread, and quiet therewith, than a house full of the sacrifices of contention.
2 A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
An intelligent servant will have rule over a son that bringeth shame, and among the brothers will he have part of the inheritance.
3 As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but the Lord probeth the hearts.
4 An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
An evil-doer listeneth to unjust lips: falsehood giveth ear to a tongue that bringeth destruction.
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.
Whoso mocketh the poor blasphemeth his Maker: he that is glad at calamities will not remain unpunished.
6 The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.
The crown of old men are children's children; and the ornament of children are their fathers.
7 Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
High-toned language is not seemly to a worthless fool: and yet much less the language of falsehood to a noble.
8 A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.
As a precious stone appeareth a bribe in the eyes of him that obtaineth it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
9 He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth confident friends.
10 A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
A reproof penetrateth more deeply into a wise man, than a hundred stripes into a fool.
11 Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
Only rebellion doth a bad man seek: therefore a cruel messenger will be sent out 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.
A man may meet a she-bear robbed of her whelps, but not a fool in his folly.
13 Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.
Whoso bestoweth evil in return 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.
As one letteth loose [a stream] of water, so is the beginning of strife: therefore before it be enkindled, leave off the contest.
15 Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
He that declareth the wicked innocent, and he that condemneth the righteous, yea, both of them are equally an 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 the purchase-money in the hand of a fool to acquire wisdom, seeing he hath no sense?
17 He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
A friend loveth at all times, and as a brother is he born for [the time of] distress.
18 A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
A man void of sense pledgeth his hand, and becometh surety for his friend.
19 He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
He loveth transgression that loveth quarrel; and he that maketh high his door seeketh 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 hath a froward heart will not find happiness; and he that hath a perverse tongue will fall into evil.
21 A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
He that begetteth a fool [doth it] to his sorrow; and the father of a worthless fool cannot have any joy.
22 A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
A merry heart causeth a healthy appearance of the countenance, but a depressed spirit drieth up the bones.
23 A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
A wicked man taketh a bribe out of the bosom, to pervert the paths of justice.
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 hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are at 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 vexation to his father, and bitterness to her that hath born him.
26 It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.
To punish the just with a fine even is not good, nor to strike the noble [-hearted] for [their] equity.
27 He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
He that holdeth back his speeches hath knowledge; and he that is sparing of his spirit is a man of understanding.
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 keepeth silence, is counted wise: he that shutteth his lips [is esteemed] a man of understanding.
