Proverbs 8
1 Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
Does not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
2 In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
She stands in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
3 and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!
She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.
4 ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
To you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
5 Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
O you simple, understand wisdom: and, you fools, be you of an understanding heart.
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 excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7 My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing fraudulent or perverse in them.
9 `My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
They are all plain to him that understands, and right to them that find knowledge.
10 Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice 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 rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12 Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
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 is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the fraudulent mouth, do I hate.
14 Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
15 Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
18 With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
Riches and honor are with me; yes, durable riches and righteousness.
19 My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
20 Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;
I lead in the way of righteousness, in the middle of the paths of judgment:
21 that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will 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 way, before his works of old.
23 Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24 Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.
While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust 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 there: when he set a compass on the face of the depth:
28 Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
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 gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed 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 by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31 and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
32 Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
Now therefore listen to me, O you children: for 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 hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.
For whoever finds me finds life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD.
36 But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
But he that sins against me wrongs his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
