Proverbs 3
1 Mi sone, foryete thou not my lawe; and thyn herte kepe my comaundementis.
My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart guard my precepts.
2 For tho schulen sette to thee the lengthe of daies, and the yeeris of lijf, and pees.
For they shall set before you length of days, and 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 truth abandon you: encircle them around your throat, and inscribe them on the tablets of your heart.
4 And thou schalt fynde grace, and good teching bifore God and men.
And so shall you discover grace and good discipline, in the sight of God and men.
5 Haue thou trist in the Lord, of al thin herte; and triste thou not to thi prudence.
Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence.
6 In alle thi weies thenke thou on hym, and he schal dresse thi goyngis.
In all your ways, consider him, and he himself will direct your steps.
7 Be thou not wijs anentis thi silf; drede thou God, and go awei fro yuel.
Do not seem wise to yourself. Fear God, and withdraw from evil.
8 For whi helthe schal be in thi nawle, and moisting of thi boonys.
Certainly, it shall be health to your navel, and refreshment to your bones.
9 Onoure thou the Lord of thi catel, and of the beste of alle thi fruytis yyue thou to pore men;
Honor the Lord with your substance, and give to him from the first of all your fruits,
10 and thi bernes schulen be fillid with abundaunce, and pressours schulen flowe with wiyn.
and then your storehouses will be filled with abundance, and your presses shall overflow with 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 discard the discipline of the Lord, and do not fall away when you are corrected by him.
12 For the Lord chastisith hym, whom he loueth; and as a fadir in the sone he plesith hym.
For whomever the Lord loves, he corrects, and just as a father does with a son, he wins him over.
13 Blessid is the man that fyndith wisdom, and which flowith with prudence.
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom and who advances to prudence.
14 The geting therof is betere than the marchaundie of gold and of siluer; the fruytis therof ben the firste and clenneste.
Her acquisition is better than trading in silver, and her fruit is better than the first and purest gold.
15 It is preciousere than alle richessis; and alle thingis that ben desirid, moun not be comparisound to this.
She is more precious than all riches, and all that can be desired cannot prevail in comparison to her.
16 Lengthe of daies is in the riythalf therof, and richessis and glorie ben in the lifthalf therof.
Length of days is at her right hand, and at her left hand is wealth and glory.
17 The weies therof ben feire weies, and alle the pathis therof ben pesible.
Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceful.
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 those who overtake her, and he who shall take hold of her is blessed.
19 The Lord foundide the erthe bi wisdom; he stablischide heuenes bi prudence.
The Lord founded the earth on wisdom. He secured the heavens with prudence.
20 The depthis of watris braken out bi his wisdom; and cloudis wexen togidere bi dewe.
By his wisdom, the abyss erupted and the clouds increased with dew.
21 My sone, these thingis flete not awey fro thin iyen; kepe thou my lawe, and my counsel;
My son, let not these things move away from your eyes. Preserve law as well as counsel.
22 and lijf schal be to thi soule, and grace `schal be to thi chekis.
And so shall there be life in your soul and grace in your voice.
23 Thanne thou schalt go tristili in thi weie; and thi foot schal not snapere.
Then you shall walk confidently in your way, and your feet will not stumble.
24 If thou schalt slepe, thou schalt not drede; thou schalt reste, and thi sleep schal be soft.
When you slumber, you shall not fear. When you rest, your sleep also will be sweet.
25 Drede thou not bi sudeyne feer, and the powers of wickid men fallynge in on thee.
Do not fear unexpected terror, nor the power of the impious falling upon you.
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 at your side, and he will guard your feet, so that you may not be seized.
27 Nil thou forbede to do wel him that mai; if thou maist, and do thou wel.
Do not prevent him who is able from doing good. When you are able, do good yourself too.
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.
Do not say to your friend: “Go away, and then return. Tomorrow I will give to you.” When you are able to do so, give in the present.
29 Ymagyne thou not yuel to thi freend, whanne he hath trist in thee.
Do not undertake evil against your friend, even though he has trust in you.
30 Stryue thou not ayens a man with out cause, whanne he doith noon yuel to thee.
Do not contend against a man without cause, even though he has done no evil to you.
31 Sue thou not an vniust man, sue thou not hise weies.
Do not rival an unjust man, and do not imitate his ways.
32 For ech disseyuer is abhomynacioun of the Lord; and his speking is with simple men.
For everyone who ridicules is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is for the simple.
33 Nedinesse is sent of the Lord in the hous of a wickid man; but the dwelling places of iust men schulen be blessid.
Destitution in the house of the impious is from the Lord. But the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
34 He schal scorne scorneris; and he schal yyue grace to mylde men.
He will ridicule those who ridicule, but he will bestow grace upon the mild.
35 Wise men schulen haue glorie; enhaunsing of foolis is schenschipe.
The wise will possess glory. The exaltation of the foolish is disgraceful.
