Proverbs 31
1 My words have been spoken by God—the oracular answer of a king, whom his mother instructed.
The wordis of Lamuel, the king; the visioun bi which his modir tauyte hym.
2 What wilt thou keep, my son, what? the words of God. My firstborn son, I speak to thee: what? son of my womb? what? son of my vows?
What my derlyng? what the derlyng of my wombe? what the derlyng of my desiris?
3 Give not thy wealth to women, nor thy mind and living to remorse. Do all things with counsel: drink wine with counsel.
Yyue thou not thi catel to wymmen, and thi richessis to do awei kyngis.
4 Princes are prone to anger: let them then not drink wine:
A! Lamuel, nyle thou yiue wyn to kingis; for no pryuete is, where drunkenesse regneth.
5 lest they drink, and forget wisdom, and be not able to judge the poor rightly.
Lest perauenture thei drynke, and foryete domes, and chaunge the cause of the sones of a pore man.
6 Give strong drink to those that are in sorrow, and the wine to drink to those in pain:
Yyue ye sidur to hem that morenen, and wyn to hem that ben of bitter soule.
7 that they may forget their poverty, and may not remember their troubles any more.
Drinke thei, and foryete thei her nedinesse; and thenke thei no more on her sorewe.
8 Open thy mouth with the word of God, and judge all fairly.
Opene thi mouth for a doumb man,
9 Open thy mouth and judge justly, and plead the cause of the poor and weak.
and opene thi mouth for the causes of alle sones that passen forth. Deme thou that that is iust, and deme thou a nedi man and a pore man.
10 Who shall find a virtuous woman? for such a one is more valuable than precious stones.
Who schal fynde a stronge womman? the prijs of her is fer, and fro the laste endis.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her: such a one shall stand in no need of fine spoils.
The herte of hir hosebond tristith in hir; and sche schal not haue nede to spuylis.
12 For she employs all her living for her husband's good.
Sche schal yelde to hym good, and not yuel, in alle the daies of hir lijf.
13 Gathering wool and flax, she makes it serviceable with her hands.
Sche souyte wolle and flex; and wrouyte bi the counsel of hir hondis.
14 She is like a ship trading from a distance: so she procures her livelihood.
Sche is maad as the schip of a marchaunt, that berith his breed fro fer.
15 And she rises by night, and gives food to her household, and [appointed] tasks to her maidens.
And sche roos bi nyyt, and yaf prey to hir meyneals, and metis to hir handmaidis.
16 She views a farm, and buys it: and with the fruit of her hands she plants and a possession.
Sche bihelde a feeld, and bouyte it; of the fruyt of hir hondis sche plauntide a vyner.
17 She strongly girds her loins, and strengthens her arms for work.
Sche girde hir leendis with strengthe, and made strong hir arm.
18 And she finds by experience that working is good; and her candle goes not out all night.
Sche taastide, and siy, that hir marchaundie was good; hir lanterne schal not be quenchid in the niyt.
19 She reaches forth her arms to needful [works], and applies her hands to the spindle.
Sche putte hir hondis to stronge thingis, and hir fyngris token the spyndil.
20 And she opens her hands to the needy, and reaches out fruit to the poor.
Sche openyde hir hond to a nedi man, and stretchide forth hir hondis to a pore man.
21 Her husband is not anxious about those at home when he tarries anywhere abroad: for all her household are clothed.
Sche schal not drede for hir hous of the cooldis of snow; for alle hir meyneals ben clothid with double clothis.
22 She makes for her husband clothes of double texture, and garments for herself of fine linen and scarlet.
Sche made to hir a ray cloth; bijs and purpur is the cloth of hir.
23 And her husband becomes a distinguished [person] in the gates, when he sits in council with the old inhabitants of the land.
Hir hosebonde is noble in the yatis, whanne he sittith with the senatours of erthe.
24 She makes fine linens, and sells girdles to the Chananites: she opens her mouth heedfully and with propriety, and controls her tongue.
Sche made lynnun cloth, and selde; and yaf a girdil to a Chananei.
25 She puts on strength and honour; and rejoices in the last days.
Strengthe and fairnesse is the clothing of hir; and sche schal leiye in the laste dai.
26 But she opens her mouth wisely, and according to law.
Sche openyde hir mouth to wisdom; and the lawe of merci is in hir tunge.
27 The ways of her household are careful, and she eats not the bread of idleness.
Sche bihelde the pathis of hir hous; and sche eet not breed idili.
28 And [her] kindness to them sets up her children for them, and they grow rich, and her husband praises her.
Hir sones risiden, and prechiden hir moost blessid; hir hosebonde roos, and preiside hir.
29 Many daughters have obtained wealth, many have wrought valiantly; but thou hast exceeded, thou hast surpassed all.
Many douytris gaderiden richessis; thou passidist alle.
30 Charms are false, and woman's beauty is vain: for it is a wise woman that is blessed, and let her praise the fear the Lord.
Fairnesse is disseiuable grace, and veyn; thilke womman, that dredith the Lord, schal be preisid.
31 Give her of the fruit of her lips; and let her husband be praised in the gates.
Yyue ye to hir of the fruyt of hir hondis; and hir werkis preise hir in the yatis.
