Proverbs 8
1 Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
Doth not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice?
2 In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, 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, in the very doors she speaketh, saying:
4 ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
O ye men, to you I call, 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 subtilty, and ye unwise, take notice.
6 Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.
Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things.
7 My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness.
8 My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
All my words are just, there is nothing wicked nor perverse in them.
9 `My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge.
10 Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather 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 the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it.
12 Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
I wisdom dwell in counsel, and am present in 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 hateth evil: I hate 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 and equity is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine.
15 Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things,
16 Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice.
17 I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.
I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me.
18 With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
With me are riches and glory, glorious 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 the precious stone, and my blossoms 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.
That I may enrich them that love me, and may fill 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 any thing from the beginning.
23 Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
I was set up from eternity, and of old before the earth was made.
24 Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived. neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out:
25 and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
The mountains with their huge bulk had not as 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.
He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.
27 Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.
When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths:
28 Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
When he established the sky above, and poised 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 compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits: when be balanced 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 forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him at all times;
31 and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
Playing in the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.
32 Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
Now therefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways.
33 Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.
Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.
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 that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.
35 He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.
He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord:
36 But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
But he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.
