Proverbs 9

¹Wisdom bildide an hous to him silf; he hewide out seuene pileris,

²he offride his slayn sacrifices, he medlide wijn, and settide forth his table.

³He sente hise handmaides, that thei schulden clepe to the tour; and to the wallis of the citee.

⁴If ony man is litil; come he to me. And wisdom spak to vnwise men,

⁵Come ye, ete ye my breed; and drynke ye the wiyn, which Y haue medlid to you.

⁶Forsake ye yong childhed, and lyue ye; and go ye bi the weyes of prudence.

⁷He that techith a scornere, doith wrong to him silf; and he that vndirnymmeth a wickid man, gendrith a wem to him silf.

⁸Nile thou vndirnyme a scornere; lest he hate thee. Vndirnyme thou a wise man; and he schal loue thee.

⁹Yyue thou occasioun to a wise man; and wisdom schal be encreessid to hym. Teche thou a iust man; and he schal haste to take.

¹⁰The bigynnyng of wisdom is the dreed of the Lord; and prudence is the kunnyng of seyntis.

¹¹For thi daies schulen be multiplied bi me; and yeeris of lijf schulen be encreessid to thee.

¹²If thou art wijs; thou schalt be to thi silf, and to thi neiyboris. Forsothe if thou art a scornere; thou aloone schalt bere yuel.

¹³A fonned womman, and ful of cry, and ful of vnleueful lustis, and that kan no thing outirli,

¹⁴sittith in the doris of hir hous, on a seete, in an hiy place of the cite;

¹⁵to clepe men passinge bi the weie, and men goynge in her iournei.

¹⁶Who is a litil man `of wit; bowe he to me. And sche spak to a coward,

¹⁷Watris of thefte ben swettere, and breed hid is swettere.

¹⁸And wiste not that giauntis ben there; and the gestis `of hir ben in the depthis of helle. Sotheli he that schal be applied, ether fastned, to hir; schal go doun to hellis. For whi he that goith awei fro hir; schal be saued.

Proverbs 9

¹Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

²She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

³She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

⁴Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

⁵Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

⁶Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

⁷He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

⁸Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

⁹Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

¹¹For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

¹²If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

¹³A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

¹⁴For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

¹⁵To call passengers who go right on their ways:

¹⁶Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

¹⁷Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

¹⁸But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.