Proverbs 5
1 Mi sone, perseyue thou my wisdom, and bowe doun thin eere to my prudence; that thou kepe thi thouytis,
My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding,
2 and thi lippis kepe teching. Yyue thou not tent to the falsnesse of a womman;
that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 for the lippis of an hoore ben an hony coomb droppinge, and hir throte is clerere than oile;
For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,
4 but the last thingis ben bittir as wormod, and hir tunge is scharp as a swerd keruynge on ech side.
but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol (Sheol h7585).
6 Tho goon not bi the path of lijf; hir steppis ben vncerteyn, and moun not be souyt out.
She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she does not know it.
7 Now therfor, my sone, here thou me, and go not awei fro the wordis of my mouth.
Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Make fer thi weie fro hir, and neiye thou not to the doris of hir hous.
Remove your way far from her. Do not come near the door of her house,
9 Yyue thou not thin onour to aliens, and thi yeeris to the cruel;
lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;
10 lest perauenture straungeris be fillid with thi strengthis, and lest thi trauels be in an alien hous;
lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man’s house.
11 and thou biweile in the laste daies, whanne thou hast wastid thi fleschis, and thi bodi; and thou seie,
You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 Whi wlatide Y teching, and myn herte assentide not to blamyngis;
and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof.
13 nether Y herde the voys of men techinge me, and Y bowide not doun myn eere to maistris?
I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
14 Almest Y was in al yuel, in the myddis of the chirche, and of the synagoge.
I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”
15 Drinke thou watir of thi cisterne, and the floodis of thi pit.
Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.
16 Thi wellis be stremed forth; and departe thi watris in stretis.
Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?
17 Haue thou aloone `tho watris; and aliens be not thi parceneris.
Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.
18 Thi veyne be blessid; and be thou glad with the womman of thi yong wexynge age.
Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 An hynde moost dereworthe; and an hert calf moost acceptable. Hir teetis fille thee in al tyme; and delite thou contynueli in the loue of hir.
A loving doe and a graceful deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.
20 Mi sone, whi art thou disseyued of an alien womman; and art fostrid in the bosum of an othere?
For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?
21 The Lord seeth the weie of a man; and biholdith alle hise steppis.
For the ways of man are before the LORD’s eyes. He examines all his paths.
22 The wickidnessis of a wyckid man taken hym; and he is boundun with the roopis of hise synnes.
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
23 He schal die, for he hadde not lernyng; and he schal be disseyued in the mychilnesse of his fooli.
He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.
