Proverbs 17
1 Better a bit of dry bread in peace, than a house full of feasting and violent behaviour.
Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
2 A servant who does wisely will have rule over a son causing shame, and will have his part in the heritage among brothers.
A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
3 The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, but the Lord is the tester of hearts.
As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
4 A wrongdoer gives attention to evil lips, and a man of deceit gives ear to a damaging tongue.
An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
5 Whoever makes sport of the poor puts shame on his Maker; and he who is glad because of trouble will not go free from punishment.
He that dispisith a pore man, repreueth his maker; and he that is glad in the fallyng of another man, schal not be vnpunyschid.
6 Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers.
The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.
7 Fair words are not to be looked for from a foolish man, much less are false lips in a ruler.
Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
8 An offering of money is like a stone of great price in the eyes of him who has it: wherever he goes, he does well.
A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.
9 He who keeps a sin covered is looking for love; but he who keeps on talking of a thing makes division between friends.
He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
10 A word of protest goes deeper into one who has sense than a hundred blows into a foolish man.
A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
11 An uncontrolled man is only looking for trouble, so a cruel servant will be sent against him.
Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
12 It is better to come face to face with a bear whose young ones have been taken away than with a foolish man acting foolishly.
It spedith more to meete a femal bere, whanne the whelpis ben rauyschid, than a fool tristynge to hym silf in his foli.
13 If anyone gives back evil for good, evil will never go away from his house.
Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.
14 The start of fighting is like the letting out of water: so give up before it comes to blows.
He that leeueth watir, is heed of stryues; and bifor that he suffrith wrong, he forsakith dom.
15 He who gives a decision for the evil-doer and he who gives a decision against the upright, are equally disgusting to the Lord.
Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
16 How will money in the hand of the foolish get him wisdom, seeing that he has no sense?
What profitith it to a fool to haue richessis, sithen he mai not bie wisdom? He that makith his hous hiy, sekith falling; and he that eschewith to lerne, schal falle in to yuels.
17 A friend is loving at all times, and becomes a brother in times of trouble.
He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
18 A man without sense gives his hand in an agreement, and makes himself responsible before his neighbour.
A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
19 The lover of fighting is a lover of sin: he who makes high his doorway is looking for destruction.
He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
20 Nothing good comes to him whose heart is fixed on evil purposes: and he who has an evil tongue will come to trouble.
He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.
21 He who has an unwise son gets sorrow for himself, and the father of a foolish son has no joy.
A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
22 A glad heart makes a healthy body, but a crushed spirit makes the bones dry.
A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
23 A sinner takes an offering out of his robe, to get a decision for himself in a cause.
A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
24 Wisdom is before the face of him who has sense; but the eyes of the foolish are on the ends of the earth.
Wisdom schyneth in the face of a prudent man; the iyen of foolis ben in the endis of erthe.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitter pain to her who gave him birth.
A fonned sone is the ire of the fadir, and the sorewe of the modir that gendride hym.
26 To give punishment to the upright is not good, or to give blows to the noble for their righteousness.
It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.
27 He who has knowledge says little: and he who has a calm spirit is a man of good sense.
He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
28 Even the foolish man, when he keeps quiet, is taken to be wise: when his lips are shut he is credited with good sense.
Also a foole, if he is stille, schal be gessid a wijs man; and, if he pressith togidre hise lippis, he `schal be gessid an vndurstondynge man.
