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| [1]BE not envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them, |
[1]Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem. |
| [2]For their hearts devise evil and their lips talk of iniquity |
[2]For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis. |
| [3]Through wisdom a house is built; and by understanding it is established; |
[3]An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence. |
| [4]And by knowledge the inner chambers are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. |
[4]Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair. |
| [5]A wise man is better than a strong man; yea, a man of knowledge than a mighty man. |
[5]A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti. |
| [6]For by provocation is war waged; and in a multitude of counsels there is salvation |
[6]For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben. |
| [7]Wisdom crushes a fool; he opens not his mouth in the gate. |
[7]Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth. |
| [8]He who devises to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. |
[8]He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool. |
| [9]The thought of a fool is sin; and an abomination of men is evil |
[9]The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men. |
| [10]The wicked shall be driven away by evil in the day of affliction |
[10]If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse. |
| [11]Deliver those who are led away to death, and spare not to redeem those who are held to be slain. |
[11]Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth. |
| [12]If you say, Behold, I did not know it, then know that it is God who searches the thought of the heart; and he who keeps your soul knows it, and shall render to every man according to his works |
[12]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]My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb, which is sweet to your taste. |
[13]Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte. |
| [14]Thus shall wisdom find your soul; and you will have good prospects, and your hope shall not be cut off |
[14]`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]Do not devise plots of iniquity in the dwelling of the righteous; do not spoil his resting place; |
[15]Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste. |
| [16]For a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again; but the wicked shall fall into mischief |
[16]For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele. |
| [17]Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he is overthrown, |
[17]Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal; |
| [18]Lest the LORD see it and it displease him and he turn away his anger from him |
[18]lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym. |
| [19]Do not envy evildoers nor be jealous of the wicked; |
[19]Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men. |
| [20]For there shall be no future for evil men, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out |
[20]For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid. |
| [21]My son, fear the LORD and give good counsel; and meddle not with the fools; |
[21]My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris. |
| [22]For their calamity shall come suddenly; and who knows the end of their years |
[22]For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either? |
| [23]These things I say to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment, |
[23]Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom. |
| [24]Nor to say to a wicked man, You are righteous; him shall the people curse, and nations shall abhor him. |
[24]Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable. |
| [25]But to those who rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. |
[25]Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem. |
| [26]The people shall kiss the lips of those who give admonition |
[26]He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis. |
| [27]Prepare your work out of doors, and make it ready in the field; and afterwards build your house |
[27]Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward. |
| [28]Be not a false witness against your neighbor; and do not deceive him with your lips. |
[28]Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis. |
| [29]Say not, I will do so to him as he has done to me; I will render to him according to his works |
[29]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]I passed by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding, |
[30]I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo! |
| [31]And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down. |
[31]nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried. |
| [32]Then I looked upon it, and considered it well, and I received instruction: |
[32]And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng. |
| [33]Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands upon your chest; |
[33]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]So shall poverty come upon you, and want shall overtake you suddenly like a runner |
[34]and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man. |