Proverbs 4
1 Sones, here ye the teching of the fadir; and perseiue ye, that ye kunne prudence.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 Y schal yyue to you a good yifte; forsake ye not my lawe.
For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
3 For whi and Y was the sone of my fadir, a tendir sone, and oon `gendride bifore my modir.
For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight 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 also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and 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: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake thou not it, and it schal kepe thee; loue thou it, and it schal kepe thee.
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7 The bigynnyng of wisdom, welde thou wisdom; and in al thi possessioun gete thou prudence.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Take thou it, and it schal enhaunse thee; thou schalt be glorified of it, whanne thou hast biclippid it.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 It schal yyue encresyngis of graces to thin heed; and a noble coroun schal defende thee.
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
10 Mi sone, here thou, and take my wordis; that the yeris of lijf be multiplied to thee.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 Y schal schewe to thee the weie of wisdom; and Y schal lede thee bi the pathis of equyte.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right 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 thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Holde thou teching, and forsake it not; kepe thou it, for it is thi lijf.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
14 Delite thou not in the pathis of wyckid men; and the weie of yuele men plese not thee.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
15 Fle thou fro it, and passe thou not therbi; bowe thou awei, and forsake it.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
16 For thei slepen not, `no but thei han do yuele; and sleep is rauyschid fro hem, no but thei han disseyued.
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to 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.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 The weie of wickid men is derk; thei witen not where thei schulen falle.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
20 Mi sone, herkene thou my wordis; and bowe doun thin eeris to my spechis.
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Go not tho awei fro thyn iyen; kepe thou hem in the myddil of thin herte.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22 For tho ben lijf to men fyndynge thoo, and heelthe `of al fleisch.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 With al keping kepe thin herte, for lijf cometh forth of it.
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Remoue thou a schrewid mouth fro thee; and backbitynge lippis be fer fro thee.
Put away from thee a perverse mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
25 Thin iyen se riytful thingis; and thin iyeliddis go bifore thi steppis.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Dresse thou pathis to thi feet, and alle thi weies schulen be stablischid.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
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.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
