Proverbs 17

¹ He that techith a scornere, doith wrong to him silf; and he that vndirnymmeth a wickid man, gendrith a wem to him silf. ² Nile thou vndirnyme a scornere; lest he hate thee. Vndirnyme thou a wise man; and he schal loue thee. ³ Yyue thou occasioun to a wise man; and wisdom schal be encreessid to hym. Teche thou a iust man; and he schal haste to take. ⁴ The bigynnyng of wisdom is the dreed of the Lord; and prudence is the kunnyng of seyntis. ⁵ For thi daies schulen be multiplied bi me; and yeeris of lijf schulen be encreessid to thee. ⁶ If thou art wijs; thou schalt be to thi silf, and to thi neiyboris. Forsothe if thou art a scornere; thou aloone schalt bere yuel. ⁷ A fonned womman, and ful of cry, and ful of vnleueful lustis, and that kan no thing outirli, ⁸ sittith in the doris of hir hous, on a seete, in an hiy place of the cite; ⁹ to clepe men passinge bi the weie, and men goynge in her iournei. ¹⁰ Who is a litil man of wit; bowe he to me. And sche spak to a coward,</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="11"><sup>11</sup> Watris of thefte ben swettere, and breed hid is swettere.</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="12"><sup>12</sup> And wiste not that giauntis ben there; and the gestis of hir ben in the depthis of helle. Sotheli he that schal be applied, ether fastned, to hir; schal go doun to hellis. For whi he that goith awei fro hir; schal be saued. ¹⁴ The parablis of Salomon. A wijs sone makith glad the fadir; but a fonned sone is the sorewe of his modir. ¹⁵ Tresouris of wickidnesse schulen not profite; but riytfulnesse schal delyuere fro deth. ¹⁶ The Lord schal not turmente the soule of a iust man with hungur; and he schal distrie the tresouns of vnpitouse men. ¹⁷ A slow hond hath wrouyt nedynesse; but the hond of stronge men makith redi richessis. Forsothe he that enforsith to gete `ony thing bi leesyngis, fedith the wyndis; sotheli the same man sueth briddis fleynge. ¹⁸ He that gaderith togidere in heruest, is a wijs sone; but he that slepith in sommer, is a sone of confusioun. ¹⁹ The blessing of God is ouer the heed of a iust man; but wickidnesse hilith the mouth of wickid men. ²⁰ The mynde of a iust man schal be with preisingis; and the name of wickid men schal wexe rotun. ²¹ A wijs man schal resseyue comaundementis with herte; a fool is betun with lippis. ²² He that goith simpli, goith tristili; but he that makith schrewid hise weies, schal be opyn. ²³ He that bekeneth with the iye, schal yyue sorewe; a fool schal be betun with lippis. ²⁴ The veyne of lijf is the mouth of a iust man; but the mouth of wickid men hilith wickidnesse. ²⁵ Hatrede reisith chidingis; and charite hilith alle synnes. ²⁶ Wisdom is foundun in the lippis of a wise man; and a yerd in the bak of him that is nedi of herte. ²⁷ Wise men hiden kunnyng; but the mouth of a fool is nexte to confusioun. ²⁸ The catel of a riche man is the citee of his strengthe; the drede of pore men is the nedynesse of hem.