Proverbs 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief.
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
Through wisdom a house is built; 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 rare and beautiful treasure.
5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
A wise man has great power. A knowledgeable man increases strength,
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.
7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
If you falter in the time of trouble, 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 led away to death! Indeed, 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 didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?
13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which 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.
so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: 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.
Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy 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 righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
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.
Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of 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 will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed 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. Don’t join those who are rebellious,
22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?
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: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—
25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
An honest answer is like 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 work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.
28 Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t 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.
Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay 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 sluggard, 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.
Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface 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 well. I saw, 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 sleep,
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
so your poverty will come as a robber and your want as an armed man.
