Proverbs 8
1 Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
Does not wisdom call out, and prudence bestow her voice?
2 In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
At the summits and the tops of exalted places, standing above the ways, in the midst of the paths,
3 and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!
beside the gates of the city, at the very doors, she speaks, saying:
4 ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
“O men, to you I call out, and my voice is to the sons of men.
5 Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
O little ones, understand discernment. And you who are unwise, turn your souls.
6 Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.
Listen, for I will speak about great things, and my lips will be opened, so as to foretell what is right.
7 My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
My throat shall practice truth, and my lips shall detest the impious.
8 My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
All my words are just. There is no depravity in them, and no perversity.
9 `My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
They are upright to those who understand, and equitable to those who discover knowledge.
10 Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
Accept my discipline, and not money. Choose the doctrine that is greater than gold.
11 For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto.
For wisdom is better than all that is most precious, and everything that is desirable cannot compare to her.
12 Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
I, wisdom, dwell in counsel, and I am inside learned thoughts.
13 The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth.
The fear of the Lord hates evil. I detest arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue.
14 Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.
Counsel is mine, and equity. Prudence is mine. Strength is mine.
15 Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
Through me, kings reign and legislators decree just conditions.
16 Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
Through me, princes rule and the powerful decree justice.
17 I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.
I love those who love me. And those who stand watch for me until morning shall discover me.
18 With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
With me, are wealth and glory, superb riches and justice.
19 My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.
For my fruit is better than gold and precious stones, and my progeny better than choice silver.
20 Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;
I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,
21 that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.
so that I may enrich those who love me, and thus complete their treasures.
22 The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.
The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made anything, from the beginning.
23 Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
I was ordained from eternity, and out of antiquity, before the earth was formed.
24 Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
The abyss did not yet exist, and I was already conceived; neither had the fountains of waters yet erupted.
25 and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
The mountains, with their great mass, had not yet been established. Before the hills, I was brought forth.
26 Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.
Still he had not made the earth, and the rivers, and the poles of the globe of the earth.
27 Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.
I was already present: when he prepared the heavens; when, with a certain law and a circuit, he fortified the abyss;
28 Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
when he made firm the sky above, and set free the fountains of waters;
29 Whanne he cumpasside to the see his marke; and settide lawe to watris, that tho schulden not passe her coostis. Whanne he peiside the foundementis of erthe;
when he encompassed the sea within its limits, and laid down a law for the waters, lest they transgress their limits; when he weighed the foundations of the earth.
30 Y was making alle thingis with him. And Y delitide bi alle daies, and pleiede bifore hym in al tyme,
I was with him in composing all things. And I was delighted, throughout every day, by playing in his sight at all times,
31 and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
playing in globe of the earth. And my delight was to be with the sons of men.
32 Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
Therefore, sons, hear me now. Blessed are those who preserve my ways.
33 Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.
Listen to discipline, and become wise, and do not be willing to cast it aside.
34 Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore.
Blessed is the man who listens to me, and who stands watch at my gates every day, and who observes at the posts of my doors.
35 He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.
He who finds me, finds life, and he will draw salvation from the Lord.
36 But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
But he who sins against me will wound his own soul. All who hate me love death.”
