Proverbs 4
1 Sones, here ye the teching of the fadir; and perseiue ye, that ye kunne prudence.
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
2 Y schal yyue to you a good yifte; forsake ye not my lawe.
For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
3 For whi and Y was the sone of my fadir, a tendir sone, and oon `gendride bifore my modir.
When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
4 And my fadir tauyte me, and seide, Thin herte resseyue my wordis; kepe thou myn heestis, and thou schalt lyue.
he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
5 Welde thou wisdom, welde thou prudence; foryete thou not, nethir bowe thou awey fro the wordis of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
6 Forsake thou not it, and it schal kepe thee; loue thou it, and it schal kepe thee.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 The bigynnyng of wisdom, welde thou wisdom; and in al thi possessioun gete thou prudence.
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
8 Take thou it, and it schal enhaunse thee; thou schalt be glorified of it, whanne thou hast biclippid it.
Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 It schal yyue encresyngis of graces to thin heed; and a noble coroun schal defende thee.
She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Mi sone, here thou, and take my wordis; that the yeris of lijf be multiplied to thee.
Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
11 Y schal schewe to thee the weie of wisdom; and Y schal lede thee bi the pathis of equyte.
I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
12 In to whiche whanne thou hast entrid, thi goyngis schulen not be maad streit; and thou schalt rennen, and schalt not haue hirtyng.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Holde thou teching, and forsake it not; kepe thou it, for it is thi lijf.
Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Delite thou not in the pathis of wyckid men; and the weie of yuele men plese not thee.
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Fle thou fro it, and passe thou not therbi; bowe thou awei, and forsake it.
Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
16 For thei slepen not, `no but thei han do yuele; and sleep is rauyschid fro hem, no but thei han disseyued.
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
17 Thei eten the breed of vnpite, and drinken the wyn of wickidnesse.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of iust men goith forth as liyt schynynge, and encreessith til to perfit dai.
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 The weie of wickid men is derk; thei witen not where thei schulen falle.
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 Mi sone, herkene thou my wordis; and bowe doun thin eeris to my spechis.
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Go not tho awei fro thyn iyen; kepe thou hem in the myddil of thin herte.
Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
22 For tho ben lijf to men fyndynge thoo, and heelthe `of al fleisch.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
23 With al keping kepe thin herte, for lijf cometh forth of it.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
24 Remoue thou a schrewid mouth fro thee; and backbitynge lippis be fer fro thee.
Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
25 Thin iyen se riytful thingis; and thin iyeliddis go bifore thi steppis.
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
26 Dresse thou pathis to thi feet, and alle thi weies schulen be stablischid.
Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
27 Bowe thou not to the riytside, nether to the leftside; turne awei thi foot fro yuel. For the Lord knowith the weies that ben at the riytside; but the weies ben weiward, that ben at the leftside. Forsothe he schal make thi goyngis riytful; and thi weies schulen be brouyt forth in pees.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
