Proverbiorum 4
1 [Audite, filii, disciplinam patris, et attendite ut sciatis prudentiam.
Sones, here ye the teching of the fadir; and perseiue ye, that ye kunne prudence.
2 Donum bonum tribuam vobis: legem meam ne derelinquatis.
Y schal yyue to you a good yifte; forsake ye not my lawe.
3 Nam et ego filius fui patris mei, tenellus et unigenitus coram matre mea.
For whi and Y was the sone of my fadir, a tendir sone, and oon `gendride bifore my modir.
4 Et docebat me, atque dicebat: Suscipiat verba mea cor tuum; custodi præcepta mea, et vives.
And my fadir tauyte me, and seide, Thin herte resseyue my wordis; kepe thou myn heestis, and thou schalt lyue.
5 Posside sapientiam, posside prudentiam: ne obliviscaris, neque declines a verbis oris mei.
Welde thou wisdom, welde thou prudence; foryete thou not, nethir bowe thou awey fro the wordis of my mouth.
6 Ne dimittas eam, et custodiet te: dilige eam, et conservabit te.
Forsake thou not it, and it schal kepe thee; loue thou it, and it schal kepe thee.
7 Principium sapientiæ: posside sapientiam, et in omni possessione tua acquire prudentiam.
The bigynnyng of wisdom, welde thou wisdom; and in al thi possessioun gete thou prudence.
8 Arripe illam, et exaltabit te; glorificaberis ab ea cum eam fueris amplexatus.
Take thou it, and it schal enhaunse thee; thou schalt be glorified of it, whanne thou hast biclippid it.
9 Dabit capiti tuo augmenta gratiarum, et corona inclyta proteget te.]
It schal yyue encresyngis of graces to thin heed; and a noble coroun schal defende thee.
10 [Audi, fili mi, et suscipe verba mea, ut multiplicentur tibi anni vitæ.
Mi sone, here thou, and take my wordis; that the yeris of lijf be multiplied to thee.
11 Viam sapientiæ monstrabo tibi; ducam te per semitas æquitatis:
Y schal schewe to thee the weie of wisdom; and Y schal lede thee bi the pathis of equyte.
12 quas cum ingressus fueris, non arctabuntur gressus tui, et currens non habebis offendiculum.
In to whiche whanne thou hast entrid, thi goyngis schulen not be maad streit; and thou schalt rennen, and schalt not haue hirtyng.
13 Tene disciplinam, ne dimittas eam; custodi illam, quia ipsa est vita tua.
Holde thou teching, and forsake it not; kepe thou it, for it is thi lijf.
14 Ne delecteris in semitis impiorum, nec tibi placeat malorum via.
Delite thou not in the pathis of wyckid men; and the weie of yuele men plese not thee.
15 Fuge ab ea, nec transeas per illam; declina, et desere eam.
Fle thou fro it, and passe thou not therbi; bowe thou awei, and forsake it.
16 Non enim dormiunt nisi malefecerint, et rapitur somnus ab eis nisi supplantaverint.
For thei slepen not, `no but thei han do yuele; and sleep is rauyschid fro hem, no but thei han disseyued.
17 Comedunt panem impietatis, et vinum iniquitatis bibunt.
Thei eten the breed of vnpite, and drinken the wyn of wickidnesse.
18 Justorum autem semita quasi lux splendens procedit, et crescit usque ad perfectam diem.
But the path of iust men goith forth as liyt schynynge, and encreessith til to perfit dai.
19 Via impiorum tenebrosa; nesciunt ubi corruant.
The weie of wickid men is derk; thei witen not where thei schulen falle.
20 Fili mi, ausculta sermones meos, et ad eloquia mea inclina aurem tuam.
Mi sone, herkene thou my wordis; and bowe doun thin eeris to my spechis.
21 Ne recedant ab oculis tuis: custodi ea in medio cordis tui:
Go not tho awei fro thyn iyen; kepe thou hem in the myddil of thin herte.
22 vita enim sunt invenientibus ea, et universæ carni sanitas.
For tho ben lijf to men fyndynge thoo, and heelthe `of al fleisch.
23 Omni custodia serva cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita procedit.
With al keping kepe thin herte, for lijf cometh forth of it.
24 Remove a te os pravum, et detrahentia labia sint procul a te.
Remoue thou a schrewid mouth fro thee; and backbitynge lippis be fer fro thee.
25 Oculi tui recta videant, et palpebræ tuæ præcedant gressus tuos.
Thin iyen se riytful thingis; and thin iyeliddis go bifore thi steppis.
26 Dirige semitam pedibus tuis, et omnes viæ tuæ stabilientur.
Dresse thou pathis to thi feet, and alle thi weies schulen be stablischid.
27 Ne declines ad dexteram neque ad sinistram; averte pedem tuum a malo: vias enim quæ a dextris sunt novit Dominus: perversæ vero sunt quæ a sinistris sunt. Ipse autem rectos faciet cursus tuos, itinera autem tua in pace producet.]
Bowe thou not to the riytside, nether to the leftside; turne awei thi foot fro yuel. For the Lord knowith the weies that ben at the riytside; but the weies ben weiward, that ben at the leftside. Forsothe he schal make thi goyngis riytful; and thi weies schulen be brouyt forth in pees.
