Proverbs 22

¹ An innocent man bileueth to eche word; a felle man biholdith hise goyngis. ² A wijs man dredith, and bowith awei fro yuel; a fool skippith ouer, and tristith. ³ A man vnpacient schal worche foli; and a gileful man is odiouse. ⁴ Litle men of wit schulen holde foli; and felle men schulen abide kunnyng. ⁵ Yuel men schulen ligge bifor goode men; and vnpitouse men bifor the yatis of iust men. ⁶ A pore man schal be hateful, yhe, to his neiybore; but many men ben frendis of riche men. ⁷ He that dispisith his neiybore, doith synne; but he that doith merci to a pore man, schal be blessid. He that bileueth in the Lord, loueth merci; ⁸ thei erren that worchen yuel. Merci and treuthe maken redi goodis; ⁹ abundaunce `schal be in ech good werk. Sotheli where ful many wordis ben, there nedynesse is ofte. ¹⁰ The coroun of wise men is the richessis of hem; the fooli of foolis is vnwarnesse. ¹¹ A feithful witnesse delyuereth soulis; and a fals man bringith forth leesyngis. ¹² In the drede of the Lord is triste of strengthe; and hope schal be to the sones of it. ¹³ The drede of the Lord is a welle of lijf; that it bowe awei fro the fallyng of deth. ¹⁴ The dignite of the king is in the multitude of puple; and the schenschipe of a prince is in the fewnesse of puple. ¹⁵ He that is pacient, is gouerned bi myche wisdom; but he that is vnpacient, enhaunsith his foli. ¹⁶ Helthe of herte is the lijf of fleischis; enuye is rot of boonys. ¹⁷ He that falsli chalengith a nedi man, dispisith his maker; but he that hath merci on a pore man, onourith that makere. ¹⁸ A wickid man is put out for his malice; but a iust man hopith in his deth. ¹⁹ Wisdom restith in the herte of a wijs man; and he schal teche alle vnlerned men. ²⁰ Riytfulnesse reisith a folc; synne makith puplis wretchis. ²¹ A mynystre vndurstondynge is acceptable to a kyng; a mynystre vnprofitable schal suffre the wrathfulnesse of him. ²³ A soft answere brekith ire; an hard word reisith woodnesse. ²⁴ The tunge of wise men ourneth kunnyng; the mouth of foolis buylith out foli. ²⁵ In ech place the iyen of the Lord biholden good men, and yuel men. ²⁶ A plesaunt tunge is the tre of lijf; but the tunge which is vnmesurable, schal defoule the spirit. ²⁷ A fool scorneth the techyng of his fadir; but he that kepith blamyngis, schal be maad wisere. Moost vertu schal be in plenteuouse riytfulnesse; but the thouytis of wickid men schulen be drawun vp bi the roote. ²⁸ The hous of a iust man is moost strengthe; and disturbling is in the fruitis of a wickid man. ²⁹ The lippis of wise men schulen sowe abrood kunnyng; the herte of foolis schal be vnlijc.