Proverbs 16
1 THE preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.
It perteyneth to man to make redi the soule; and it perteyneth to the Lord to gouerne the tunge.
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.
Alle the weies of men ben opyn to the iyen of God; the Lord is a weiere of spiritis.
3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Schewe thi werkys to the Lord; and thi thouytis schulen be dressid.
4 The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
The Lord wrouyte alle thingis for hym silf; and he made redi a wickid man to the yuel dai.
5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Abhomynacioun of the Lord is ech proude man; yhe, thouy the hond is to the hond, he schal not be innocent. The bigynnyng of good weie is to do riytwisnesse; forsothe it is more acceptable at God, than to offre sacrifices.
6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.
Wickidnesse is ayen bouyt bi merci and treuthe; and me bowith awei fro yuel bi the drede of the Lord.
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Whanne the weyes of man plesen the Lord, he schal conuerte, yhe, hise enemyes to pees.
8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
Betere is a litil with riytfulnesse, than many fruytis with wickidnesse.
9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.
The herte of a man schal dispose his weie; but it perteyneth to the Lord to dresse hise steppis.
10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.
Dyuynyng is in the lippis of a king; his mouth schal not erre in doom.
11 A just weight and balance are the Lord’s: all the weights of the bag are his work.
The domes of the Lord ben weiyte and a balaunce; and hise werkis ben alle the stoonys of the world.
12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.
Thei that don wickidli ben abhomynable to the king; for the trone of the rewme is maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
The wille of kyngis is iust lippis; he that spekith riytful thingis, schal be dressid.
14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.
Indignacioun of the kyng is messangeris of deth; and a wijs man schal plese him.
15 In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.
Lijf is in the gladnesse of the `cheer of the king; and his merci is as a reyn comynge late.
16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
Welde thou wisdom, for it is betere than gold; and gete thou prudence, for it is precyousere than siluer.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
The path of iust men bowith awei yuelis; the kepere of his soule kepith his weie.
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Pride goith bifore sorewe; and the spirit schal be enhaunsid byfor fallyng.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
It is betere to be maad meke with mylde men, than to departe spuylis with proude men.
20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.
A lerned man in word schal fynde goodis; and he that hopith in the Lord is blessid.
21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
He that is wijs in herte, schal be clepid prudent; and he that is swete in speche, schal fynde grettere thingis.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.
The welle of lijf is the lernyng of him that weldith; the techyng of foolis is foli.
23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.
The herte of a wijs man schal teche his mouth; and schal encreesse grace to hise lippis.
24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Wordis wel set togidere is a coomb of hony; helthe of boonys is the swetnesse of soule.
25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
A weye is that semeth riytful to a man; and the laste thingis therof leden to deth.
26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
The soule of a man trauelinge trauelith to hym silf; for his mouth compellide hym.
27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
An vnwijs man diggith yuel; and fier brenneth in hise lippis.
28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
A weiward man reisith stryues; and a man ful of wordis departith princis.
29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.
A wickid man flaterith his frend; and ledith hym bi a weie not good.
30 He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.
He that thenkith schrewid thingis with iyen astonyed, bitith hise lippis, and parformeth yuel.
31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
A coroun of dignyte is eelde, that schal be foundun in the weies of riytfulnesse.
32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
A pacient man is betere than a stronge man; and he that `is lord of his soule, is betere than an ouercomere of citees.
33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
Lottis ben sent into the bosum; but tho ben temperid of the Lord.
