Proverbs 22
1 Betere is a good name, than many richessis; for good grace is aboue siluer and gold.
A good name is more desirable than great riches; favor is better than silver and gold.
2 A riche man and a pore man metten hem silf; the Lord is worchere of euer eithir.
The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is Maker of them all.
3 A felle man seeth yuel, and hidith him silf; and an innocent man passid, and he was turmentid bi harm.
The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.
4 The ende of temperaunce is the drede of the Lord; richessis, and glorye, and lijf.
The rewards of humility and the fear of the LORD are wealth and honor and life.
5 Armuris and swerdis ben in the weie of a weiward man; but the kepere of his soule goith awey fer fro tho.
Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them.
6 It is a prouerbe, A yong wexynge man bisidis his weie, and whanne he hath wexe elde, he schal not go awei fro it.
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 A riche man comaundith to pore men; and he that takith borewyng, is the seruaunt of the leenere.
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
8 He that sowith wickidnes, schal repe yuels; and the yerde of his yre schal be endid.
He who sows injustice will reap disaster, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
9 He that is redi to merci, schal be blessid; for of his looues he yaf to a pore man. He that yyueth yiftis, schal gete victorie and onour; forsothe he takith awei the soule of the takeris.
A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
10 Caste thou out a scornere, and strijf schal go out with hym; and causis and dispisyngis schulen ceesse.
Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease.
11 He that loueth the clennesse of herte, schal haue the kyng a freend, for the grace of hise lippis.
He who loves a pure heart and gracious lips will have the king for a friend.
12 The iyen of the Lord kepen kunnyng; and the wordis of a wickid man ben disseyued.
The LORD’s eyes keep watch over knowledge, but He frustrates the words of the faithless.
13 A slow man schal seie, A lioun is withoutforth; Y schal be slayn in the myddis of the stretis.
The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”
14 The mouth of an alien womman is a deep diche; he to whom the Lord is wrooth, schal falle in to it.
The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.
15 Foli is boundun togidere in the herte of a child; and a yerde of chastisyng schal dryue it awey.
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 He that falsli chalengith a pore man, to encreesse hise owne richessis, schal yyue to a richere man, and schal be nedi.
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.
17 My sone, bowe doun thin eere, and here thou the wordis of wise men; but sette thou the herte to my techyng.
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise— apply your mind to my knowledge—
18 That schal be fair to thee, whanne thou hast kept it in thin herte, and it schal flowe ayen in thi lippis.
for it is pleasing when you keep them within you and they are constantly on your lips.
19 That thi trist be in the Lord; wherfor and Y haue schewid it to thee to dai.
So that your trust may be in the LORD, I instruct you today—yes, you.
20 Lo! Y haue discryued it in thre maneres, in thouytis and kunnyng,
Have I not written for you thirty sayings about counsel and knowledge,
21 that Y schulde schewe to thee the sadnesse and spechis of trewthe; to answere of these thingis to hem, that senten thee.
to show you true and reliable words, that you may soundly answer those who sent you?
22 Do thou not violence to a pore man, for he is pore; nethir defoule thou a nedi man in the yate.
Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate,
23 For the Lord schal deme his cause, and he schal turmente hem, that turmentiden his soule.
for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.
24 Nyle thou be freend to a wrathful man, nether go thou with a wood man;
Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man,
25 lest perauenture thou lerne hise weies, and take sclaundir to thi soule.
or you may learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Nyle thou be with hem that oblischen her hondis, and that proferen hem silf borewis for dettis; for if he hath not wherof he schal restore,
Do not be one who gives pledges, who puts up security for debts.
27 what of cause is, that thou take awei hilyng fro thi bed?
If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
28 Go thou not ouer the elde markis, whiche thi faders han set.
Do not move an ancient boundary stone which your fathers have placed.
29 Thou hast seyn a man smert in his werk; he schal stonde bifore kyngis, and he schal not be bifor vnnoble men.
Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
