1
Betere is a drie mussel with ioye, than an hous ful of sacrifices with chidyng.
2
A wijs seruaunt schal be lord of fonned sones; and he schal departe eritage among britheren.
3
As siluer is preued bi fier, and gold is preued bi a chymnei, so the Lord preueth hertis.
4
An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
5
He that dispisith a pore man, repreueth his maker; and he that is glad in the fallyng of another man, schal not be vnpunyschid.
6
The coroun of elde men is the sones of sones; and the glorie of sones is the fadris of hem.
7
Wordis wel set togidere bisemen not a fool; and a liynge lippe bicometh not a prince.
8
A preciouse stoon moost acceptable is the abiding of hym that sekith; whidur euere he turneth hym silf, he vndurstondith prudentli.
9
He that helith trespas, sekith frenschipis; he that rehersith bi an hiy word, departith hem, that ben knyt togidere in pees.
10
A blamyng profitith more at a prudent man, than an hundryd woundis at a fool.
11
Euere an yuel man sekith stryues; forsothe a cruel aungel schal be sent ayens hym.
12
It spedith more to meete a femal bere, whanne the whelpis ben rauyschid, than a fool tristynge to hym silf in his foli.
13
Yuel schal not go a wei fro the hous of hym, that yeldith yuels for goodis.
14
He that leeueth watir, is heed of stryues; and bifor that he suffrith wrong, he forsakith dom.
15
Bothe he that iustifieth a wickid man, and he that condempneth a iust man, euer ethir is abhomynable at God.
16
What profitith it to a fool to haue richessis, sithen he mai not bie wisdom? He that makith his hous hiy, sekith falling; and he that eschewith to lerne, schal falle in to yuels.
17
He that is a frend, loueth in al tyme; and a brother is preuyd in angwischis.
18
A fonned man schal make ioie with hondis, whanne he hath bihiyt for his frend.
19
He that bithenkith discordis, loueth chidingis; and he that enhaunsith his mouth, sekith fallyng.
20
He that is of weiward herte, schal not fynde good; and he that turneth the tunge, schal falle in to yuel.
21
A fool is borun in his schenschipe; but nether the fadir schal be glad in a fool.
22
A ioiful soule makith likinge age; a sorewful spirit makith drie boonys.
23
A wickid man takith yiftis fro the bosum, to mys turne the pathis of doom.
24
Wisdom schyneth in the face of a prudent man; the iyen of foolis ben in the endis of erthe.
25
A fonned sone is the ire of the fadir, and the sorewe of the modir that gendride hym.
26
It is not good to brynge in harm to a iust man; nether to smyte the prince that demeth riytfuli.
27
He that mesurith his wordis, is wijs and prudent; and a lerud man is of preciouse spirit.
28
Also a foole, if he is stille, schal be gessid a wijs man; and, if he pressith togidre hise lippis, he `schal be gessid an vndurstondynge man.