Proverbs 24

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¹Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.

²For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.

³An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.

⁴Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.

⁵A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.

⁶For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.

⁷Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.

⁸He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.

⁹The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.

¹⁰If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.

¹¹Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.

¹²If 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.

¹³Mi 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.

¹⁵Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.

¹⁶For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.

¹⁷Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;

¹⁸lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.

¹⁹Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.

²⁰For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.

²¹My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.

²²For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?

²³Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.

²⁴Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.

²⁵Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.

²⁶He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.

²⁷Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.

²⁸Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.

²⁹Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk.

³⁰I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!

³¹nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.

³²And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.

³³Hou 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;

³⁴and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.

Proverbs 24

¹Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

²For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

³Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

⁴And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

⁵A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

⁶For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

⁹The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

¹⁰If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

¹¹If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

¹²If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

¹³My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁵Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

¹⁶For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

¹⁷Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

¹⁸Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

²⁰For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

²²For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

²³These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

²⁴He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

²⁵But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

²⁶Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

²⁷Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

²⁸Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

²⁹Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

³⁰I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

³²Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

³³Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

³⁴So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.