Proverbs 16

¹It perteyneth to man to make redi the soule; and it perteyneth to the Lord to gouerne the tunge.

²Alle the weies of men ben opyn to the iyen of God; the Lord is a weiere of spiritis.

³Schewe thi werkys to the Lord; and thi thouytis schulen be dressid.

⁴The Lord wrouyte alle thingis for hym silf; and he made redi a wickid man to the yuel dai.

⁵Abhomynacioun of the Lord is ech proude man; yhe, thouy the hond is to the hond, he schal not be innocent. The bigynnyng of good weie is to do riytwisnesse; forsothe it is more acceptable at God, than to offre sacrifices.

⁶Wickidnesse is ayen bouyt bi merci and treuthe; and me bowith awei fro yuel bi the drede of the Lord.

⁷Whanne the weyes of man plesen the Lord, he schal conuerte, yhe, hise enemyes to pees.

⁸Betere is a litil with riytfulnesse, than many fruytis with wickidnesse.

⁹The herte of a man schal dispose his weie; but it perteyneth to the Lord to dresse hise steppis.

¹⁰Dyuynyng is in the lippis of a king; his mouth schal not erre in doom.

¹¹The domes of the Lord ben weiyte and a balaunce; and hise werkis ben alle the stoonys of the world.

¹²Thei that don wickidli ben abhomynable to the king; for the trone of the rewme is maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.

¹³The wille of kyngis is iust lippis; he that spekith riytful thingis, schal be dressid.

¹⁴Indignacioun of the kyng is messangeris of deth; and a wijs man schal plese him.

¹⁵Lijf is in the gladnesse of the `cheer of the king; and his merci is as a reyn comynge late.

¹⁶Welde thou wisdom, for it is betere than gold; and gete thou prudence, for it is precyousere than siluer.

¹⁷The path of iust men bowith awei yuelis; the kepere of his soule kepith his weie.

¹⁸Pride goith bifore sorewe; and the spirit schal be enhaunsid byfor fallyng.

¹⁹It is betere to be maad meke with mylde men, than to departe spuylis with proude men.

²⁰A lerned man in word schal fynde goodis; and he that hopith in the Lord is blessid.

²¹He that is wijs in herte, schal be clepid prudent; and he that is swete in speche, schal fynde grettere thingis.

²²The welle of lijf is the lernyng of him that weldith; the techyng of foolis is foli.

²³The herte of a wijs man schal teche his mouth; and schal encreesse grace to hise lippis.

²⁴Wordis wel set togidere is a coomb of hony; helthe of boonys is the swetnesse of soule.

²⁵A weye is that semeth riytful to a man; and the laste thingis therof leden to deth.

²⁶The soule of a man trauelinge trauelith to hym silf; for his mouth compellide hym.

²⁷An vnwijs man diggith yuel; and fier brenneth in hise lippis.

²⁸A weiward man reisith stryues; and a man ful of wordis departith princis.

²⁹A wickid man flaterith his frend; and ledith hym bi a weie not good.

³⁰He that thenkith schrewid thingis with iyen astonyed, bitith hise lippis, and parformeth yuel.

³¹A coroun of dignyte is eelde, that schal be foundun in the weies of riytfulnesse.

³²A pacient man is betere than a stronge man; and he that `is lord of his soule, is betere than an ouercomere of citees.

³³Lottis ben sent into the bosum; but tho ben temperid of the Lord.

Proverbs 16

¹The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

²All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.

³Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

⁴The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

⁵Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

⁶By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

⁷When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

⁸Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

⁹A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

¹⁰A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

¹¹A just weight and balance are the Lord’s: all the weights of the bag are his work.

¹²It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.

¹⁴The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.

¹⁵In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.

¹⁶How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

¹⁷The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

¹⁸Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

¹⁹Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

²⁰He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.

²¹The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.

²²Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.

²³The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

²⁵There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

²⁶He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

²⁷An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.

²⁸A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

²⁹A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.

³⁰He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.

³¹The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

³²He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

³³The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.