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, and loving favour 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 the 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.
A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
4 The ende of temperaunce is the drede of the Lord; richessis, and glorye, and lijf.
The result of humility and the fear of the LORD is wealth, honour, 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 are in the path of the wicked; whoever 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. The borrower is servant to the lender.
8 He that sowith wickidnes, schal repe yuels; and the yerde of his yre schal be endid.
He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, 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.
He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he shares his food 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 strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.
11 He that loueth the clennesse of herte, schal haue the kyng a freend, for the grace of hise lippis.
He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully is the king’s friend.
12 The iyen of the Lord kepen kunnyng; and the wordis of a wickid man ben disseyued.
The LORD’s eyes watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
13 A slow man schal seie, A lioun is withoutforth; Y schal be slayn in the myddis of the stretis.
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I will be killed 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 LORD’s wrath will fall into it.
15 Foli is boundun togidere in the herte of a child; and a yerde of chastisyng schal dryue it awey.
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child; 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.
Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both 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.
Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.
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 a pleasant thing 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.
I teach you today, even you, so that your trust may be in the LORD.
20 Lo! Y haue discryued it in thre maneres, in thouytis and kunnyng,
Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things of 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 teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones 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.
Don’t exploit the poor because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court;
23 For the Lord schal deme his cause, and he schal turmente hem, that turmentiden his soule.
for the LORD will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.
24 Nyle thou be freend to a wrathful man, nether go thou with a wood man;
Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man. Don’t associate with one who harbours anger,
25 lest perauenture thou lerne hise weies, and take sclaundir to thi soule.
lest you learn his ways and ensnare 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,
Don’t you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.
27 what of cause is, that thou take awei hilyng fro thi bed?
If you don’t have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?
28 Go thou not ouer the elde markis, whiche thi faders han set.
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone which your fathers have set up.
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 serve kings. He won’t serve obscure men.
