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| [1]Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois? |
[1]Doth not wisdom call, and understanding put forth her voice? |
| [2]In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis, |
[2]In the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she standeth; |
| [3]and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A! |
[3]Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud: |
| [4]ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men. |
[4]'Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. |
| [5]Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom. |
[5]O ye thoughtless, understand prudence, and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. |
| [6]Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis. |
[6]Hear, for I will speak excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things. |
| [7]My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man. |
[7]For my mouth shall utter truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. |
| [8]My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho. |
[8]All the words of my mouth are in righteousness, there is nothing perverse or crooked in them. |
| [9]`My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng. |
[9]They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. |
| [10]Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour. |
[10]Receive my instruction, and not silver, knowledge rather than choice gold. |
| [11]For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto. |
[11]For wisdom is better than rubies, and all things desirable are not to be compared unto her. |
| [12]Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis. |
[12]I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of devices. |
| [13]The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth. |
[13]The fear of 𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇 is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. |
| [14]Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn. |
[14]Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine. |
| [15]Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me. |
[15]By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. |
| [16]Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me. |
[16]By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. |
| [17]I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me. |
[17]I love them that love me, and those that seek me earnestly shall find me. |
| [18]With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse. |
[18]Riches and honour are with me; yea, enduring riches and righteousness. |
| [19]My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer. |
[19]My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my produce than choice silver. |
| [20]Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom; |
[20]I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice; |
| [21]that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris. |
[21]That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, and that I may fill their treasuries. |
| [22]The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng. |
[22]𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇 made me as the beginning of His way, the first of His works of old. |
| [23]Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad. |
[23]I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. |
| [24]Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit, |
[24]When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. |
| [25]and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born. |
[25]Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; |
| [26]Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world. |
[26]While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. |
| [27]Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas. |
[27]When He established the heavens, I was there; when He set a circle upon the face of the deep, |
| [28]Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris. |
[28]When He made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the deep showed their might, |
| [29]Whanne he cumpasside to the see his marke; and settide lawe to watris, that tho schulden not passe her coostis. Whanne he peiside the foundementis of erthe; |
[29]When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not transgress His commandment, when He appointed the foundations of the earth; |
| [30]Y was making alle thingis with him. And Y delitide bi alle daies, and pleiede bifore hym in al tyme, |
[30]Then I was by Him, as a nursling; and I was daily all delight, playing always before Him, |
| [31]and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men. |
[31]Playing in His habitable earth, and my delights are with the sons of men. |
| [32]Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies. |
[32]Now therefore, ye children, hearken unto me; for happy are they that keep my ways. |
| [33]Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei. |
[33]Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. |
| [34]Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore. |
[34]Happy is the man that hearkeneth to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. |
| [35]He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord. |
[35]For whoso findeth me findeth life, and obtaineth favour of 𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤇. |
| [36]But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth. |
[36]But he that misseth me wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death.' |