Proverbs 22
1 Betere is a good name, than many richessis; for good grace is aboue siluer and gold.
A good name is to be chosen over great riches and 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.
Rich and poor people have this in common— Yahweh is the maker of all of them.
3 A felle man seeth yuel, and hidith him silf; and an innocent man passid, and he was turmentid bi harm.
A prudent man sees trouble and hides himself, but the naive go on and suffer because of it.
4 The ende of temperaunce is the drede of the Lord; richessis, and glorye, and lijf.
The reward for humility and fear of Yahweh is riches, 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 in the path of the perverse; whoever guards his life will keep 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.
Teach a child the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn away from that instruction.
7 A riche man comaundith to pore men; and he that takith borewyng, is the seruaunt of the leenere.
Rich people rule over poor people and one who borrows is a slave to the one who lends.
8 He that sowith wickidnes, schal repe yuels; and the yerde of his yre schal be endid.
He who sows injustice will reap trouble and the rod of his fury will fade away.
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.
The one who has a generous eye 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 away the mocker, and out goes strife; disputes and insults will cease.
11 He that loueth the clennesse of herte, schal haue the kyng a freend, for the grace of hise lippis.
The one who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious, he will have the king for his friend.
12 The iyen of the Lord kepen kunnyng; and the wordis of a wickid man ben disseyued.
The eyes of Yahweh keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the treacherous.
13 A slow man schal seie, A lioun is withoutforth; Y schal be slayn in the myddis of the stretis.
The lazy person says, “There is a lion in the street! I will be killed in the open places.”
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; Yahweh's anger is stirred up against anyone who falls 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 away.
16 He that falsli chalengith a pore man, to encreesse hise owne richessis, schal yyue to a richere man, and schal be nedi.
The one who oppresses poor people to increase his wealth, or gives to rich people, will come 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 listen to the words of the wise and apply your heart 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 will be pleasant for you if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 That thi trist be in the Lord; wherfor and Y haue schewid it to thee to dai.
So your trust may be in Yahweh, I teach them to you today—even to you.
20 Lo! Y haue discryued it in thre maneres, in thouytis and kunnyng,
Have I not written for you thirty sayings of instruction 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 teach you truth in these trustworthy words, so you may give trustworthy answers 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 rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the needy at the gate,
23 For the Lord schal deme his cause, and he schal turmente hem, that turmentiden his soule.
for Yahweh will plead their case, and he will rob of life those who robbed them.
24 Nyle thou be freend to a wrathful man, nether go thou with a wood man;
Do not make a friend of someone who is ruled by anger and you must not go with one who rages,
25 lest perauenture thou lerne hise weies, and take sclaundir to thi soule.
or you will learn his ways and you will take bait for 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 one who strikes hands in making a pledge, or who puts up security for debts.
27 what of cause is, that thou take awei hilyng fro thi bed?
If you lack the means to pay, what could stop someone from taking away your bed from under you?
28 Go thou not ouer the elde markis, whiche thi faders han set.
Do not remove the ancient boundary stone 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.
Do you see a man skilled at his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before common people.
