Proverbiorum 24
1 Ne æmuleris viros malos, nec desideres esse cum eis:
Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
2 quia rapinas meditatur mens eorum, et fraudes labia eorum loquuntur.
For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
3 Sapientia ædificabitur domus, et prudentia roborabitur.
An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
4 In doctrina replebuntur cellaria, universa substantia pretiosa et pulcherrima.
Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
5 Vir sapiens fortis est, et vir doctus robustus et validus:
A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
6 quia cum dispositione initur bellum, et erit salus ubi multa consilia sunt.
For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
7 Excelsa stulto sapientia; in porta non aperiet os suum.
Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
8 Qui cogitat mala facere stultus vocabitur:
He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
9 cogitatio stulti peccatum est, et abominatio hominum detractor.
The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
10 Si desperaveris lassus in die angustiæ, imminuetur fortitudo tua.
If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
11 Erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem, et qui trahuntur ad interitum, liberare ne cesses.
Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
12 Si dixeris: Vires non suppetunt; qui inspector est cordis ipse intelligit: et servatorem animæ tuæ nihil fallit, reddetque homini juxta opera sua.
If thou seist, Strengthis suffisen not; he that is biholdere of the herte, vndirstondith, and no thing disseyueth the kepere of thi soule, and he schal yelde to a man bi hise werkis.
13 Comede, fili mi, mel, quia bonum est, et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo.
Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
14 Sic et doctrina sapientiæ animæ tuæ: quam cum inveneris, habebis in novissimis spem, et spes tua non peribit.
`So and the techyng of wisdom is good to thi soule; and whanne thou hast founde it, thou schalt haue hope in the laste thingis, and thin hope schal not perische.
15 Ne insidieris, et quæras impietatem in domo justi, neque vastes requiem ejus.
Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
16 Septies enim cadet justus, et resurget: impii autem corruent in malum.
For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.
17 Cum ceciderit inimicus tuus ne gaudeas, et in ruina ejus ne exsultet cor tuum:
Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
18 ne forte videat Dominus, et displiceat ei, et auferat ab eo iram suam.
lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
19 Ne contendas cum pessimis, nec æmuleris impios:
Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
20 quoniam non habent futurorum spem mali, et lucerna impiorum extinguetur.
For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
21 Time Dominum, fili mi, et regem, et cum detractoribus non commiscearis:
My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
22 quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum, et ruinam utriusque quis novit?
For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
23 Hæc quoque sapientibus. Cognoscere personam in judicio non est bonum.
Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
24 Qui dicunt impio: Justus es: maledicent eis populi, et detestabuntur eos tribus.
Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
25 Qui arguunt eum laudabuntur, et super ipsos veniet benedictio.
Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
26 Labia deosculabitur qui recta verba respondet.
He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
27 Præpara foris opus tuum, et diligenter exerce agrum tuum, ut postea ædifices domum tuam.
Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
28 Ne sis testis frustra contra proximum tuum, nec lactes quemquam labiis tuis.
Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
29 Ne dicas: Quomodo fecit mihi, sic faciam ei; reddam unicuique secundum opus suum.
Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk.
30 Per agrum hominis pigri transivi, et per vineam viri stulti:
I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
31 et ecce totum repleverant urticæ, et operuerant superficiem ejus spinæ, et maceria lapidum destructa erat.
nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
32 Quod cum vidissem, posui in corde meo, et exemplo didici disciplinam.
And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
33 Parum, inquam, dormies, modicum dormitabis; pauxillum manus conseres ut quiescas:
Hou longe slepist thou, slow man? whanne schalt thou ryse fro sleep? Sotheli thou schalt slepe a litil, thou schalt nappe a litil, thou schalt ioyne togidere the hondis a litil, to take reste;
34 et veniet tibi quasi cursor egestas, et mendicitas quasi vir armatus.
and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
