Proverbs 28

¹ Ech biere seith, It is yuel, it is yuel; and whanne he hath go awey, thanne he schal haue glorie. ² Gold, and the multitude of iemmes, and a preciouse vessel, ben the lippis of kunnyng. ³ Take thou awei the cloth of hym, that was borewe of an othere man; and for straungeris take thou awei a wed fro hym. ⁴ The breed of a leesing is sweet to a man; and aftirward his mouth schal be fillid with rikenyng. ⁵ Thouytis ben maad strong bi counselis; and bateils schulen be tretid bi gouernals. ⁶ Be thou not medlid with him that schewith pryuetees, and goith gylefulli, and alargith hise lippis. ⁷ The liyt of hym that cursith his fadir and modir, schal be quenchid in the myddis of derknessis. ⁸ Eritage to which me haastith in the bigynnyng, schal wante blessing in the laste tyme. ⁹ Seie thou not, Y schal yelde yuel for yuel; abide thou the Lord, and he schal delyuere thee. ¹⁰ Abhomynacioun at God is weiyte and weiyte; a gileful balaunce is not good. ¹¹ The steppis of man ben dressid of the Lord; who forsothe of men mai vndurstonde his weie? ¹² Falling of man is to make auow to seyntis, and aftirward to withdrawe the vowis. ¹³ A wijs kyng scaterith wickid men; and bowith a bouwe of victorie ouer hem. ¹⁴ The lanterne of the Lord is the spirit of man, that sekith out alle the priuetees of the wombe. ¹⁵ Merci and treuthe kepen a kyng; and his trone is maad strong bi mekenesse. ¹⁶ The ful out ioiyng of yonge men is the strengthe of hem; and the dignyte of elde men is hoornesse. ¹⁷ The wannesse of wounde schal wipe aweie yuels, and woundis in the priuyere thingis of the wombe. ¹⁹ As departyngis of watris, so the herte of the kyng is in the power of the Lord; whidur euer he wole, he schal bowe it. ²⁰ Ech weye of a man semeth riytful to hym silf; but the Lord peisith the hertis. ²¹ To do merci and doom plesith more the Lord, than sacrifices doen. ²² Enhaunsyng of iyen is alargyng of the herte; the lanterne of wickid men is synne. ²³ The thouytis of a stronge man ben euere in abundaunce; but ech slow man is euere in nedynesse. ²⁴ He that gaderith tresours bi the tunge of a leesing, is veyne, and with outen herte; and he schal be hurtlid to the snaris of deth. ²⁵ The raueyns of vnpitouse men schulen drawe hem doun; for thei nolden do doom. ²⁶ The weiward weie of a man is alien fro God; but the werk of hym that is cleene, is riytful. ²⁷ It is betere to sitte in the corner of an hous with oute roof, than with a womman ful of chydyng, and in a comyn hous. ²⁸ The soule of an vnpitouse man desirith yuel; he schal not haue merci on his neiybore.