Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
2 She standeth on the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors.
and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!
4 To you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
5 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.
7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
`My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto.
12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion.
Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverse mouth, do I hate.
The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.
18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.
20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;
21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries.
that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.
22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a circle upon the face of the depth:
Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.
28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
Whanne he cumpasside to the see his marke; and settide lawe to watris, that tho schulden not passe her coostis. Whanne he peiside the foundementis of erthe;
30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
Y was making alle thingis with him. And Y delitide bi alle daies, and pleiede bifore hym in al tyme,
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
32 Now therefore hearken to me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore.
35 For whoever findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour from the LORD.
He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.
36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
