Proverbs 22
1 Betere is a good name, than many richessis; for good grace is aboue siluer and gold.
A fair name is better than much wealth, and good favour is above 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 meet together; but the Lord made them both.
3 A felle man seeth yuel, and hidith him silf; and an innocent man passid, and he was turmentid bi harm.
An intelligent man seeing a bad man severely punished is himself instructed, but fools pass by and are punished.
4 The ende of temperaunce is the drede of the Lord; richessis, and glorye, and lijf.
The fear of the Lord is the offspring of wisdom, and wealth, and glory, 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.
Thistles and snares are in perverse ways; but he that keeps his soul will refrain 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.
7 A riche man comaundith to pore men; and he that takith borewyng, is the seruaunt of the leenere.
The rich will rule over the poor, and servants will lend to their own masters.
8 He that sowith wickidnes, schal repe yuels; and the yerde of his yre schal be endid.
He that sows wickedness shall reap troubles; and shall fully receive the punishment of his deeds. God loves a cheerful and liberal man; but [a man] shall fully prove the folly of his works.
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.
He that has pity on the poor shall himself be maintained; for he has given of his own bread to the poor. He that gives liberally secures victory an honour; but he takes away the life of them that posses [them].
10 Caste thou out a scornere, and strijf schal go out with hym; and causis and dispisyngis schulen ceesse.
Cast out a pestilent person from the council, and strife shall go out with him; for when he sits in the council he dishonours all.
11 He that loueth the clennesse of herte, schal haue the kyng a freend, for the grace of hise lippis.
The Lord loves holy hearts, and all blameless persons are acceptable with him: a king rules with his lips.
12 The iyen of the Lord kepen kunnyng; and the wordis of a wickid man ben disseyued.
But the eyes of the Lord preserve discretion; but the transgressor despises [wise] words.
13 A slow man schal seie, A lioun is withoutforth; Y schal be slayn in the myddis of the stretis.
The sluggard makes excuses, and says, [There is] a lion in the ways, and murderers 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 a transgressor is a deep pit; and he that is hated of the Lord shall fall into it. Evil ways are before a man, and he does not like to turn away from them; but it is needful to turn aside from a perverse and bad way.
15 Foli is boundun togidere in the herte of a child; and a yerde of chastisyng schal dryue it awey.
Folly is attached to the heart of a child, but the rod and instruction are [then] 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.
He that oppresses the poor, increases his own substance, yet gives to the rich so as to make it less.
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 to the words of wise men: hear also my word, and apply your heart,
18 That schal be fair to thee, whanne thou hast kept it in thin herte, and it schal flowe ayen in thi lippis.
that you may know that they are good: and if you lay them to heart, they shall also gladden you on your lips.
19 That thi trist be in the Lord; wherfor and Y haue schewid it to thee to dai.
That your hope may be in the Lord, and he may make your way known to you.
20 Lo! Y haue discryued it in thre maneres, in thouytis and kunnyng,
And do you too repeatedly record them for yourself on the table of your heart, for 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.
I therefore teach you truth, and knowledge good to hear; that you may answer words of truth to them that question you.
22 Do thou not violence to a pore man, for he is pore; nethir defoule thou a nedi man in the yate.
Do no violence to the poor, for he is needy: neither dishonour the helpless [man] in the gates.
23 For the Lord schal deme his cause, and he schal turmente hem, that turmentiden his soule.
For the Lord will plead his cause, and you shall deliver your soul in safety.
24 Nyle thou be freend to a wrathful man, nether go thou with a wood man;
Be not companion to a furious man; neither lodge with a passionate man:
25 lest perauenture thou lerne hise weies, and take sclaundir to thi soule.
lest you learn of his ways, and get snares to your soul.
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,
Become not surety from respect of a man's person.
27 what of cause is, that thou take awei hilyng fro thi bed?
For if those have not whence to give compensation, they will take the bed [that is] under you.
28 Go thou not ouer the elde markis, whiche thi faders han set.
Remove not the old landmarks, which your fathers placed.
29 Thou hast seyn a man smert in his werk; he schal stonde bifore kyngis, and he schal not be bifor vnnoble men.
It is fit that an observant man and [one] diligent in his business should attend on kings, and not attend on slothful men.
