Proverbs 6
1 Mi sone, if thou hast bihiyt for thi freend; thou hast fastned thin hoond at a straunger.
My son, if thou hast become surety for another, If thou hast stricken hands for another,
2 Thou art boundun bi the wordis of thi mouth; and thou art takun with thin owne wordis.
If thou hast become ensnared by the words of thy mouth, If thou hast been caught by the words of thy mouth,
3 Therfor, my sone, do thou that that Y seie, and delyuere thi silf; for thou hast fallun in to the hond of thi neiybore. Renne thou aboute, haste thou, reise thi freend;
Do this now, my son, and rescue thyself, —Since thou hast fallen into the hands of thy neighbor, —Go, prostrate thyself, and be urgent with thy neighbor!
4 yyue thou not sleep to thin iyen, nether thin iyeliddis nappe.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids;
5 Be thou rauyschid as a doo fro the hond; and as a bridde fro aspiyngis of the foulere.
Rescue thyself, as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 O! thou slowe man, go to the `amte, ether pissemyre; and biholde thou hise weies, and lerne thou wisdom.
Go to the ant, O sluggard! Consider her ways, and be wise!
7 Which whanne he hath no duyk, nethir comaundour, nether prince;
She hath no governor, Nor overseer, nor ruler;
8 makith redi in somer mete to hym silf, and gaderith togidere in heruest that, that he schal ete.
Yet she prepareth in the summer her food, She gathereth in the harvest her meat.
9 Hou long schalt thou, slow man, slepe? whanne schalt thou rise fro thi sleep?
How long wilt thou lie in bed, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise from thy sleep?
10 A litil thou schalt slepe, a litil thou schalt nappe; a litil thou schalt ioyne togidere thin hondis, that thou slepe.
“A little sleep, —a little slumber, —A little folding of the hands to rest:”
11 And nedynesse, as a weigoere, schal come to thee; and pouert, as an armed man. Forsothe if thou art not slow, thi ripe corn schal come as a welle; and nedynesse schal fle fer fro thee.
So shall thy poverty come upon thee like a robber, Yea, thy want, as an armed man!
12 A man apostata, a man vnprofitable, he goith with a weiward mouth;
A worthless wretch is the unrighteous man, Who walketh with a deceitful mouth;
13 he bekeneth with iyen, he trampith with the foot, he spekith with the fyngur,
Who winketh with his eyes, Speaketh with his feet, And teacheth with his fingers.
14 bi schrewid herte he ymagyneth yuel, and in al tyme he sowith dissenciouns.
Fraud is in his heart; He deviseth mischief continually; He scattereth contentions.
15 His perdicioun schal come to hym anoon, and he schal be brokun sodeynli; and he schal no more haue medecyn.
Therefore shall calamity come upon him suddenly; In a moment shall he be destroyed, and that without remedy;
16 Sixe thingis ben, whyche the Lord hatith; and hise soule cursith the seuenthe thing.
These six things doth the LORD hate; Yea, seven are an abomination to him:
17 Hiye iyen, a tunge liere, hondis schedinge out innocent blood,
Lofty eyes, a false tongue, And hands which shed innocent blood;
18 an herte ymagynynge worste thouytis, feet swifte to renne in to yuel,
A heart that contriveth wicked devices; Feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 a man bringynge forth lesingis, a fals witnesse; and him that sowith discordis among britheren.
A false witness, that uttereth lies, And him that soweth discord among brethren.
20 Mi sone, kepe the comaundementis of thi fadir; and forsake not the lawe of thi modir.
Keep, O my son! the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the precepts of thy mother!
21 Bynde thou tho continueli in thin herte; and cumpasse `to thi throte.
Bind them continually to thy heart, Tie them around thy neck!
22 Whanne thou goist, go tho with thee; whanne thou slepist, kepe tho thee; and thou wakynge speke with tho.
When thou goest forth, they shall guide thee; When thou sleepest, they shall watch over thee; And, when thou awakest, they shall talk with thee.
23 For the comaundement of God is a lanterne, and the lawe is liyt, and the blamyng of techyng is the weie of lijf;
For the commandment is a lamp, and instruction a light; Yea, the rebukes of correction lead to life.
24 `that the comaundementis kepe thee fro an yuel womman, and fro a flaterynge tunge of a straunge womman.
They shall guard thee from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the unchaste woman.
25 Thin herte coueite not the fairnesse of hir; nether be thou takun bi the signes of hir.
Desire not her beauty in thy heart, Nor let her catch thee with her eyelids;
26 For the prijs of an hoore is vnnethe of o loof; but a womman takith the preciouse soule of a man.
For by a harlot a man is brought to a morsel of bread, And the adulteress layeth snares for the precious life.
27 Whether a man mai hide fier in his bosum, that hise clothis brenne not;
Can a man take fire into his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?
28 ethir go on colis, and hise feet be not brent?
Can one walk upon burning coals, And his feet not be scorched?
29 So he that entrith to the wijf of his neiybore; schal not be cleene, whanne he hath touchid hir.
So is it with him who goeth in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
30 It is not greet synne, whanne a man stelith; for he stelith to fille an hungri soule.
Men do not overlook a thief, Though he steal to satisfy his appetite, when he is hungry;
31 And he takun schal yelde the seuenthe fold; and he schal yyue al the catel of his hous, and schal delyuere hym silf.
If found, he must repay sevenfold, And give up all the substance of his house.
32 But he that is avouter; schal leese his soule, for the pouert of herte.
Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; He that doeth it destroyeth himself;
33 He gaderith filthe, and sclaundrith to hym silf; and his schenschip schal not be don awei.
Blows and dishonor shall he get, And his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For the feruent loue and strong veniaunce of the man schal not spare in the dai of veniaunce,
For jealousy is the fury of a man; He will not spare in the day of vengeance;
35 nether schal assente to the preieris of ony; nether schal take ful many yiftis for raunsum.
And he will not pay regard to any ransom, Nor be content, though thou offer many gifts.
