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CAP 14
1 A wijs womman bildith hir hous; and an unwijs womman schal distrie with hondis an hous bildid.
2 A man goynge in riytful weie, and dredinge God, is dispisid of hym, that goith in a weie of yuel fame.
3 The yerde of pride is in the mouth of a fool; the lippis of wijs men kepen hem.
4 Where oxis ben not, the cratche is void; but where ful many cornes apperen, there the strengthe of oxe is opyn.
5 A feithful witnesse schal not lie; a gileful witnesse bringith forth a leesing.
6 A scornere sekith wisdom, and he fyndith not; the teching of prudent men is esy.
7 Go thou ayens a man a fool; and he schal not knowe the lippis of prudence.
8 The wisdom of a fel man is to vndirstonde his weie; and the vnwarnesse of foolis errith.
9 A fool scorneth synne; grace schal dwelle among iust men.
10 The herte that knowith the bittirnesse of his soule; a straunger schal not be meddlid in the ioie therof.
11 The hous of wickid men schal be don awei; the tabernaclis of iust men schulen buriowne.
12 Sotheli a weie is, that semeth iust to a man; but the laste thingis therof leden forth to deth.
13 Leiyyng schal be medlid with sorewe; and morenyng ocupieth the laste thingis of ioye.
14 A fool schal be fillid with hise weies; and a good man schal be aboue hym.
15 An innocent man bileueth to eche word; a felle man biholdith hise goyngis.
16 A wijs man dredith, and bowith awei fro yuel; a fool skippith ouer, and tristith.
17 A man vnpacient schal worche foli; and a gileful man is odiouse.
18 Litle men of wit schulen holde foli; and felle men schulen abide kunnyng.
19 Yuel men schulen ligge bifor goode men; and vnpitouse men bifor the yatis of iust men.
20 A pore man schal be hateful, yhe, to his neiybore; but many men ben frendis of riche men.
21 He 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;
22 thei erren that worchen yuel. Merci and treuthe maken redi goodis;
23 abundaunce `schal be in ech good werk. Sotheli where ful many wordis ben, there nedynesse is ofte.
24 The coroun of wise men is the richessis of hem; the fooli of foolis is vnwarnesse.
25 A feithful witnesse delyuereth soulis; and a fals man bringith forth leesyngis.
26 In the drede of the Lord is triste of strengthe; and hope schal be to the sones of it.
27 The drede of the Lord is a welle of lijf; that it bowe awei fro the fallyng of deth.
28 The dignite of the king is in the multitude of puple; and the schenschipe of a prince is in the fewnesse of puple.
29 He that is pacient, is gouerned bi myche wisdom; but he that is vnpacient, enhaunsith his foli.
30 Helthe of herte is the lijf of fleischis; enuye is rot of boonys.
31 He that falsli chalengith a nedi man, dispisith his maker; but he that hath merci on a pore man, onourith that makere.
32 A wickid man is put out for his malice; but a iust man hopith in his deth.
33 Wisdom restith in the herte of a wijs man; and he schal teche alle vnlerned men.
34 Riytfulnesse reisith a folc; synne makith puplis wretchis.
35 A mynystre vndurstondynge is acceptable to a kyng; a mynystre vnprofitable schal suffre the wrathfulnesse of him.