Proverbs 3 Comparison: Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version
Proverbs 3
1Mi sone, foryete thou not my lawe; and thyn herte kepe my comaundementis.
2For tho schulen sette to thee the lengthe of daies, and the yeeris of lijf, and pees.
3Merci and treuthe forsake thee not; bynde thou tho to thi throte, and write in the tablis of thin herte.
4And thou schalt fynde grace, and good teching bifore God and men.
5Haue thou trist in the Lord, of al thin herte; and triste thou not to thi prudence.
6In alle thi weies thenke thou on hym, and he schal dresse thi goyngis.
7Be thou not wijs anentis thi silf; drede thou God, and go awei fro yuel.
8For whi helthe schal be in thi nawle, and moisting of thi boonys.
9Onoure thou the Lord of thi catel, and of the beste of alle thi fruytis yyue thou to pore men;
10and thi bernes schulen be fillid with abundaunce, and pressours schulen flowe with wiyn.
11My sone, caste thou not awei the teching of the Lord; and faile thou not, whanne thou art chastisid of him.
12For the Lord chastisith hym, whom he loueth; and as a fadir in the sone he plesith hym.
13Blessid is the man that fyndith wisdom, and which flowith with prudence.
14The geting therof is betere than the marchaundie of gold and of siluer; the fruytis therof ben the firste and clenneste.
15It is preciousere than alle richessis; and alle thingis that ben desirid, moun not be comparisound to this.
16Lengthe of daies is in the riythalf therof, and richessis and glorie ben in the lifthalf therof.
17The weies therof ben feire weies, and alle the pathis therof ben pesible.
18It is a tre of lijf to hem that taken it; and he that holdith it, is blessid.
19The Lord foundide the erthe bi wisdom; he stablischide heuenes bi prudence.
20The depthis of watris braken out bi his wisdom; and cloudis wexen togidere bi dewe.
21My sone, these thingis flete not awey fro thin iyen; kepe thou my lawe, and my counsel;
22and lijf schal be to thi soule, and grace `schal be to thi chekis.
23Thanne thou schalt go tristili in thi weie; and thi foot schal not snapere.
24If thou schalt slepe, thou schalt not drede; thou schalt reste, and thi sleep schal be soft.
25Drede thou not bi sudeyne feer, and the powers of wickid men fallynge in on thee.
26For the Lord schal be at thi side; and he schal kepe thi foot, that thou be not takun.
27Nil thou forbede to do wel him that mai; if thou maist, and do thou wel.
28Seie thou not to thi frend, Go, and turne thou ayen, and to morewe Y schal yyue to thee; whanne thou maist yyue anoon.
29Ymagyne thou not yuel to thi freend, whanne he hath trist in thee.
30Stryue thou not ayens a man with out cause, whanne he doith noon yuel to thee.
31Sue thou not an vniust man, sue thou not hise weies.
32For ech disseyuer is abhomynacioun of the Lord; and his speking is with simple men.
33Nedinesse is sent of the Lord in the hous of a wickid man; but the dwelling places of iust men schulen be blessid.
34He schal scorne scorneris; and he schal yyue grace to mylde men.
35Wise men schulen haue glorie; enhaunsing of foolis is schenschipe.
Proverbs 3
1My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
12For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
19The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
26For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
27Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
28Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
32For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.
33The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
34Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Understanding Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version in Proverbs 3
Wycliffe Bible (1395) (Wycliffe)
The first complete English translation of the Bible (1395) by John Wycliffe and his followers. Translated from the Latin Vulgate. A landmark in English history and the Reformation.
King James Version (KJV)
The classic 1611 English translation known for its majestic prose and literary influence. Ideal for traditional study and memorization thanks to its formal style. A foundational English Bible used for centuries.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Proverbs 3 in the Wycliffe Bible (1395) and King James Version. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.
Key Comparison: Proverbs 3:16
"Lengthe of daies is in the riythalf therof, and richessis and glorie ben in the lifthalf therof."
"Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour."
