Proverbs 1
1 The parablis of Salomon, the sone of Dauid, king of Israel;
The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 to kunne wisdom and kunnyng;
to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3 to vndurstonde the wordis of prudence; and to take the lernyng of teching; to take riytfulnesse, and dom, and equyte;
to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 that felnesse be youun to litle children, and kunnyng, and vndurstonding to a yong wexynge man.
to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man—
5 A wise man heringe schal be wisere; and a man vndurstondinge schal holde gouernails.
that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;
6 He schal perseyue a parable, and expownyng; the wordis of wise men, and the derk figuratif spechis of hem.
to understand a proverb and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
7 The drede of the Lord is the bigynning of wisdom; foolis dispisen wisdom and teching.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My sone, here thou the teching of thi fadir, and forsake thou not the lawe of thi modir;
My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching;
9 that grace be addid, ethir encreessid, to thin heed, and a bie to thi necke.
for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.
10 Mi sone, if synneris flateren thee, assente thou not to hem.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11 If thei seien, Come thou with vs, sette we aspies to blood, hide we snaris of disseitis ayens an innocent without cause;
If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lie in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.
12 swolowe we him, as helle swolowith a man lyuynge; and al hool, as goynge doun in to a lake; we schulen fynde al preciouse catel, (Sheol h7585)
Let's swallow them up alive like Sheol (Sheol h7585), and whole, like those who go down into the pit.
13 we schulen fille oure housis with spuylis; sende thou lot with vs,
We will find all valuable wealth. We will fill our houses with plunder.
14 o purs be of vs alle;
You shall cast your lot among us. We will all have one purse”—
15 my sone, go thou not with hem; forbede thi foot fro the pathis of hem.
my son, do not walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
16 For the feet of hem rennen to yuel; and thei hasten to schede out blood.
for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.
17 But a net is leid in veyn bifore the iyen of briddis, that han wengis.
For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;
18 Also `thilke wickid disseyueris setten aspies ayens her owne blood; and maken redi fraudis ayens her soulis.
but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So the pathis of ech auerouse man rauyschen the soulis of hem that welden.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.
20 Wisdom prechith with outforth; in stretis it yyueth his vois.
Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.
21 It crieth ofte in the heed of cumpenyes; in the leeues of yatis of the citee it bringith forth hise wordis,
She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
22 and seith, Hou long, ye litle men in wit, louen yong childhod, and foolis schulen coueyte tho thingis, that ben harmful to hem silf, and vnprudent men schulen hate kunnyng?
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Be ye conuertid at my repreuyng; lo, Y schal profre forth to you my spirit, and Y schal schewe my wordis.
Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.
24 For Y clepide, and ye forsoken; Y helde forth myn hond, and noon was that bihelde.
Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;
25 Ye dispisiden al my councel; and chargiden not my blamyngis.
but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;
26 And Y schal leiye in youre perisching; and Y schal scorne you, whanne that, that ye dreden, cometh to you.
I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,
27 Whanne sodeyne wretchidnesse fallith in, and perisching bifallith as tempest; whanne tribulacioun and angwisch cometh on you.
when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.
28 Thanne thei schulen clepe me, and Y schal not here; thei schulen rise eerli, and thei schulen not fynde me.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me,
29 For thei hatiden teching, and thei token not the drede of the Lord,
because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD.
30 nether assentiden to my councel, and depraueden al myn amendyng.
They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
31 Therfor thei schulen ete the fruytis of her weie; and thei schulen be fillid with her counseils.
Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
32 The turnyng awei of litle men in wit schal sle hem; and the prosperite of foolis schal leese hem.
For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
33 But he that herith me, schal reste with outen drede; and he schal vse abundaunce, whanne the drede of yuels is takun awei.
But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”
