Proverbs 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
Have no envy for evil men, or any desire to be with them:
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
For the purposes of their hearts are destruction, and their lips are talking of trouble.
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
The building of a house is by wisdom, and by reason it is made strong:
4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
And by knowledge its rooms are full of all dear and pleasing things.
5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
A wise man is strong; and a man of knowledge makes strength greater.
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
For by wise guiding you will overcome in war: and in a number of wise guides there is salvation.
7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
Wisdom is outside the power of the foolish: he keeps his mouth shut in the public place.
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
He whose purposes are bad will be named a man of evil designs.
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
The purpose of the foolish is sin: and the hater of authority is disgusting to others.
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
If you give way in the day of trouble, your strength is small.
11 Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
Be the saviour of those who are given up to death, and do not keep back help from those who are slipping to destruction.
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.
If you say, See, we had no knowledge of this: does not the tester of hearts give thought to it? and he who keeps your soul, has he no knowledge of it? and will he not give to every man the reward of his work?
13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
My son, take honey, for it is good; and the flowing honey, which is sweet to your taste:
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.
So let your desire be for wisdom: if you have it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
Do not keep a secret watch, O evil-doer, against the fields of the upright man, or send destruction on his resting-place:
16 For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.
For an upright man, after falling seven times, will get up again: but trouble is the downfall of the evil.
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
Do not be glad at the fall of your hater, and let not your heart have joy at his downfall:
18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
For fear that the Lord may see it, and it may be evil in his eyes, and his wrath may be turned away from him.
19 Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
Do not be troubled because of evil-doers, or have envy of sinners:
20 For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
For there will be no future for the evil man; the light of sinners will be put out.
21 My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
My son, go in fear of the Lord and the king: have nothing to do with those who are in high positions:
22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
For their downfall will come suddenly; and who has knowledge of the destruction of those in high positions?
23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
These are more sayings of the wise: To have respect for a person's position when judging is not good.
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
He who says to the evil-doer, You are upright, will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.
25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
But those who say sharp words to him will have delight, and a blessing of good will come on them.
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
He gives a kiss with his lips who gives a right answer.
27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
Put your work in order outside, and make it ready in the field; and after that, see to the building of your house.
28 Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
Do not be a violent witness against your neighbour, or let your lips say what is false.
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.
Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will give the man the reward of his work.
30 I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
I went by the field of the hater of work, and by the vine-garden of the man without sense;
31 nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
And it was all full of thorns, and covered with waste plants, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
Then looking at it, I gave thought: I saw, and I got teaching from it.
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;
A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
So loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man.
