Proverbs 9

1 Wisdom has built her house. She has set up her seven pillars.

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

2 She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

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

3 She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city:

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

4 "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

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

5 "Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed.

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

6 Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding."

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

7 He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.

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

8 Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

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

9 Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

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

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

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

11 For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.

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

12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.

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

13 The foolish woman is loud, Undisciplined, and knows nothing.

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

14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

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

15 To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways,

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

16 "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

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

17 "Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant."

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

18 But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

And 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. (Sheol h7585)