Proverbs 22
1 Betere is a good name, than many richessis; for good grace is aboue siluer and gold.
A good name is better than many riches. And good esteem 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 poor have met one another. The Lord is the maker of them both.
3 A felle man seeth yuel, and hidith him silf; and an innocent man passid, and he was turmentid bi harm.
The clever saw evil and hid himself. The innocent continued on and was afflicted with damage.
4 The ende of temperaunce is the drede of the Lord; richessis, and glorye, and lijf.
The end of moderation is the fear of the Lord, riches 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.
Weapons and swords are on the way of the perverse. But he who guards his own soul withdraws 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.
The proverb is: A youth is close to his way; even when he is old, he will not withdraw 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 servant to the lender.
8 He that sowith wickidnes, schal repe yuels; and the yerde of his yre schal be endid.
Whoever sows iniquity will reap evils, and by the rod of his own wrath he will be consumed.
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.
Whoever is inclined to mercy shall be blessed, for from his bread he has given to the poor. Whoever gives gifts will acquire victory and honor. But he carries away the soul of the receiver.
10 Caste thou out a scornere, and strijf schal go out with hym; and causis and dispisyngis schulen ceesse.
Cast out the one who ridicules, and conflict will go out with him, and accusations and insults will cease.
11 He that loueth the clennesse of herte, schal haue the kyng a freend, for the grace of hise lippis.
Whoever loves cleanness of heart, because of the grace of his lips, will have the king as his friend.
12 The iyen of the Lord kepen kunnyng; and the wordis of a wickid man ben disseyued.
The eyes of the Lord watch over knowledge. And the words of the iniquitous are supplanted.
13 A slow man schal seie, A lioun is withoutforth; Y schal be slayn in the myddis of the stretis.
The lazy one says: “There is a lion outside. I might be slain in the midst of 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 foreign woman is a deep pit; the Lord was angry with him who 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 has been bound to the heart of a child, and a rod of discipline shall cause it to flee.
16 He that falsli chalengith a pore man, to encreesse hise owne richessis, schal yyue to a richere man, and schal be nedi.
Whoever slanders the poor, so as to augment his own riches, will give it away to one who is richer, and will be in need.
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 listen to the words of the wise. Then apply your heart to my doctrine.
18 That schal be fair to thee, whanne thou hast kept it in thin herte, and it schal flowe ayen in thi lippis.
It shall be beautiful to you, if you preserve it in your inner self, and it shall overflow from your lips,
19 That thi trist be in the Lord; wherfor and Y haue schewid it to thee to dai.
so that your confidence may be in the Lord. Therefore, I also have revealed it to you this day.
20 Lo! Y haue discryued it in thre maneres, in thouytis and kunnyng,
Behold, I have written it for you in three ways, and with meditations 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.
so that I might reveal to you, firmly and with words of truth, in order to respond about these things to 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 act with violence toward the pauper because he is poor. And do not weary the needy at the gate.
23 For the Lord schal deme his cause, and he schal turmente hem, that turmentiden his soule.
For the Lord will judge his case, and he will pierce those who have pierced his soul.
24 Nyle thou be freend to a wrathful man, nether go thou with a wood man;
Do not be willing to be a friend to an angry man, and do not walk with a furious man,
25 lest perauenture thou lerne hise weies, and take sclaundir to thi soule.
lest perhaps you learn his ways, and take up a stumbling block 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,
Do not be willing to be with those who certify with their hands, and who offer themselves as a guarantee against debts.
27 what of cause is, that thou take awei hilyng fro thi bed?
For if you do not have the means to restore, what reason should there be for him to take the covering from your bed?
28 Go thou not ouer the elde markis, whiche thi faders han set.
Do not cross beyond the ancient limits that your fathers have set.
29 Thou hast seyn a man smert in his werk; he schal stonde bifore kyngis, and he schal not be bifor vnnoble men.
Have you seen a man swift in his work? He shall stand in the sight of kings, and not before those who are disreputable.
