Proverbs 3
1 Mi sone, foryete thou not my lawe; and thyn herte kepe my comaundementis.
My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 For tho schulen sette to thee the lengthe of daies, and the yeeris of lijf, and pees.
for they will add to you length 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.
Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 And thou schalt fynde grace, and good teching bifore God and men.
So you will find favour, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Haue thou trist in the Lord, of al thin herte; and triste thou not to thi prudence.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
6 In alle thi weies thenke thou on hym, and he schal dresse thi goyngis.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Be thou not wijs anentis thi silf; drede thou God, and go awei fro yuel.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8 For whi helthe schal be in thi nawle, and moisting of thi boonys.
It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Onoure thou the Lord of thi catel, and of the beste of alle thi fruytis yyue thou to pore men;
Honour the LORD with your substance, 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 barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow 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, don’t despise the LORD’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
12 For the Lord chastisith hym, whom he loueth; and as a fadir in the sone he plesith hym.
for whom the LORD loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
13 Blessid is the man that fyndith wisdom, and which flowith with prudence.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
14 The geting therof is betere than the marchaundie of gold and of siluer; the fruytis therof ben the firste and clenneste.
For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine 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 rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
16 Lengthe of daies is in the riythalf therof, and richessis and glorie ben in the lifthalf therof.
Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honour.
17 The weies therof ben feire weies, and alle the pathis therof ben pesible.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths 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 those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 The Lord foundide the erthe bi wisdom; he stablischide heuenes bi prudence.
By wisdom the LORD founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 The depthis of watris braken out bi his wisdom; and cloudis wexen togidere bi dewe.
By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My sone, these thingis flete not awey fro thin iyen; kepe thou my lawe, and my counsel;
My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and lijf schal be to thi soule, and grace `schal be to thi chekis.
so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
23 Thanne thou schalt go tristili in thi weie; and thi foot schal not snapere.
Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
24 If thou schalt slepe, thou schalt not drede; thou schalt reste, and thi sleep schal be soft.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Drede thou not bi sudeyne feer, and the powers of wickid men fallynge in on thee.
Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
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 confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Nil thou forbede to do wel him that mai; if thou maist, and do thou wel.
Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, 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.
Don’t say to your neighbour, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.
29 Ymagyne thou not yuel to thi freend, whanne he hath trist in thee.
Don’t devise evil against your neighbour, since he dwells securely by you.
30 Stryue thou not ayens a man with out cause, whanne he doith noon yuel to thee.
Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Sue thou not an vniust man, sue thou not hise weies.
Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
32 For ech disseyuer is abhomynacioun of the Lord; and his speking is with simple men.
For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD, but his friendship is with 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 LORD’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
34 He schal scorne scorneris; and he schal yyue grace to mylde men.
Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
35 Wise men schulen haue glorie; enhaunsing of foolis is schenschipe.
The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.
