Proverbs 8

1 Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?

It is as if wisdom, with great understanding [of many things], is calling [PRS] out [to people].

2 In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,

Wisdom stands on hilltops and at crossroads.

3 and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!

[Wisdom also stands] at the city gates and shouts loudly,

4 ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.

“I am calling to everyone! I am shouting loudly to all people!

5 Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.

You people who do not know how to do things that are smart to do, get sound judgment; you foolish people, get good understanding!

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 some excellent/important things to say. What I say is what is fair/right.

7 My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.

I speak what is true; I detest speaking [MTY] what is false/deceptive.

8 My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.

Everything that I say is honest; there is nothing that I say that deceives [people].

9 `My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.

My words are clear to those who have good sense; those who are wise know that what I say is right.

10 Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.

[If someone offers you the kind of teaching I give] or offers you silver, choose my teaching. [If he offers to show you how to be wise] or offers you gold, choose to know how to be wise,

11 For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto.

because wisdom is more valuable than jewels. Nothing that you desire [is as valuable] as being wise.

12 Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.

I, wisdom, and understanding of what is smart to do, cannot be separated. We are like two people who live in the same house. I know how to be wise and how to make smart decisions.

13 The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth.

[All the people] who revere Yahweh hate evil. I, wisdom, hate [people who are] proud and [people] who think they are more important [than others]. I hate [people who] behave in an evil way and those who say things to deceive [others].

14 Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.

I give [people] good advice and I enable them to do things that are wise. I understand how things really are, and I am strong.

15 Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.

When kings are wise, they rule [well]; and when rulers are wise, they make laws that are just/fair.

16 Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.

Rulers govern their people with the help of me, wisdom, and those who have authority decide things fairly/just with my help.

17 I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.

I, [wisdom], love [all] those who love me, and [all] those who truly seek me [will] find me.

18 With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.

I enable [people] to become rich and to be honored; [I enable them to have] wealth that will last and to be successful.

19 My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.

What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.

20 Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;

I always do what is righteous and just/fair.

21 that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.

I give wealth to those who love me; I fill their houses with valuable things.

22 The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.

Yahweh created me, [wisdom], when he began [to create the world]; he created me [to do my work] before he created anything else.

23 Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.

He appointed me long ago, before he created the earth.

24 Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,

I was born before the oceans were [created], when there were no springs from which water flowed.

25 and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.

I was born before the hills and mountains were formed;

26 Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.

[I, wisdom], was born before Yahweh made the earth, before he made the fields and the soil on 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 there when Yahweh put the sky in place, when he marked the place [in the distance] where the sky and the oceans [seem to] come together.

28 Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.

I was there when Yahweh put the clouds above [the earth] and when he caused the water that is inside the earth to be secure.

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;

I was there when he fixed a boundary for the seas, so that the water in the seas would not go past those boundaries, and when he put down the foundations which support 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 at the side of Yahweh, the master worker (OR, as though I was his child). I caused him to be happy every day, and I was always rejoicing when I was with him.

31 and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.

I was delighted with the world that he created; I was happy with the people whom he created, too.

32 Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.

So, [you people who are like] my sons, listen to me. [I am] pleased with [all] those who obey my teachings.

33 Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.

Listen [carefully] to what I teach you and become wise. Do not reject my teaching!

34 Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore.

[I am] pleased with those who listen to me, those who are outside my house every day, waiting [for me to come out].

35 He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.

Those who find me will have [a long] life, and Yahweh [will] be pleased with them.

36 But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.

But those who stray away from me [just] harm themselves. All those who hate me, [it is as though] [IRO] they are loving death.”