1 WYC Betere is a good name, than many richessis; for good grace is aboue siluer and gold. BSB BSB: A good name is more desirable than great riches; favor is better than silver and gold.
2 WYC A riche man and a pore man metten hem silf; the Lord is worchere of euer eithir. BSB BSB: The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is Maker of them all.
3 WYC A felle man seeth yuel, and hidith him silf; and an innocent man passid, and he was turmentid bi harm. BSB BSB: The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.
4 WYC The ende of temperaunce is the drede of the Lord; richessis, and glorye, and lijf. BSB BSB: The rewards of humility and the fear of the LORD are wealth and honor and life.
5 WYC Armuris and swerdis ben in the weie of a weiward man; but the kepere of his soule goith awey fer fro tho. BSB BSB: Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them.
6 WYC It is a prouerbe, A yong wexynge man bisidis his weie, and whanne he hath wexe elde, he schal not go awei fro it. BSB BSB: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 WYC A riche man comaundith to pore men; and he that takith borewyng, is the seruaunt of the leenere. BSB BSB: The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
8 WYC He that sowith wickidnes, schal repe yuels; and the yerde of his yre schal be endid. BSB BSB: He who sows injustice will reap disaster, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
9 WYC He that is redi to merci, schal be blessid; for of his looues he yaf to a pore man. He that yyueth yiftis, schal gete victorie and onour; forsothe he takith awei the soule of the takeris. BSB BSB: A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
10 WYC Caste thou out a scornere, and strijf schal go out with hym; and causis and dispisyngis schulen ceesse. BSB BSB: Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease.
11 WYC He that loueth the clennesse of herte, schal haue the kyng a freend, for the grace of hise lippis. BSB BSB: He who loves a pure heart and gracious lips will have the king for a friend.
12 WYC The iyen of the Lord kepen kunnyng; and the wordis of a wickid man ben disseyued. BSB BSB: The LORD’s eyes keep watch over knowledge, but He frustrates the words of the faithless.
13 WYC A slow man schal seie, A lioun is withoutforth; Y schal be slayn in the myddis of the stretis. BSB BSB: The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”
14 WYC The mouth of an alien womman is a deep diche; he to whom the Lord is wrooth, schal falle in to it. BSB BSB: The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.
15 WYC Foli is boundun togidere in the herte of a child; and a yerde of chastisyng schal dryue it awey. BSB BSB: Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 WYC He that falsli chalengith a pore man, to encreesse hise owne richessis, schal yyue to a richere man, and schal be nedi. BSB BSB: Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.
17 WYC My sone, bowe doun thin eere, and here thou the wordis of wise men; but sette thou the herte to my techyng. BSB BSB: Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise—apply your mind to my knowledge—
18 WYC That schal be fair to thee, whanne thou hast kept it in thin herte, and it schal flowe ayen in thi lippis. BSB BSB: for it is pleasing when you keep them within you and they are constantly on your lips.
19 WYC That thi trist be in the Lord; wherfor and Y haue schewid it to thee to dai. BSB BSB: So that your trust may be in the LORD, I instruct you today—yes, you.
20 WYC Lo! Y haue discryued it in thre maneres, in thouytis and kunnyng, BSB BSB: Have I not written for you thirty sayings about counsel and knowledge,
21 WYC that Y schulde schewe to thee the sadnesse and spechis of trewthe; to answere of these thingis to hem, that senten thee. BSB BSB: to show you true and reliable words, that you may soundly answer those who sent you?
22 WYC Do thou not violence to a pore man, for he is pore; nethir defoule thou a nedi man in the yate. BSB BSB: Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate,
23 WYC For the Lord schal deme his cause, and he schal turmente hem, that turmentiden his soule. BSB BSB: for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.
24 WYC Nyle thou be freend to a wrathful man, nether go thou with a wood man; BSB BSB: Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man,
25 WYC lest perauenture thou lerne hise weies, and take sclaundir to thi soule. BSB BSB: or you may learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 WYC Nyle thou be with hem that oblischen her hondis, and that proferen hem silf borewis for dettis; for if he hath not wherof he schal restore, BSB BSB: Do not be one who gives pledges, who puts up security for debts.
27 WYC what of cause is, that thou take awei hilyng fro thi bed? BSB BSB: If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
28 WYC Go thou not ouer the elde markis, whiche thi faders han set. BSB BSB: Do not move an ancient boundary stone which your fathers have placed.
29 WYC Thou hast seyn a man smert in his werk; he schal stonde bifore kyngis, and he schal not be bifor vnnoble men. BSB BSB: Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.