Proverbs 9
1 Wisdom bildide an hous to him silf; he hewide out seuene pileris,
Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars;
2 he offride his slayn sacrifices, he medlide wijn, and settide forth his table.
She hath prepared her meat, she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
3 He sente hise handmaides, that thei schulden clepe to the tour; and to the wallis of the citee.
She hath sent forth her maidens, she calleth, upon the highest places of the city:
4 If ony man is litil; come he to me. And wisdom spak to vnwise men,
'Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither'; as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him:
5 Come ye, ete ye my breed; and drynke ye the wiyn, which Y haue medlid to you.
'Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
6 Forsake ye yong childhed, and lyue ye; and go ye bi the weyes of prudence.
Forsake all thoughtlessness, and live; and walk in the way of understanding.
7 He that techith a scornere, doith wrong to him silf; and he that vndirnymmeth a wickid man, gendrith a wem to him silf.
He that correcteth a scorner getteth to himself shame, and he that reproveth a wicked man, it becometh unto him a blot.
8 Nile thou vndirnyme a scornere; lest he hate thee. Vndirnyme thou a wise man; and he schal loue thee.
Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.
9 Yyue thou occasioun to a wise man; and wisdom schal be encreessid to hym. Teche thou a iust man; and he schal haste to take.
Give to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The bigynnyng of wisdom is the dreed of the Lord; and prudence is the kunnyng of seyntis.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the All-holy is understanding.
11 For thi daies schulen be multiplied bi me; and yeeris of lijf schulen be encreessid to thee.
For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
12 If thou art wijs; thou schalt be to thi silf, and to thi neiyboris. Forsothe if thou art a scornere; thou aloone schalt bere yuel.
If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; and if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.'
13 A fonned womman, and ful of cry, and ful of vnleueful lustis, and that kan no thing outirli,
The woman Folly is riotous; she is thoughtless, and knoweth nothing.
14 sittith in the doris of hir hous, on a seete, in an hiy place of the cite;
And she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 to clepe men passinge bi the weie, and men goynge in her iournei.
To call to them that pass by, who go right on their ways:
16 Who is a litil man `of wit; bowe he to me. And sche spak to a coward,
'Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither'; and as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him:
17 Watris of thefte ben swettere, and breed hid is swettere.
'Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.'
18 And wiste not that giauntis ben there; and the gestis `of hir ben in the depthis of helle. Sotheli he that schal be applied, ether fastned, to hir; schal go doun to hellis. For whi he that goith awei fro hir; schal be saued. (Sheol h7585)
But he knoweth not that the shades are there; that her guests are in the depths of the nether-world. (Sheol h7585)
