Proverbs 27
1 Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Haue thou not glorie on the morewe, `not knowynge what thing the dai to comynge schal bringe forth.
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Another man, and not thi mouth preise thee; a straunger, and not thi lippis `preise thee.
3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s vexation is heavier than them both.
A stoon is heuy, and grauel is chariouse; but the ire of a fool is heuyere than euer eithir.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Ire hath no merci, and woodnesse brekynge out `hath no merci; and who mai suffre the fersnesse of a spirit stirid?
5 Better is open rebuke than love that is hidden.
Betere is opyn repreuyng, than loue hid.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend: but the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
Betere ben the woundis of hym that loueth, than the gileful cossis of hym that hatith.
7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb: but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
A man fillid schal dispise an hony coomb; but an hungri man schal take, yhe, bittir thing for swete.
8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
As a brid passinge ouer fro his nest, so is a man that forsakith his place.
9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend [that cometh] of hearty counsel.
The herte delitith in oynement, and dyuerse odours; and a soule is maad swete bi the good counsels of a frend.
10 Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; and go not to thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
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.
11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.
Mi sone, studie thou a boute wisdom, and make thou glad myn herte; that thou maist answere a word to a dispisere.
12 A prudent man seeth the evil, [and] hideth himself: [but] the simple pass on, [and] suffer for it.
A fel man seynge yuel was hid; litle men of wit passinge forth suffriden harmes.
13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; and hold him in pledge [that is surety] for a strange woman.
Take thou awei his clooth, that bihiyte for a straunger; and take thou awei a wed fro hym for an alien man.
14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
He that blessith his neiybore with greet vois; and risith bi niyt, schal be lijk hym that cursith.
15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike:
Roouys droppynge in the dai of coold, and a womman ful of chidyng ben comparisond.
16 He that would restrain her restraineth the wind, and his right hand encountereth oil.
He that withholdith hir, as if he holdith wynd; and auoidith the oile of his riyt hond.
17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Yrun is whettid bi irun; and a man whettith the face of his frend.
18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof; and he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
He that kepith a fige tre, schal ete the fruytis therof; and he that is a kepere of his lord, schal be glorified.
19 As in water face [answereth] to face, so the heart of man to man.
As the cheris of men biholdinge schynen in watris; so the hertis of men ben opyn to prudent men.
Helle and perdicioun schulen not be fillid; so and the iyen of men moun not be fillid. (Sheol h7585)
21 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, and a man is [tried] by his praise.
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.
22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle among bruised corn, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
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.
23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, [and] look well to thy herds:
Knowe thou diligentli the cheere of thi beeste; and biholde thou thi flockis.
24 For riches are not for ever; and doth the crown endure unto all generations?
For thou schalt not haue power contynueli; but a coroun schal be youun to thee in generacioun and in to generacioun.
25 The hay is carried, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and the herbs of the mountains are gathered in.
Medewis ben openyd, and greene eerbis apperiden; and hey is gaderid fro hillis.
26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field:
Lambren be to thi clothing; and kidis be to the prijs of feeld.
27 And [there will be] goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household; and maintenance for thy maidens.
The mylke of geete suffice to thee for thi meetis; in to the necessarie thingis of thin hous, and to lijflode to thin handmaidis.
