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 feasting with strife.
2 A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
A servant that dealeth wisely shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part in the inheritance among the brethren.
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 trieth the hearts.
4 An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
An evil-doer giveth heed to wicked lips; [and] a liar giveth ear to a mischievous 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.
Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: [and] he that is glad at calamity 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 becometh 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 hath 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 harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends.
10 A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
A rebuke entereth deeper into one that hath understanding 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 seeketh 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.
Whoso rewardeth 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 letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before there be quarrelling.
15 Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the righteous, both of them alike are 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 there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, seeing he hath no understanding?
17 He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
A friend loveth 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 striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his neighbour.
19 He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
He loveth transgression that loveth strife: he that raiseth high 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.
He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.
21 A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
22 A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
A merry heart is a good medicine: but a broken 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 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 the face of him that hath 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 bare 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 righteous is not good, [nor] to smite the noble for [their] uprightness.
27 He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
He that spareth his words hath knowledge: and he that is of a cool 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 holdeth his peace, is counted wise: when he shutteth his lips, he is [esteemed as] prudent.
