Proverbs 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
Do not be envious of those who are evil, nor desire to associate with them,
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
because their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about trouble.
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
Through wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established.
4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
A warrior of wisdom is strong, and a man of knowledge increases his strength;
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
for by wise direction you can wage your war and with many advisors there is victory.
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 does not open his mouth.
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
There is one who plans to do evil— people call him a master of schemes.
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
A foolish plan is sin and men despise a mocker.
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
If you become weak with fear in the day of trouble, then 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.
Rescue those who are being taken away to death and hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter.
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, “Behold, we knew nothing about this,” does not the one who weighs the heart understand what you are saying? The one who guards your life, does he not know it? Will God not give to each one what he deserves?
13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
My son, eat honey because it is good, because the drippings of the honeycomb are 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.
Such is wisdom for your soul— if you find 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 lie in wait like the wicked person who attacks the house of the righteous person. Do not destroy his home!
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 the righteous person falls down seven times and rises again, but wicked people are brought down by calamity.
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
Do not celebrate when your enemy falls and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
or Yahweh will see and disapprove and turn away his wrath from him.
19 Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
Do not worry because of evildoers, and do not envy wicked people,
20 For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
for the evil person has no future and the lamp of wicked people will go out.
21 My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
Fear Yahweh, and fear the king, my son; do not associate with those who rebel against them,
22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
for suddenly their disaster will come and who knows the extent of the destruction that will come from both of them?
23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging a case at law is not good.
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
Whoever says to the wicked person, “You are a righteous person,” 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 discipline the wicked will have delight and gifts of goodness will come to them.
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
The one who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips.
27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
Prepare your outdoor work, and make everything ready for yourself in the field; after that, build 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 bear witness against your neighbor without cause and do not deceive 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.
Do not say, “I will do to him what he has done to me; I will pay him back for what he has done.”
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 a lazy man, past the vineyard of the man having no sense.
31 nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
Thorns had grown up everywhere, the ground was covered with nettles, 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 I saw and considered it; I looked 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;
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
and poverty comes marching upon you, and your needs like an armed soldier.
