Proverbs 3
1 Mi sone, foryete thou not my lawe; and thyn herte kepe my comaundementis.
My son, keep my teaching in your memory, and my rules in your heart:
2 For tho schulen sette to thee the lengthe of daies, and the yeeris of lijf, and pees.
For they will give you increase of days, years of life, and peace.
3 Merci and treuthe forsake thee not; bynde thou tho to thi throte, and write in the tablis of thin herte.
Let not mercy and good faith go from you; let them be hanging round your neck, recorded on your heart;
4 And thou schalt fynde grace, and good teching bifore God and men.
So you will have grace and a good name in the eyes of God and men.
5 Haue thou trist in the Lord, of al thin herte; and triste thou not to thi prudence.
Put all your hope in God, not looking to your reason for support.
6 In alle thi weies thenke thou on hym, and he schal dresse thi goyngis.
In all your ways give ear to him, and he will make straight your footsteps.
7 Be thou not wijs anentis thi silf; drede thou God, and go awei fro yuel.
Put no high value on your wisdom: let the fear of the Lord be before you, and keep yourself from evil:
8 For whi helthe schal be in thi nawle, and moisting of thi boonys.
This will give strength to your flesh, and new life to your bones.
9 Onoure thou the Lord of thi catel, and of the beste of alle thi fruytis yyue thou to pore men;
Give honour to the Lord with your wealth, and with the first-fruits of all your increase:
10 and thi bernes schulen be fillid with abundaunce, and pressours schulen flowe with wiyn.
So your store-houses will be full of grain, and your vessels overflowing with new wine.
11 My sone, caste thou not awei the teching of the Lord; and faile thou not, whanne thou art chastisid of him.
My son, do not make your heart hard against the Lord's teaching; do not be made angry by his training:
12 For the Lord chastisith hym, whom he loueth; and as a fadir in the sone he plesith hym.
For to those who are dear to him the Lord says sharp words, and makes the son in whom he has delight undergo pain.
13 Blessid is the man that fyndith wisdom, and which flowith with prudence.
Happy is the man who makes discovery of wisdom, and he who gets knowledge.
14 The geting therof is betere than the marchaundie of gold and of siluer; the fruytis therof ben the firste and clenneste.
For trading in it is better than trading in silver, and its profit greater than bright gold.
15 It is preciousere than alle richessis; and alle thingis that ben desirid, moun not be comparisound to this.
She is of more value than jewels, and nothing for which you may have a desire is fair in comparison with her.
16 Lengthe of daies is in the riythalf therof, and richessis and glorie ben in the lifthalf therof.
Long life is in her right hand, and in her left are wealth and honour.
17 The weies therof ben feire weies, and alle the pathis therof ben pesible.
Her ways are ways of delight, and all her goings are peace.
18 It is a tre of lijf to hem that taken it; and he that holdith it, is blessid.
She is a tree of life to all who take her in their hands, and happy is everyone who keeps her.
19 The Lord foundide the erthe bi wisdom; he stablischide heuenes bi prudence.
The Lord by wisdom put in position the bases of the earth; by reason he put the heavens in their place.
20 The depthis of watris braken out bi his wisdom; and cloudis wexen togidere bi dewe.
By his knowledge the deep was parted, and dew came dropping from the skies.
21 My sone, these thingis flete not awey fro thin iyen; kepe thou my lawe, and my counsel;
My son, keep good sense, and do not let wise purpose go from your eyes.
22 and lijf schal be to thi soule, and grace `schal be to thi chekis.
So they will be life for your soul, and grace for your neck.
23 Thanne thou schalt go tristili in thi weie; and thi foot schal not snapere.
Then you will go safely on your way, and your feet will have no cause for slipping.
24 If thou schalt slepe, thou schalt not drede; thou schalt reste, and thi sleep schal be soft.
When you take your rest you will have no fear, and on your bed sleep will be sweet to you.
25 Drede thou not bi sudeyne feer, and the powers of wickid men fallynge in on thee.
Have no fear of sudden danger, or of the storm which will come on evil-doers:
26 For the Lord schal be at thi side; and he schal kepe thi foot, that thou be not takun.
For the Lord will be your hope, and will keep your foot from being taken in the net.
27 Nil thou forbede to do wel him that mai; if thou maist, and do thou wel.
Do not keep back good from those who have a right to it, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
28 Seie thou not to thi frend, Go, and turne thou ayen, and to morewe Y schal yyue to thee; whanne thou maist yyue anoon.
Say not to your neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when you have it by you at the time.
29 Ymagyne thou not yuel to thi freend, whanne he hath trist in thee.
Do not make evil designs against your neighbour, when he is living with you without fear.
30 Stryue thou not ayens a man with out cause, whanne he doith noon yuel to thee.
Do not take up a cause at law against a man for nothing, if he has done you no wrong.
31 Sue thou not an vniust man, sue thou not hise weies.
Have no envy of the violent man, or take any of his ways as an example.
32 For ech disseyuer is abhomynacioun of the Lord; and his speking is with simple men.
For the wrong-hearted man is hated by the Lord, but he is a friend to the upright.
33 Nedinesse is sent of the Lord in the hous of a wickid man; but the dwelling places of iust men schulen be blessid.
The curse of the Lord is on the house of the evil-doer, but his blessing is on the tent of the upright.
34 He schal scorne scorneris; and he schal yyue grace to mylde men.
He makes sport of the men of pride, but he gives grace to the gentle-hearted.
35 Wise men schulen haue glorie; enhaunsing of foolis is schenschipe.
The wise will have glory for their heritage, but shame will be the reward of the foolish.
