1 WYC Mi sone, if thou hast bihiyt for thi freend; thou hast fastned thin hoond at a straunger. BSB BSB: My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,
2 WYC Thou art boundun bi the wordis of thi mouth; and thou art takun with thin owne wordis. BSB BSB: if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
3 WYC Therfor, my sone, do thou that that Y seie, and delyuere thi silf; for thou hast fallun in to the hond of thi neiybore. Renne thou aboute, haste thou, reise thi freend; BSB BSB: then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor.
4 WYC yyue thou not sleep to thin iyen, nether thin iyeliddis nappe. BSB BSB: Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
5 WYC Be thou rauyschid as a doo fro the hond; and as a bridde fro aspiyngis of the foulere. BSB BSB: Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 WYC O! thou slowe man, go to the `amte, ether pissemyre; and biholde thou hise weies, and lerne thou wisdom. BSB BSB: Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
7 WYC Which whanne he hath no duyk, nethir comaundour, nether prince; BSB BSB: Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,
8 WYC makith redi in somer mete to hym silf, and gaderith togidere in heruest that, that he schal ete. BSB BSB: it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
9 WYC Hou long schalt thou, slow man, slepe? whanne schalt thou rise fro thi sleep? BSB BSB: How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
10 WYC A litil thou schalt slepe, a litil thou schalt nappe; a litil thou schalt ioyne togidere thin hondis, that thou slepe. BSB BSB: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 WYC And nedynesse, as a weigoere, schal come to thee; and pouert, as an armed man. Forsothe if thou art not slow, thi ripe corn schal come as a welle; and nedynesse schal fle fer fro thee. BSB BSB: and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
12 WYC A man apostata, a man vnprofitable, he goith with a weiward mouth; BSB BSB: A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,
13 WYC he bekeneth with iyen, he trampith with the foot, he spekith with the fyngur, BSB BSB: winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers.
14 WYC bi schrewid herte he ymagyneth yuel, and in al tyme he sowith dissenciouns. BSB BSB: With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.
15 WYC His perdicioun schal come to hym anoon, and he schal be brokun sodeynli; and he schal no more haue medecyn. BSB BSB: Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
16 WYC Sixe thingis ben, whyche the Lord hatith; and hise soule cursith the seuenthe thing. BSB BSB: There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
17 WYC Hiye iyen, a tunge liere, hondis schedinge out innocent blood, BSB BSB: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 WYC an herte ymagynynge worste thouytis, feet swifte to renne in to yuel, BSB BSB: a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,
19 WYC a man bringynge forth lesingis, a fals witnesse; and him that sowith discordis among britheren. BSB BSB: a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
20 WYC Mi sone, kepe the comaundementis of thi fadir; and forsake not the lawe of thi modir. BSB BSB: My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 WYC Bynde thou tho continueli in thin herte; and cumpasse `to thi throte. BSB BSB: Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
22 WYC Whanne thou goist, go tho with thee; whanne thou slepist, kepe tho thee; and thou wakynge speke with tho. BSB BSB: When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.
23 WYC For the comaundement of God is a lanterne, and the lawe is liyt, and the blamyng of techyng is the weie of lijf; BSB BSB: For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
24 WYC `that the comaundementis kepe thee fro an yuel womman, and fro a flaterynge tunge of a straunge womman. BSB BSB: to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
25 WYC Thin herte coueite not the fairnesse of hir; nether be thou takun bi the signes of hir. BSB BSB: Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26 WYC For the prijs of an hoore is vnnethe of o loof; but a womman takith the preciouse soule of a man. BSB BSB: For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
27 WYC Whether a man mai hide fier in his bosum, that hise clothis brenne not; BSB BSB: Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?
28 WYC ethir go on colis, and hise feet be not brent? BSB BSB: Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
29 WYC So he that entrith to the wijf of his neiybore; schal not be cleene, whanne he hath touchid hir. BSB BSB: So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
30 WYC It is not greet synne, whanne a man stelith; for he stelith to fille an hungri soule. BSB BSB: Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
31 WYC And he takun schal yelde the seuenthe fold; and he schal yyue al the catel of his hous, and schal delyuere hym silf. BSB BSB: Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.
32 WYC But he that is avouter; schal leese his soule, for the pouert of herte. BSB BSB: He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
33 WYC He gaderith filthe, and sclaundrith to hym silf; and his schenschip schal not be don awei. BSB BSB: Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.
34 WYC For the feruent loue and strong veniaunce of the man schal not spare in the dai of veniaunce, BSB BSB: For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.
35 WYC nether schal assente to the preieris of ony; nether schal take ful many yiftis for raunsum. BSB BSB: He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.