Proverbs 17

¹Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.

²A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.

³As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.

⁴An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.

⁵He that dispisith a pore man, repreueth his maker; and he that is glad in the fallyng of another man, schal not be vnpunyschid.

⁶The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.

⁷Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.

⁸A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.

⁹He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.

¹⁰A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.

¹¹Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.

¹²It spedith more to meete a femal bere, whanne the whelpis ben rauyschid, than a fool tristynge to hym silf in his foli.

¹³Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.

¹⁴He that leeueth watir, is heed of stryues; and bifor that he suffrith wrong, he forsakith dom.

¹⁵Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.

¹⁶What profitith it to a fool to haue richessis, sithen he mai not bie wisdom? He that makith his hous hiy, sekith falling; and he that eschewith to lerne, schal falle in to yuels.

¹⁷He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.

¹⁸A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.

¹⁹He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.

²⁰He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.

²¹A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.

²²A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.

²³A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.

²⁴Wisdom schyneth in the face of a prudent man; the iyen of foolis ben in the endis of erthe.

²⁵A fonned sone is the ire of the fadir, and the sorewe of the modir that gendride hym.

²⁶It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.

²⁷He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.

²⁸Also a foole, if he is stille, schal be gessid a wijs man; and, if he pressith togidre hise lippis, he `schal be gessid an vndurstondynge man.

Proverbs 17

¹Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.

²A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

³The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.

⁴A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.

⁵Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

⁶Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

⁷Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

⁸A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

⁹He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

¹⁰A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

¹²Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

¹⁵He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.

¹⁶Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

¹⁷A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

¹⁹He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

²⁰He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

²¹He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

²²A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

²³A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

²⁴Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

²⁶Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.

²⁷He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

²⁸Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.