Proverbs 8
1 Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
Does not Wisdom call out? Does not Understanding raise her voice?
2 In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
On the hilltops beside the road, at the crossroads, Wisdom has taken her stand.
3 and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!
Before the gates at the entrance into the city, at the entrances into the city, she calls out.
4 ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
“It is to you, people, that I call; my voice is for the sons of mankind.
5 Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
You who are naive, learn wisdom; and you who are foolish, you must get an understanding mind.
6 Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.
Listen, because I will speak of noble things, and when my lips open I will say upright things.
7 My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
For my mouth speaks what is trustworthy, and wickedness is disgusting to my lips.
8 My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
All the words of my mouth are just; in them is nothing twisted or misleading.
9 `My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
All of them are straight for the person who understands; my words are upright for those who find knowledge.
10 Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
Acquire my instruction rather than silver; acquire knowledge rather than pure 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 jewels; no treasure is equal to her.
12 Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
I, Wisdom, live with Prudence, and I possess knowledge and discretion.
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 Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, the evil way, and perverted speech. I hate them.
14 Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.
I have good advice and sound wisdom; I am insight; strength belongs to me.
15 Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
By me kings reign, and rulers make laws that are just.
16 Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
By me princes rule, nobles, and all who govern with 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 diligently seek me, find me.
18 With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth 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, even fine gold; my produce is better than pure silver.
20 Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;
I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice.
21 that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.
As a result, I make those who love me inherit wealth; I fill up their treasuries.
22 The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.
Yahweh created me at the beginning, the first of his deeds then.
23 Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
In ages long ago I was made—from the first, from the beginnings of the earth.
24 Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
Before there were oceans, I was given birth— before there were springs abounding with water.
25 and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
Before the mountains were settled and before the hills, I was born.
26 Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.
I was born before Yahweh had made the earth or the fields, or even the first dust in the world.
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 established the heavens, when he drew a circle on the surface of the deep.
28 Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
I was there when he established the clouds above and when the springs in the deep became fixed.
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 made his limit for the sea, so the waters should not spread beyond his command, and when there was set the limit for the foundations of the dry land.
30 Y was making alle thingis with him. And Y delitide bi alle daies, and pleiede bifore hym in al tyme,
I was beside him, as a skilled craftsman; I was his delight day after day, always rejoicing before him.
31 and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
I was rejoicing in his whole world, and my delight was in the sons of mankind.
32 Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
Now, my sons, listen to me, for those who keep my ways will be blessed.
33 Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.
Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not neglect 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.
The one who listens to me will be blessed. He will be watching every day at my doors, waiting beside 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 he will find the favor of Yahweh.
36 But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
But he who fails, harms his own life; all who hate me love death.”
