Proverbs 4
1 Sones, here ye the teching of the fadir; and perseiue ye, that ye kunne prudence.
Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2 Y schal yyue to you a good yifte; forsake ye not my lawe.
for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake 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 a son to my father, tender and an only child 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, and said to me: “Let your 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. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake thou not it, and it schal kepe thee; loue thou it, and it schal kepe thee.
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
7 The bigynnyng of wisdom, welde thou wisdom; and in al thi possessioun gete thou prudence.
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8 Take thou it, and it schal enhaunse thee; thou schalt be glorified of it, whanne thou hast biclippid it.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honour when you embrace her.
9 It schal yyue encresyngis of graces to thin heed; and a noble coroun schal defende thee.
She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendour to you.”
10 Mi sone, here thou, and take my wordis; that the yeris of lijf be multiplied to thee.
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. 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 have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in 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 go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13 Holde thou teching, and forsake it not; kepe thou it, for it is thi lijf.
Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
14 Delite thou not in the pathis of wyckid men; and the weie of yuele men plese not thee.
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15 Fle thou fro it, and passe thou not therbi; bowe thou awei, and forsake it.
Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16 For thei slepen not, `no but thei han do yuele; and sleep is rauyschid fro hem, no but thei han disseyued.
For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless 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.
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
19 The weie of wickid men is derk; thei witen not where thei schulen falle.
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
20 Mi sone, herkene thou my wordis; and bowe doun thin eeris to my spechis.
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
21 Go not tho awei fro thyn iyen; kepe thou hem in the myddil of thin herte.
Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the centre of 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 their whole body.
23 With al keping kepe thin herte, for lijf cometh forth of it.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24 Remoue thou a schrewid mouth fro thee; and backbitynge lippis be fer fro thee.
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
25 Thin iyen se riytful thingis; and thin iyeliddis go bifore thi steppis.
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Dresse thou pathis to thi feet, and alle thi weies schulen be stablischid.
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your 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.
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
