Proverbs 17
1 Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
Better a dry morsel, and peace therewith, than a house full of contentious sacrifices.
2 A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
A prudent servant, shall rule over a son who causeth shame, and, in the midst of brothers, shall he share the inheritance.
3 As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
Fining-pot for silver, crucible for gold, but, he that trieth hearts, is Yahweh.
4 An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
Discord, giveth heed to the aggrieving lip, —Falsehood, giveth ear to the destroying 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.
He that mocketh the poor, hath reproached his Maker, He that maketh merry at distress, shall not be held innocent.
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, consists of children’s children, and the adornment of children, is their fathers.
7 Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
Unseemly in an unworthy man, is the lip of excellence, much more, in one of noble mind, the lip of falsehood.
8 A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.
A gift, in the eyes of its owner, is, a stone of beauty, whithersoever it turneth, it bringeth prosperity.
9 He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
He that hideth a transgression, seeketh love, but, he that repeateth a matter, separateth intimate friends.
10 A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
A reproof sinketh more deeply into an intelligent man than a hundred stripes, into a dullard!
11 Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
Nothing less than rebellion, doth a wicked man seek, and, a relentless messenger, shall 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.
Let a bereaved bear encounter man, rather than a dullard, with his folly!
13 Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.
He that returneth 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.
A letting forth of water, is the beginning of strife, therefore, before it breaketh out, abandon, contention.
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 lawless, and he that condemneth the righteous, an abomination to Yahweh, are they, both.
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 dullard? that he who is without sense, may acquire wisdom.
17 He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
At all times, doth a friend love, and, a brother for distress, must be born.
18 A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
A man lacking sense, is one who striketh hands, giving security, before his neighbour.
19 He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
A lover of transgression, is one who loveth strife, he that heighteneth his door, seeketh grievous harm.
20 He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.
The crooked in heart, shall not find good, and, he that is perverse with his tongue, shall fall into wickedness.
21 A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
He that begetteth a dullard, it is to his own grief, neither can the father of the base, rejoice.
22 A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
A joyful heart, worketh an excellent cure, —but, a stricken spirit, drieth up the bone.
23 A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
A bribe out of his bosom, doth a lawless man take, to pervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom schyneth in the face of a prudent man; the iyen of foolis ben in the endis of erthe.
Before the face of the discerning, is wisdom, but, the eyes of a dullard, 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 vexation to his father, is the son that is a dullard, and a 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.
Surely, to chastise the righteous, is not good, to smite the noble-minded for equity.
27 He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
Sparing of his words, is one who valueth knowledge, and, of a thoughtful spirit, is a man of intelligence.
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, holding his peace, is accounted, wise, —He that closeth his lips, [is thought] to have understanding.
