Proverbs 21

¹ The liyt of iust men makith glad; but the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid. ² Stryues ben euere a mong proude men; but thei that don alle thingis with counsel, ben gouerned bi wisdom. ³ Hastid catel schal be maad lesse; but that that is gaderid litil and litil with hond, schal be multiplied. ⁴ Hope which is dilaied, turmentith the soule; a tre of lijf is desir comyng. ⁵ He that bacbitith ony thing, byndith hym silf in to tyme to comynge; but he that dredith the comaundement, schal lyue in pees. ⁶ The lawe of a wise man is a welle of lijf; that he bowe awei fro the falling of deth. ⁷ Good teching schal yyue grace; a swolowe is in the weie of dispiseris. ⁸ A fel man doith alle thingis with counsel; but he that is a fool, schal opene foli. ⁹ The messanger of a wickid man schal falle in to yuel; a feithful messanger is helthe. ¹⁰ Nedynesse and schenschip is to him that forsakith techyng; but he that assentith to a blamere, schal be glorified. ¹¹ Desir, if it is fillid, delitith the soule; foolis wlaten hem that fleen yuels. ¹² He that goith with wijs men, schal be wijs; the freend of foolis schal be maad lijk hem. ¹³ Yuel pursueth synneris; and goodis schulen be yoldun to iust men. ¹⁴ A good man schal leeue aftir him eiris, sones, and the sones of sones; and the catel of a synnere is kept to a iust man. ¹⁵ Many meetis ben in the new tilid feeldis of fadris; and ben gaderid to othere men with out doom. ¹⁶ He that sparith the yerde, hatith his sone; but he that loueth him, techith bisili. ¹⁷ A iust man etith, and fillith his soule; but the wombe of wickid men is vnable to be fillid. ¹⁹ A wijs womman bildith hir hous; and an unwijs womman schal distrie with hondis an hous bildid. ²⁰ A man goynge in riytful weie, and dredinge God, is dispisid of hym, that goith in a weie of yuel fame. ²¹ The yerde of pride is in the mouth of a fool; the lippis of wijs men kepen hem. ²² Where oxis ben not, the cratche is void; but where ful many cornes apperen, there the strengthe of oxe is opyn. ²³ A feithful witnesse schal not lie; a gileful witnesse bringith forth a leesing. ²⁴ A scornere sekith wisdom, and he fyndith not; the teching of prudent men is esy. ²⁵ Go thou ayens a man a fool; and he schal not knowe the lippis of prudence. ²⁶ The wisdom of a fel man is to vndirstonde his weie; and the vnwarnesse of foolis errith. ²⁷ A fool scorneth synne; grace schal dwelle among iust men. ²⁸ The herte that knowith the bittirnesse of his soule; a straunger schal not be meddlid in the ioie therof. ²⁹ The hous of wickid men schal be don awei; the tabernaclis of iust men schulen buriowne. ³⁰ Sotheli a weie is, that semeth iust to a man; but the laste thingis therof leden forth to deth. ³¹ Leiyyng schal be medlid with sorewe; and morenyng ocupieth the laste thingis of ioye.