Proverbs 28
1 A wickid man fleeth, whanne no man pursueth; but a iust man as a lioun tristynge schal be with out ferdfulnesse.
Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.
2 For the synnes of the lond ben many princis therof; and for the wisdom of a man, and for the kunnyng of these thingis that ben seid, the lijf of the duyk schal be lengere.
When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.
3 A pore man falsli calengynge pore men, is lijk a grete reyn, wherynne hungur is maad redi.
A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].
4 Thei that forsaken the lawe, preisen a wickid man; thei that kepen `the lawe, ben kyndlid ayens hym.
Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.
5 Wickid men thenken not doom; but thei that seken the Lord, perseyuen alle thingis.
Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.
6 Betere is a pore man goynge in his sympilnesse, than a riche man in schrewid weies.
It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.
7 He that kepith the lawe, is a wijs sone; but he that fedith glotouns, schendith his fadir.
Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.
8 He that gaderith togidere richessis bi vsuris, and fre encrees, gaderith tho togidere ayens pore men.
When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.
9 His preyer schal be maad cursid, that bowith awei his eere; that he here not the lawe.
If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).
10 He that disseyueth iust men in an yuel weye, schal falle in his perisching; and iuste men schulen welde hise goodis.
Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
11 A ryche man semeth wijs to him silf; but a pore man prudent schal serche him.
[Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.
12 In enhaunsing of iust men is miche glorie; whanne wickid men regnen, fallyngis of men ben.
When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].
13 He that hidith hise grete trespassis, schal not be maad riytful; but he that knoulechith and forsakith tho, schal gete merci.
Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.
14 Blessid is the man, which is euere dredeful; but he that is `harde of soule, schal falle in to yuel.
[God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.
15 A rorynge lioun, and an hungry bere, is a wickid prince on a pore puple.
Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].
16 A duyk nedi of prudence schal oppresse many men bi fals chalenge; but the daies of hym that hatith aueryce, schulen be maad longe.
Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.
17 No man susteyneth a man that falsly chalengith the blood of a man, if he fleeth `til to the lake.
Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.
18 He that goith simpli, schal be saaf; he that goith bi weiward weies, schal falle doun onys.
Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.
19 He that worchith his lond, schal be fillid with looues; he that sueth ydelnesse, schal be fillid with nedynesse.
Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.
20 A feithful man schal be preisid myche; but he that hastith to be maad riche, schal not be innocent.
[God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.
21 He that knowith a face in doom, doith not wel; this man forsakith treuthe, yhe, for a mussel of breed.
It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].
22 A man that hastith to be maad riche, and hath enuye to othere men; woot not that nedinesse schal come on hym.
Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.
23 He that repreueth a man, schal fynde grace aftirward at hym; more than he that disseyueth bi flateryngis of tunge.
Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).
24 He that withdrawith ony thing fro his fadir and fro his modir, and seith that this is no synne, is parcener of a manquellere.
Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.
25 He that auauntith hym silf, and alargith, reisith stryues; but he that hopith in the Lord, schal be sauyd.
Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].
26 He that tristith in his herte, is a fool; but he that goith wiseli,
Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).
27 schal be preysid. He that yyueth to a pore man, schal not be nedi; he that dispisith `a pore man bisechynge, schal suffre nedynesse.
Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.
28 Whanne vnpitouse men risen, men schulen be hid; whanne tho `vnpitouse men han perischid, iust men schulen be multiplied.
When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.
