Proverbs 14 WYC
Summary: This chapter opens, "the wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down" (v. 1), and describes the fear of the LORD as "a fountain of life" that turns one from the snares of death (v. 27). It contains the sober warning that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death" (v. 12), and observes that even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief. The chapter closes with strong social teaching — "whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him" (v. 31) — and the claim that "righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (v. 34).
1A wijs womman bildith hir hous; and an unwijs womman schal distrie with hondis an hous bildid.
2A man goynge in riytful weie, and dredinge God, is dispisid of hym, that goith in a weie of yuel fame.
3The yerde of pride is in the mouth of a fool; the lippis of wijs men kepen hem.
4Where oxis ben not, the cratche is void; but where ful many cornes apperen, there the strengthe of oxe is opyn.
5A feithful witnesse schal not lie; a gileful witnesse bringith forth a leesing.
6A scornere sekith wisdom, and he fyndith not; the teching of prudent men is esy.
7Go thou ayens a man a fool; and he schal not knowe the lippis of prudence.
8The wisdom of a fel man is to vndirstonde his weie; and the vnwarnesse of foolis errith.
9A fool scorneth synne; grace schal dwelle among iust men.
10The herte that knowith the bittirnesse of his soule; a straunger schal not be meddlid in the ioie therof.
11The hous of wickid men schal be don awei; the tabernaclis of iust men schulen buriowne.
12Sotheli a weie is, that semeth iust to a man; but the laste thingis therof leden forth to deth.
13Leiyyng schal be medlid with sorewe; and morenyng ocupieth the laste thingis of ioye.
14A fool schal be fillid with hise weies; and a good man schal be aboue hym.
15An innocent man bileueth to eche word; a felle man biholdith hise goyngis.
16A wijs man dredith, and bowith awei fro yuel; a fool skippith ouer, and tristith.
17A man vnpacient schal worche foli; and a gileful man is odiouse.
18Litle men of wit schulen holde foli; and felle men schulen abide kunnyng.
19Yuel men schulen ligge bifor goode men; and vnpitouse men bifor the yatis of iust men.
20A pore man schal be hateful, yhe, to his neiybore; but many men ben frendis of riche men.
21He 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;
22thei erren that worchen yuel. Merci and treuthe maken redi goodis;
23abundaunce `schal be in ech good werk. Sotheli where ful many wordis ben, there nedynesse is ofte.
24The coroun of wise men is the richessis of hem; the fooli of foolis is vnwarnesse.
25A feithful witnesse delyuereth soulis; and a fals man bringith forth leesyngis.
26In the drede of the Lord is triste of strengthe; and hope schal be to the sones of it.
27The drede of the Lord is a welle of lijf; that it bowe awei fro the fallyng of deth.
28The dignite of the king is in the multitude of puple; and the schenschipe of a prince is in the fewnesse of puple.
29He that is pacient, is gouerned bi myche wisdom; but he that is vnpacient, enhaunsith his foli.
30Helthe of herte is the lijf of fleischis; enuye is rot of boonys.
31He that falsli chalengith a nedi man, dispisith his maker; but he that hath merci on a pore man, onourith that makere.
32A wickid man is put out for his malice; but a iust man hopith in his deth.
33Wisdom restith in the herte of a wijs man; and he schal teche alle vnlerned men.
34Riytfulnesse reisith a folc; synne makith puplis wretchis.
35A mynystre vndurstondynge is acceptable to a kyng; a mynystre vnprofitable schal suffre the wrathfulnesse of him.
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