Proverbs 25
1 These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, collected.
Also these ben the Parablis of Salomon, whiche the men of Ezechie, kyng of Juda, translatiden.
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But it is the glory of kings to search out a matter.
The glorie of God is to hele a word; and the glorie of kyngis is to seke out a word.
3 As the heavens for their height, And as the earth for its depth, So is the heart of kings unsearchable!
Heuene aboue, and the erthe bynethe, and the herte of kyngis is vnserchable.
4 Take away the dross from the silver, And there will come forth a vessel for the founder;
Do thou a wei rust fro siluer, and a ful cleene vessel schal go out.
5 Take away the wicked man from the presence of the king, And his throne will be established by righteousness.
Do thou awei vnpite fro the cheer of the kyng, and his trone schal be maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.
6 Put not thyself forth in the presence of the king, Nor set thyself in the place of the great;
Appere thou not gloriouse bifore the kyng, and stonde thou not in the place of grete men.
7 For better is it that one should say to thee, “Come up hither!” Than that he should put thee in a lower place, In the presence of the prince whom thine eyes behold.
For it is betere, that it be seid to thee, Stie thou hidur, than that thou be maad low bifore the prince.
8 Go not forth hastily to engage in a suit, Lest thou know not what to do in the end of it, When thine adversary hath put thee to shame.
Brynge thou not forth soone tho thingis in strijf, whiche thin iyen sien; lest aftirward thou maist not amende, whanne thou hast maad thi frend vnhonest.
9 Maintain thy cause with thine adversary, But reveal not another's secret;
Trete thi cause with thi frend, and schewe thou not priuyte to a straunge man;
10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, And thy infamy depart not from thee.
lest perauenture he haue ioye of thi fal, whanne he hath herde, and ceesse not to do schenschipe to thee. Grace and frenschip delyueren, whiche kepe thou to thee, that thou be not maad repreuable.
11 A word spoken in season Is like apples of gold in figured-work of silver.
A goldun pomel in beddis of siluer is he, that spekith a word in his time.
12 As a ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, So is a wise reprover to an attentive ear.
A goldun eere ryng, and a schinynge peerle is he, that repreueth a wijs man, and an eere obeiynge.
13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, So is a faithful messenger to them that send him; For he refresheth the spirit of his masters.
As the coold of snow in the dai of heruest, so a feithful messanger to hym that sente `thilke messanger, makith his soule to haue reste.
14 As clouds and wind without rain, So is the man that boasteth falsely of giving.
A cloude and wind, and reyn not suynge, is a gloriouse man, and not fillynge biheestis.
15 By long forbearing is a prince appeased; And a soft tongue breaketh bones.
A prince schal be maad soft bi pacience; and a soft tunge schal breke hardnesse.
16 Hast thou found honey? eat what is sufficient for thee, Lest thou be surfeited with it, and vomit it up.
Thou hast founde hony, ete thou that that suffisith to thee; lest perauenture thou be fillid, and brake it out.
17 Let thy foot be seldom in the house of thy friend, Lest he be surfeited with thee and hate thee.
Withdrawe thi foot fro the hous of thi neiybore; lest sum tyme he be fillid, and hate thee.
18 A battle-hammer, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, Is the man who beareth false witness against his neighbor.
A dart, and a swerd, and a scharp arowe, a man that spekith fals witnessing ayens his neiybore.
19 As a broken tooth, and a wavering foot, So is trust in an unfaithful man in time of trouble.
A rotun tooth, and a feynt foot is he, that hopith on an vnfeithful man in the dai of angwisch,
20 As he that taketh off a garment on a cold day, As vinegar upon nitre, So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.
and leesith his mentil in the dai of coold. Vynegre in a vessel of salt is he, that singith songis to the worste herte. As a mouyte noieth a cloth, and a worm noieth a tree, so the sorewe of a man noieth the herte.
21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
If thin enemy hungrith, feede thou him; if he thirstith, yyue thou watir to hym to drinke;
22 For thou wilt heap coals of fire upon his head, And the LORD will reward thee.
for thou schalt gadere togidere coolis on his heed; and the Lord schal yelde to thee.
23 As the north wind bringeth forth rain, So a backbiting tongue maketh an angry countenance.
The north wind scatereth reynes; and a sorewful face distrieth a tunge bacbitinge.
24 Better is it to dwell in a corner of the housetop, Than with a quarrelsome woman in a large house.
It is betere to sitte in the corner of an hous without roof, than with a womman ful of chidyng, and in a comyn hous.
25 As cold water to the thirsty, So is good news from a far country.
Coold watir to a thirsti man; and a good messanger fro a fer lond.
26 As a troubled fountain, and as a corrupted spring, So is a righteous man falling before the wicked.
A welle disturblid with foot, and a veyne brokun, a iust man fallinge bifore a wickid man.
27 To eat much honey is not good; So the search of high things is weariness.
As it is not good to hym that etith myche hony; so he that is a serchere of maieste, schal be put doun fro glorie.
28 As a city broken through and without a wall, So is he that hath no rule over his spirit.
As a citee opyn, and with out cumpas of wallis; so is a man that mai not refreyne his spirit in speking.
