Proverbs 27
1 Haue thou not glorie on the morewe, `not knowynge what thing the dai to comynge schal bringe forth.
Boast not of to-morrow; for you know not what the next day shall bring forth.
2 Another man, and not thi mouth preise thee; a straunger, and not thi lippis `preise thee.
Let your neighbour, and not your own mouth, praise you; a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stoon is heuy, and grauel is chariouse; but the ire of a fool is heuyere than euer eithir.
A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
4 Ire hath no merci, and woodnesse brekynge out `hath no merci; and who mai suffre the fersnesse of a spirit stirid?
Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
5 Betere is opyn repreuyng, than loue hid.
Open reproofs are better than secret love.
6 Betere ben the woundis of hym that loueth, than the gileful cossis of hym that hatith.
The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
7 A man fillid schal dispise an hony coomb; but an hungri man schal take, yhe, bittir thing for swete.
A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
8 As a brid passinge ouer fro his nest, so is a man that forsakith his place.
As when a bird flies down from its own nest, so a man is brought into bondage whenever he estranges himself from his own place.
9 The herte delitith in oynement, and dyuerse odours; and a soule is maad swete bi the good counsels of a frend.
The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
10 Forsake thou not thi frend, and the frend of thi fadir; and entre thou not in to the hous of thi brothir, in the dai of thi turment. Betere is a neiybore nyy, than a brothir afer.
Your own friend, and your father's friend, forsake not; and when you are in distress go not into your brother's house: better is a friend [that is] near than a brother living far off.
11 Mi sone, studie thou a boute wisdom, and make thou glad myn herte; that thou maist answere a word to a dispisere.
Son, be wise, that your heart may rejoice; and remove you from yourself reproachful words.
12 A fel man seynge yuel was hid; litle men of wit passinge forth suffriden harmes.
A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
13 Take thou awei his clooth, that bihiyte for a straunger; and take thou awei a wed fro hym for an alien man.
Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
14 He that blessith his neiybore with greet vois; and risith bi niyt, schal be lijk hym that cursith.
Whosoever shall bless a friend in the morning with a loud voice, shall seem to differ nothing from one who curses [him].
15 Roouys droppynge in the dai of coold, and a womman ful of chidyng ben comparisond.
On a stormy day drops [of rain] drive a man out of his house; so also does a railing woman [drive a man] out of his own house.
16 He that withholdith hir, as if he holdith wynd; and auoidith the oile of his riyt hond.
The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
17 Yrun is whettid bi irun; and a man whettith the face of his frend.
Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
18 He that kepith a fige tre, schal ete the fruytis therof; and he that is a kepere of his lord, schal be glorified.
He that plants a fig tree shall eat the fruits of it: so he that waits on his own master shall be honoured.
19 As the cheris of men biholdinge schynen in watris; so the hertis of men ben opyn to prudent men.
As faces are not like [other] faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
20 Helle and perdicioun schulen not be fillid; so and the iyen of men moun not be fillid. (Sheol h7585)
Hell and destruction are not filled; so also are the eyes of men insatiable. [He that fixes his eye is an abomination to the Lord; and the uninstructed do not restrain their tongue.] (Sheol h7585)
21 As siluer is preuyd in a wellyng place, and gold `is preued in a furneys; so a man is preued bi the mouth of preyseris. The herte of a wickid man sekith out yuels; but a riytful herte sekith out kunnyng.
Fire is the trial for silver and gold; and a man is tried by the mouth of them that praise him. The heart of the transgressor seeks after mischiefs; but an upright heart seeks knowledge.
22 Thouy thou beetist a fool in a morter, as with a pestel smytynge aboue dried barli; his foli schal not be don awei fro him.
Though you scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, you will [still] in no wise remove his folly from him.
23 Knowe thou diligentli the cheere of thi beeste; and biholde thou thi flockis.
Do you thoroughly know the number of your flock, and pay attention to your herds.
24 For thou schalt not haue power contynueli; but a coroun schal be youun to thee in generacioun and in to generacioun.
For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
25 Medewis ben openyd, and greene eerbis apperiden; and hey is gaderid fro hillis.
Take care of the herbage in the field, and you shall cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;
26 Lambren be to thi clothing; and kidis be to the prijs of feeld.
that you may have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that you may have lambs.
27 The mylke of geete suffice to thee for thi meetis; in to the necessarie thingis of thin hous, and to lijflode to thin handmaidis.
[My] son, you have from me words very useful for your life, and for the life of your servants.
