Proverbs 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
Be not thou enuious against euill men, neither desire to be with them.
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
For their heart imagineth destruction, and their lippes speake mischiefe.
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
Through wisdome is an house builded, and with vnderstanding it is established.
4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
And by knowledge shall the chambers bee filled with all precious, and pleasant riches.
5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
A wise man is strong: for a man of vnderstanding encreaseth his strength.
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
For with counsel thou shalt enterprise thy warre, and in the multitude of them that can giue counsell, is health.
7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
Wisdome is hie to a foole: therefore he can not open his mouth in the gate.
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
Hee that imagineth to doe euill, men shall call him an autour of wickednes.
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
The wicked thought of a foole is sinne, and the scorner is an abomination vnto men.
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
If thou bee faint in the day of aduersitie, thy strength is small.
11 Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
Deliuer them that are drawen to death: wilt thou not preserue them that are led to be slaine?
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, Beholde, we knew not of it: he that pondereth the heartes, doeth not hee vnderstand it? and hee that keepeth thy soule, knoweth he it not? will not he also recompense euery man according to his workes?
13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
My sonne, eate hony, for it is good, and the hony combe, for it is sweete vnto thy mouth.
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 shall the knowledge of wisdome be vnto thy soule, if thou finde it, and there shall be an ende, and thine hope shall not be cut off.
15 Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
Laye no waite, O wicked man, against the house of the righteous, and spoyle not 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 a iust man falleth seuen times, and riseth againe: but the wicked fall into mischiefe.
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth, and let not thine heart reioyce when hee stumbleth,
18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
Least the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turne his wrath from him.
19 Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
Fret not thy selfe because of the malicious, neither be enuious at the wicked.
20 For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
For there shall bee none ende of plagues to the euill man: the light of the wicked shall bee put out.
21 My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
My sonne feare the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are sedicious.
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 ruine of them both?
23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
ALSO THESE THINGS PERTEINE TO THE WISE, It is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement.
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, and the multitude shall abhorre him.
25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
But to them that rebuke him, shall be pleasure, and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse.
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
They shall kisse the lippes of him that answereth vpright wordes.
27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
Prepare thy worke without, and make readie thy thinges in the fielde, and after, builde thine 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 witnes against thy neighbour without cause: for wilt thou deceiue with thy lippes?
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 wil doe to him, as he hath done to mee, I will recompence euery man according to his worke.
30 I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
I passed by the fielde of the slouthfull, and by the vineyarde of the man destitute of vnderstanding.
31 nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
And lo, it was al growen ouer with thornes, and nettles had couered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken downe.
32 And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
Then I behelde, and I considered it well: I looked vpon it, and receiued 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;
Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the handes to sleepe.
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
So thy pouertie commeth as one that traueileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.
