Proverbs 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.
4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.
5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
Because war is managed by due ordering: and there shall be safety where there are many counsels.
7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men.
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.
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 to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.
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 thou say: I have not strength enough: he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall render to a man according to his works.
13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:
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 also is the doctrine of wisdom to thy soul: which when thou hast found, thou shalt have hope in the end, and thy hope shall not perish.
15 Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
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 just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:
18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
Lest the Lord see, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly:
20 For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp 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 the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters.
22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?
23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment.
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
They that say to the wicked man: Thou art just: shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall abhor them.
25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.
27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.
28 Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy 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: I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to every one according to his work.
30 I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:
31 nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
And behold it was all filled with nettles, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down.
32 And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received 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;
Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest:
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man.
