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[1]Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
[2]For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
[3]An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
[4]Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
[5]A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
[6]For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
[7]Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
[8]He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
[9]The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
[10]If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
[11]Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
[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]Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
[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]Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
[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]Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
[18]lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
[19]Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
[20]For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
[21]My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
[22]For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
[23]Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
[24]Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
[25]Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
[26]He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
[27]Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
[28]Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
[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 passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
[31]nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
[32]And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
[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]and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.
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