Proverbs 23
1 Whanne thou sittist, to ete with the prince, perseyue thou diligentli what thingis ben set bifore thi face,
When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
2 and sette thou a withholding in thi throte. If netheles thou hast power on thi soule,
put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.
3 desire thou not of his metis, in whom is the breed of `a leesing.
Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
4 Nyle thou trauele to be maad riche, but sette thou mesure to thi prudence.
Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
5 Reise not thin iyen to richessis, whiche thou maist not haue; for tho schulen make to hem silf pennes, as of an egle, and tho schulen flee in to heuene.
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
6 Ete thou not with an enuyouse man, and desire thou not hise metis;
Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies,
7 for at the licnesse of a fals dyuynour and of a coniectere, he gessith that, that he knowith not. He schal seie to thee, Ete thou and drinke; and his soule is not with thee.
for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
8 Thou schalt brake out the metis, whiche thou hast ete; and thou schalt leese thi faire wordis.
You will vomit up the morsel which you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
9 Speke thou not in the eeris of vnwise men; for thei schulen dispise the teching of thi speche.
Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Touche thou not the termes of litle children; and entre thou not in to the feeld of fadirles and modirles children.
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11 For the neiybore of hem is strong, and he schal deme her cause ayens thee.
for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
12 Thin herte entre to techyng, and thin eeris `be redi to the wordis of kunnyng.
Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Nile thou withdrawe chastisyng fro a child; for thouy thou smyte hym with a yerde, he schal not die.
Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mi sone, if thi soule is wijs, myn herte schal haue ioye with thee;
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine.
16 and my reynes schulen make ful out ioye, whanne thi lippis speken riytful thing.
Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Thin herte sue not synneris; but be thou in the drede of the Lord al dai.
Don’t let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear the LORD all day long.
18 For thou schalt haue hope at the laste, and thin abidyng schal not be don awei.
Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Mi sone, here thou, and be thou wijs, and dresse thi soule in the weie.
Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
20 Nyle thou be in the feestis of drinkeris, nether in the ofte etyngis of hem, that bryngen togidere fleischis to ete.
Don’t be amongst ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat;
21 For men yyuynge tent to drinkis, and yyuyng mussels togidere, schulen be waastid, and napping schal be clothid with clothis.
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
22 Here thi fadir, that gendride thee; and dispise not thi modir, whanne sche is eld.
Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
23 Bie thou treuthe, and nyle thou sille wisdom, and doctryn, and vndurstonding.
Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
24 The fadir of a iust man ioieth ful out with ioie; he that gendride a wijs man, schal be glad in hym.
The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
25 Thi fadir and thi modir haue ioye, and he that gendride thee, make ful out ioye.
Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
26 My sone, yyue thin herte to me, and thin iyen kepe my weyes.
My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
27 For an hoore is a deep diche, and an alien womman is a streit pit.
For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Sche settith aspie in the weie, as a theef; and sche schal sle hem, whiche sche schal se vnwar.
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful amongst men.
29 To whom is wo? to whos fadir is wo? to whom ben chidingis? to whom ben dichis? to whom ben woundis with out cause? to whom is puttyng out of iyen?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Whether not to hem, that dwellen in wyn, and studien to drynke al of cuppis?
Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Biholde thou not wyn, whanne it sparclith, whanne the colour therof schyneth in a ver.
Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 It entrith swetli, but at the laste it schal bite as an eddre doith, and as a cocatrice it schal schede abrood venyms.
In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
33 Thin iyen schulen se straunge wymmen, and thi herte schal speke weiwerd thingis.
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 And thou schalt be as a man slepinge in the myddis of the see, and as a gouernour aslepid, whanne the steere is lost.
Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
35 And thou schalt seie, Thei beeten me, but Y hadde not sorewe; thei drowen me, and Y feelide not; whanne schal Y wake out, and Y schal fynde wynes eft?
“They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I will look for more.”
