Wycliffe's English Translation (1388)
Wycliffe
Translated from the Latin in the 14th century
[1]A wijs womman bildith hir hous; and an unwijs womman schal distrie with hondis an hous bildid. [2]A man goynge in riytful weie, and dredinge God, is dispisid of hym, that goith in a weie of yuel fame. [3]The yerde of pride is in the mouth of a fool; the lippis of wijs men kepen hem. [4]Where oxis ben not, the cratche is void; but where ful many cornes apperen, there the strengthe of oxe is opyn. [5]A feithful witnesse schal not lie; a gileful witnesse bringith forth a leesing. [6]A scornere sekith wisdom, and he fyndith not; the teching of prudent men is esy. [7]Go thou ayens a man a fool; and he schal not knowe the lippis of prudence. [8]The wisdom of a fel man is to vndirstonde his weie; and the vnwarnesse of foolis errith. [9]A fool scorneth synne; grace schal dwelle among iust men. [10]The herte that knowith the bittirnesse of his soule; a straunger schal not be meddlid in the ioie therof. [11]The hous of wickid men schal be don awei; the tabernaclis of iust men schulen buriowne. [12]Sotheli a weie is, that semeth iust to a man; but the laste thingis therof leden forth to deth. [13]Leiyyng schal be medlid with sorewe; and morenyng ocupieth the laste thingis of ioye. [14]A fool schal be fillid with hise weies; and a good man schal be aboue hym. [15]An innocent man bileueth to eche word; a felle man biholdith hise goyngis. [16]A wijs man dredith, and bowith awei fro yuel; a fool skippith ouer, and tristith. [17]A man vnpacient schal worche foli; and a gileful man is odiouse. [18]Litle men of wit schulen holde foli; and felle men schulen abide kunnyng. [19]Yuel men schulen ligge bifor goode men; and vnpitouse men bifor the yatis of iust men. [20]A pore man schal be hateful, yhe, to his neiybore; but many men ben frendis of riche men. [21]He that dispisith his neiybore, doith synne; but he that doith merci to a pore man, schal be blessid. He that bileueth in the Lord, loueth merci; [22]thei erren that worchen yuel. Merci and treuthe maken redi goodis; [23]abundaunce `schal be in ech good werk. Sotheli where ful many wordis ben, there nedynesse is ofte. [24]The coroun of wise men is the richessis of hem; the fooli of foolis is vnwarnesse. [25]A feithful witnesse delyuereth soulis; and a fals man bringith forth leesyngis. [26]In the drede of the Lord is triste of strengthe; and hope schal be to the sones of it. [27]The drede of the Lord is a welle of lijf; that it bowe awei fro the fallyng of deth. [28]The dignite of the king is in the multitude of puple; and the schenschipe of a prince is in the fewnesse of puple. [29]He that is pacient, is gouerned bi myche wisdom; but he that is vnpacient, enhaunsith his foli. [30]Helthe of herte is the lijf of fleischis; enuye is rot of boonys. [31]He that falsli chalengith a nedi man, dispisith his maker; but he that hath merci on a pore man, onourith that makere. [32]A wickid man is put out for his malice; but a iust man hopith in his deth. [33]Wisdom restith in the herte of a wijs man; and he schal teche alle vnlerned men. [34]Riytfulnesse reisith a folc; synne makith puplis wretchis. [35]A mynystre vndurstondynge is acceptable to a kyng; a mynystre vnprofitable schal suffre the wrathfulnesse of him.
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Author: John Wycliffe (1328 – 1384)
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