1 WYC Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem. BSB BSB: Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
2 WYC For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis. BSB BSB: for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
3 WYC An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence. BSB BSB: By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
4 WYC Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair. BSB BSB: through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
5 WYC A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti. BSB BSB: A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
6 WYC For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben. BSB BSB: Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
7 WYC Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth. BSB BSB: Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
8 WYC He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool. BSB BSB: He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
9 WYC The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men. BSB BSB: A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
10 WYC If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse. BSB BSB: If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
11 WYC Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth. BSB BSB: Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
12 WYC If thou seist, Strengthis suffisen not; he that is biholdere of the herte, vndirstondith, and no thing disseyueth the kepere of thi soule, and he schal yelde to a man bi hise werkis. BSB BSB: If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
13 WYC Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte. BSB BSB: Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14 WYC `So and the techyng of wisdom is good to thi soule; and whanne thou hast founde it, thou schalt haue hope in the laste thingis, and thin hope schal not perische. BSB BSB: Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.
15 WYC Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste. BSB BSB: Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
16 WYC For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele. BSB BSB: For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
17 WYC Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal; BSB BSB: Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18 WYC lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym. BSB BSB: or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
19 WYC Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men. BSB BSB: Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
20 WYC For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid. BSB BSB: For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
21 WYC My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris. BSB BSB: My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
22 WYC For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either? BSB BSB: For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
23 WYC Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom. BSB BSB: These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 WYC Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable. BSB BSB: Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
25 WYC Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem. BSB BSB: but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26 WYC He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis. BSB BSB: An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
27 WYC Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward. BSB BSB: Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
28 WYC Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis. BSB BSB: Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29 WYC Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk. BSB BSB: Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
30 WYC I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo! BSB BSB: I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
31 WYC nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried. BSB BSB: Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
32 WYC And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng. BSB BSB: I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
33 WYC Hou longe slepist thou, slow man? whanne schalt thou ryse fro sleep? Sotheli thou schalt slepe a litil, thou schalt nappe a litil, thou schalt ioyne togidere the hondis a litil, to take reste; BSB BSB: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
34 WYC and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man. BSB BSB: and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.