Proverbs 22

1 A good name is more to be desired than great wealth, and to be respected is better than silver and gold.

Betere is a good name, than many richessis; for good grace is aboue siluer and gold.

2 The man of wealth and the poor man come face to face: the Lord is the maker of them all.

A riche man and a pore man metten hem silf; the Lord is worchere of euer eithir.

3 The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.

A felle man seeth yuel, and hidith him silf; and an innocent man passid, and he was turmentid bi harm.

4 The reward of a gentle spirit and the fear of the Lord is wealth and honour and life.

The ende of temperaunce is the drede of the Lord; richessis, and glorye, and lijf.

5 Thorns and nets are in the way of the twisted: he who keeps watch over his soul will be far from them.

Armuris and swerdis ben in the weie of a weiward man; but the kepere of his soule goith awey fer fro tho.

6 If a child is trained up in the right way, even when he is old he will not be turned away from it.

It is a prouerbe, A yong wexynge man bisidis his weie, and whanne he hath wexe elde, he schal not go awei fro it.

7 The man of wealth has rule over the poor, and he who gets into debt is a servant to his creditor.

A riche man comaundith to pore men; and he that takith borewyng, is the seruaunt of the leenere.

8 By planting the seed of evil a man will get in the grain of sorrow, and the rod of his wrath will be broken.

He that sowith wickidnes, schal repe yuels; and the yerde of his yre schal be endid.

9 He who is kind will have a blessing, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

He that is redi to merci, schal be blessid; for of his looues he yaf to a pore man. He that yyueth yiftis, schal gete victorie and onour; forsothe he takith awei the soule of the takeris.

10 Send away the man of pride, and argument will go out; truly fighting and shame will come to an end.

Caste thou out a scornere, and strijf schal go out with hym; and causis and dispisyngis schulen ceesse.

11 He whose heart is clean is dear to the Lord; for the grace of his lips the king will be his friend.

He that loueth the clennesse of herte, schal haue the kyng a freend, for the grace of hise lippis.

12 The eyes of the Lord keep knowledge, but by him the acts of the false man will be overturned.

The iyen of the Lord kepen kunnyng; and the wordis of a wickid man ben disseyued.

13 The hater of work says, There is a lion outside: I will be put to death in the streets.

A slow man schal seie, A lioun is withoutforth; Y schal be slayn in the myddis of the stretis.

14 The mouth of strange women is a deep hole: he with whom the Lord is angry will go down into it.

The mouth of an alien womman is a deep diche; he to whom the Lord is wrooth, schal falle in to it.

15 Foolish ways are deep-seated in the heart of a child, but the rod of punishment will send them far from him.

Foli is boundun togidere in the herte of a child; and a yerde of chastisyng schal dryue it awey.

16 He who is cruel to the poor for the purpose of increasing his profit, and he who gives to the man of wealth, will only come to be in need.

He that falsli chalengith a pore man, to encreesse hise owne richessis, schal yyue to a richere man, and schal be nedi.

17 Let your ear be bent down for hearing my words, and let your heart give thought to knowledge.

My sone, bowe doun thin eere, and here thou the wordis of wise men; but sette thou the herte to my techyng.

18 For it is a delight to keep them in your heart, to have them ready on your lips.

That schal be fair to thee, whanne thou hast kept it in thin herte, and it schal flowe ayen in thi lippis.

19 So that your faith may be in the Lord, I have made them clear to you this day, even to you.

That thi trist be in the Lord; wherfor and Y haue schewid it to thee to dai.

20 Have I not put in writing for you thirty sayings, with wise suggestions and knowledge,

Lo! Y haue discryued it in thre maneres, in thouytis and kunnyng,

21 To make you see how certain are true words, so that you may give a true answer to those who put questions to you?

that Y schulde schewe to thee the sadnesse and spechis of trewthe; to answere of these thingis to hem, that senten thee.

22 Do not take away the property of the poor man because he is poor, or be cruel to the crushed ones when they come before the judge:

Do thou not violence to a pore man, for he is pore; nethir defoule thou a nedi man in the yate.

23 For the Lord will give support to their cause, and take the life of those who take their goods.

For the Lord schal deme his cause, and he schal turmente hem, that turmentiden his soule.

24 Do not be friends with a man who is given to wrath; do not go in the company of an angry man:

Nyle thou be freend to a wrathful man, nether go thou with a wood man;

25 For fear of learning his ways and making a net ready for your soul.

lest perauenture thou lerne hise weies, and take sclaundir to thi soule.

26 Be not one of those who give their hands in an agreement, or of those who make themselves responsible for debts:

Nyle thou be with hem that oblischen her hondis, and that proferen hem silf borewis for dettis; for if he hath not wherof he schal restore,

27 If you have nothing with which to make payment, he will take away your bed from under you.

what of cause is, that thou take awei hilyng fro thi bed?

28 Let not the old landmark be moved which your fathers have put in place.

Go thou not ouer the elde markis, whiche thi faders han set.

29 Have you seen a man who is expert in his business? he will take his place before kings; his place will not be among low persons.

Thou hast seyn a man smert in his werk; he schal stonde bifore kyngis, and he schal not be bifor vnnoble men.