Proverbs 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
Ne æmuleris viros malos, nec desideres esse cum eis:
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
quia rapinas meditatur mens eorum, et fraudes labia eorum loquuntur.
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
Sapientia ædificabitur domus, et prudentia roborabitur.
4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
In doctrina replebuntur cellaria, universa substantia pretiosa et pulcherrima.
5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
Vir sapiens, fortis est: et vir doctus, robustus et validus.
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
Quia cum dispositione initur bellum: et erit salus ubi multa consilia sunt.
7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
Excelsa stulto sapientia, in porta non aperiet os suum.
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
Qui cogitat mala facere, stultus vocabitur.
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
Cogitatio stulti peccatum est: et abominatio hominum detractor.
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
Si desperaveris lassus in die angustiæ: imminuetur fortitudo tua.
11 Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
Erue eos, qui ducuntur ad mortem: et qui trahuntur ad interitum liberare ne cesses.
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.
Si dixeris: Vires non suppetunt: qui inspector est cordis, ipse intelligit, et servatorem animæ tuæ nihil fallit, reddetque homini iuxta opera sua.
13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
Comede, fili mi, mel, quia bonum est, et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo:
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.
Sic et doctrina sapientiæ animæ tuæ: quam cum inveneris, habebis in novissimis spem, et spes tua non peribit.
15 Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
Ne insidieris, et quæras impietatem in domo iusti, neque vastes requiem eius.
16 For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.
Septies enim cadet iustus, et resurget: impii autem corruent in malum.
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
Cum ceciderit inimicus tuus, ne gaudeas, et in ruina eius ne exultet cor tuum:
18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
ne forte videat Dominus, et displiceat ei, et auferat ab eo iram suam.
19 Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
Ne contendas cum pessimis, nec æmuleris impios:
20 For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
quoniam non habent futurorum spem mali, et lucerna impiorum extinguetur.
21 My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
Time Dominum, fili mi, et regem: et cum detractoribus non commiscearis:
22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum: et ruinam utriusque quis novit?
23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
Hæc quoque sapientibus: Cognoscere personam in iudicio non est bonum.
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
Qui dicunt impio: Iustus es: maledicent eis populi, et detestabuntur eos tribus.
25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
Qui arguunt eum, laudabuntur: et super ipsos veniet benedictio.
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
Labia deosculabitur, qui recta verba respondet.
27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
Præpara foris opus tuum, et diligenter exerce agrum tuum: ut postea ædifices domum tuam.
28 Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
Ne sis testis frustra contra proximum tuum: nec lactes quemquam labiis tuis.
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.
Ne dicas: Quomodo fecit mihi, sic faciam ei: reddam unicuique secundum opus suum.
30 I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
Per agrum hominis pigri transivi, et per vineam viri stulti:
31 nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
et ecce totum repleverant urticæ, et operuerant superficiem eius spinæ, et maceria lapidum destructa erat.
32 And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
Quod cum vidissem, posui in corde meo, et exemplo didici disciplinam.
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;
Parum, inquam, dormies, modicum dormitabis, pauxillum manus conseres, ut quiescas:
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
et veniet tibi quasi cursor egestas, et mendicitas quasi vir armatus.
