Proverbs 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
And by knowledge shall the chambers be 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; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.
7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
Wisdom [is] too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
The thought of foolishness [is] sin: and the scorner [is] an abomination to men.
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
[If] thou faint in the day of adversity, 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.
If thou forbear to deliver [them that are] drawn unto death, and [those that are] ready to be slain;
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 sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider [it]? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth [not] he know [it]? and shall [not] he render 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 thou honey, because [it is] good; and the honeycomb, [which is] sweet to thy 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 [shall] the knowledge of wisdom [be] unto thy soul: when thou hast found [it], then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation 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.
Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil 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 just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
Lest the LORD see [it], 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.
Fret not thyself because of evil [men], neither be thou envious 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 be no reward to the evil [man; ] the candle 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 thou the LORD and the king: [and] meddle not with them that are given to change:
22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
These [things] also [belong] to the wise. [It is] not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou [art] righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
But to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
[Every man] shall kiss [his] lips that giveth a right answer.
27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build 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 witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive [not] 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 so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man 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 went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
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 all grown over with thorns, [and] nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
Then I saw, [and] considered [it] well: I looked upon [it, and] 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;
[Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
So shall thy poverty come [as] one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
