Proverbs 31
1 Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him:
The wordis of Lamuel, the king; the visioun bi which his modir tauyte hym.
2 'What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
What my derlyng? what the derlyng of my wombe? what the derlyng of my desiris?
3 Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.
Yyue thou not thi catel to wymmen, and thi richessis to do awei kyngis.
4 Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink.
A! Lamuel, nyle thou yiue wyn to kingis; for no pryuete is, where drunkenesse regneth.
5 Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.
Lest perauenture thei drynke, and foryete domes, and chaunge the cause of the sones of a pore man.
6 Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,
Yyue ye sidur to hem that morenen, and wyn to hem that ben of bitter soule.
7 He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.
Drinke thei, and foryete thei her nedinesse; and thenke thei no more on her sorewe.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.
Opene thi mouth for a doumb man,
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, Both the cause of the poor and needy!'
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 A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies [is] her price.
Who schal fynde a stronge womman? the prijs of her is fer, and fro the laste endis.
11 The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not.
The herte of hir hosebond tristith in hir; and sche schal not haue nede to spuylis.
12 She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life.
Sche schal yelde to hym good, and not yuel, in alle the daies of hir lijf.
13 She hath sought wool and flax, And with delight she worketh [with] her hands.
Sche souyte wolle and flex; and wrouyte bi the counsel of hir hondis.
14 She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.
Sche is maad as the schip of a marchaunt, that berith his breed fro fer.
15 Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels.
And sche roos bi nyyt, and yaf prey to hir meyneals, and metis to hir handmaidis.
16 She hath considered a field, and taketh it, From the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
Sche bihelde a feeld, and bouyte it; of the fruyt of hir hondis sche plauntide a vyner.
17 She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.
Sche girde hir leendis with strengthe, and made strong hir arm.
18 She hath perceived when her merchandise [is] good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.
Sche taastide, and siy, that hir marchaundie was good; hir lanterne schal not be quenchid in the niyt.
19 Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.
Sche putte hir hondis to stronge thingis, and hir fyngris token the spyndil.
20 Her hand she hath spread forth to the poor, Yea, her hands she sent forth to the needy.
Sche openyde hir hond to a nedi man, and stretchide forth hir hondis to a pore man.
21 She is not afraid of her household from snow, For all her household are clothed [with] scarlet.
Sche schal not drede for hir hous of the cooldis of snow; for alle hir meyneals ben clothid with double clothis.
22 Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.
Sche made to hir a ray cloth; bijs and purpur is the cloth of hir.
23 Known in the gates is her husband, In his sitting with elders of the land.
Hir hosebonde is noble in the yatis, whanne he sittith with the senatours of erthe.
24 Linen garments she hath made, and selleth, And a girdle she hath given to the merchant.
Sche made lynnun cloth, and selde; and yaf a girdil to a Chananei.
25 Strength and honour [are] her clothing, And she rejoiceth at a latter day.
Strengthe and fairnesse is the clothing of hir; and sche schal leiye in the laste dai.
26 Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness [is] on her tongue.
Sche openyde hir mouth to wisdom; and the lawe of merci is in hir tunge.
27 She [is] watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not.
Sche bihelde the pathis of hir hous; and sche eet not breed idili.
28 Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,
Hir sones risiden, and prechiden hir moost blessid; hir hosebonde roos, and preiside hir.
29 'Many [are] the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.'
Many douytris gaderiden richessis; thou passidist alle.
30 The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.
Fairnesse is disseiuable grace, and veyn; thilke womman, that dredith the Lord, schal be preisid.
31 Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands, And her works do praise her in the gates!
Yyue ye to hir of the fruyt of hir hondis; and hir werkis preise hir in the yatis.
