Proverbs 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
你不要妒忌作惡的人，不要希求與他們共處；
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
因為他們的心靈，只圖謀不軌；他們的嘴唇，只講論是非。
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
因著智慧，家庭得以興建；因著明智，家庭得以穩定。
4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
各種珍奇可愛的寶物，因著智識可儲藏滿室。
5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
智慧人勝於壯士，明智人強於勇士；
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
因為作戰須有智謀，勝利在於謀士眾多。
7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
為愚昧的人，智慧太高妙；他在城門口，只好不開口。
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
籌劃作惡的人，可稱為陰險家。
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
愚人的計謀只是罪惡；狂妄的人為人所憎惡。
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
你若萎靡不振，到災難的日子，必然氣竭力盡。
11 Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
被帶去受死的人，你應拯救他；行將被殺戮的人，你要挽救他。
12 If thou seist, Strengthis suffisen not; he that is biholdere of the herte, vndirstondith, and no thing disseyueth the kepere of thi soule, and he schal yelde to a man bi hise werkis.
或許你要說：「看! 我全不知道! 」難道那權衡人心的能不明瞭﹖難道監察你心靈的能不知道﹖他必按每人的作為還報每人。
13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
我兒，你要吃蜜，因為蜜好；蜂房的蜜，香甜可口。
14 `So and the techyng of wisdom is good to thi soule; and whanne thou hast founde it, thou schalt haue hope in the laste thingis, and thin hope schal not perische.
對你的靈魂，智慧也是這樣：你找得了她，必有好前途；你所希望的，決不會落空。
15 Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
惡惡人對義人的家，不要圖謀不軌；對他的住所，不要加以破壞；
16 For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.
因為義人雖七次跌倒，仍然要起來；但是惡人一失足，必陷禍患中。
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
你的仇人跌倒，且不要高興；他若失足摔倒，且不要心喜；
18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
免得上主看見而不快，因而撤消對他的忿怒。
19 Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
對作惡的人，你不要動怒；對乖戾之徒，也不必嫉妒；
20 For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
因為惡人終沒有好前途，惡人的燈必要熄滅。
21 My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
我兒，上主和君王，你都要敬畏；對他們二者，皆不可觸怒；
22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
因為他們的懲罰可突然而至；他們的摧殘，有誰能知曉﹖
23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
以下是智者的箴言：在判案時，顧及情面，決不公平。
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
誰對惡人說：「你是正義的。」人民必罵他，百姓必恨他。
25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
按公道加罰的，必事事順遂；美好的祝福，必臨於其身。
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
應答適宜的人，宛如與人接吻。
27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
你要先在外經營好事業，在田間將工作準備停當，然後纔可建立你的家室。
28 Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
不要輕易作證，反對你的近人；也不要以你的口舌，欺騙他人。
29 Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk.
不可說：「人怎樣待我，我怎樣待人；照人之所行，我向他還報。」
30 I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
我走過懶惰人的田地，經過愚昧人的葡萄園：
31 nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
看，到處是荊棘，滿地是蒺黎，石牆也倒了!
32 And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
我看了，便心下自思；我見了，取得了教訓：「
33 Hou longe slepist thou, slow man? whanne schalt thou ryse fro sleep? Sotheli thou schalt slepe a litil, thou schalt nappe a litil, thou schalt ioyne togidere the hondis a litil, to take reste;
再睡片刻，再假寐片刻，再抱臂躺臥片刻」──
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
這樣，貧窮就要如同竊賊，困乏也要如同武士，向你侵襲。
