Proverbs 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
[My] son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them.
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs.
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding.
4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth.
5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.
7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed [men].
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness [attaches] to a pestilent man.
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.
11 Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not [your help].
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.
But if you should say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.
13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
[My] son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that your throat may be sweetened.
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.
Thus shall you perceive wisdom in your soul: for if you find it, your end shall be good, and hope shall not fail you.
15 Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.
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 a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise [again]: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
If your enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.
18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
For the Lord will see [it], and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.
19 Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.
20 For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
[My] son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.
22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance [inflicted] by both?
23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
And this thing I say to you that are wise [for you] to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgement.
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful amongst the nations.
25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
But they that reprove [him] shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
and [men] will kiss lips that answer well.
27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
Prepare your works for [your] going forth, and prepare yourself for the field; and come after me, and you shall rebuild your house.
28 Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
Be not a false witness against your [fellow] citizen, neither exaggerate with your lips.
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, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, and I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.
30 I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.
31 nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
If you let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; and he becomes destitute, and his stone walls are broken down.
32 And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.
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;
[The sluggard says, ]I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across [my] breast.
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
But if you do this, your poverty will come speedily; and your lack like a swift courier.
