Proverbs 8
1 Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
Isn't wisdom calling? Isn't understanding raising her voice?
2 In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
On the top of the hill by the road, she stands up at the crossroads.
3 and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!
Beside the gates of the town, right there at the entrance, she cries out:
4 ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
“I'm calling out to you, everyone! My call is to everyone in the whole world!
5 Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
If you're immature, learn how to grow up. If you're stupid, learn what makes good sense.
6 Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.
Listen to me because I have valuable things to explain to you.
7 My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
I say what's right, because I tell the truth and I hate wickedness in all its forms.
8 My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
All the words I say are true; none are false or misleading.
9 `My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
My words are straightforward to anyone with understanding; they are correct to those who have knowledge.
10 Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
Choose my instruction over silver; choose knowledge over pure gold.
11 For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto.
For wisdom is more valuable than rubies; everything you could ever want just doesn't compare!
12 Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
I, wisdom, am at home with good decisions. I know how to find knowledge and discernment.
13 The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth.
Honoring the Lord means hating evil. So I hate pride and arrogance, wicked behavior and telling lies.
14 Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.
I have advice and good judgment; I know what makes sense, and I have power.
15 Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
It's because of me that kings reign, and rulers issue fair decrees.
16 Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
It's because of me that leaders and nobles govern—all who rule justly.
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 really look for me will find me.
18 With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
With me go riches and honor, lasting wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.
The fruit I produce is better than gold, even pure gold, and my harvest is better than even the best silver.
20 Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;
I live in a way that's right; I follow the paths of justice.
21 that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.
I grant wealth to those who love me; I fill their treasure storehouses.
22 The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.
The Lord created me first of all; I was made before anything else.
23 Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
I was formed a long time ago, at the first, before the world began.
24 Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
I was born when there were no ocean depths, when there were no springs pouring out water.
25 and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
I was born before the mountains or the hills had been formed,
26 Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.
when he hadn't made the earth and its fields or any of the earth's dust.
27 Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.
I was there when he placed the heavens in position, when he drew the horizon over the ocean,
28 Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
when he made the clouds in the sky above, when he created the springs of the oceans,
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 set limits on the sea so that the waters would not go farther than he ordered, and when he laid out 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,
Then I was beside him as a master craftsman. I made him happy every day, and I was always full of joy in his presence.
31 and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
I was so happy in the world he created, celebrating together with human beings.
32 Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
And now, my sons, listen to me, for happy are those who follow my ways.
33 Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.
Listen to my instruction and be wise—do not reject it.
34 Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore.
Happy are those who listen to me, watching for me every day at my doors, waiting at my entrance way.
35 He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.
For those who find me, find life, and are accepted by the Lord.
36 But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
But those who don't find me hurt themselves; everyone who hates me loves death.”
