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CAP 16
1 It perteyneth to man to make redi the soule; and it perteyneth to the Lord to gouerne the tunge.
2 Alle the weies of men ben opyn to the iyen of God; the Lord is a weiere of spiritis.
3 Schewe thi werkys to the Lord; and thi thouytis schulen be dressid.
4 The Lord wrouyte alle thingis for hym silf; and he made redi a wickid man to the yuel dai.
5 Abhomynacioun of the Lord is ech proude man; yhe, thouy the hond is to the hond, he schal not be innocent. The bigynnyng of good weie is to do riytwisnesse; forsothe it is more acceptable at God, than to offre sacrifices.
6 Wickidnesse is ayen bouyt bi merci and treuthe; and me bowith awei fro yuel bi the drede of the Lord.
7 Whanne the weyes of man plesen the Lord, he schal conuerte, yhe, hise enemyes to pees.
8 Betere is a litil with riytfulnesse, than many fruytis with wickidnesse.
9 The herte of a man schal dispose his weie; but it perteyneth to the Lord to dresse hise steppis.
10 Dyuynyng is in the lippis of a king; his mouth schal not erre in doom.
11 The domes of the Lord ben weiyte and a balaunce; and hise werkis ben alle the stoonys of the world.
12 Thei that don wickidli ben abhomynable to the king; for the trone of the rewme is maad stidfast bi riytfulnesse.
13 The wille of kyngis is iust lippis; he that spekith riytful thingis, schal be dressid.
14 Indignacioun of the kyng is messangeris of deth; and a wijs man schal plese him.
15 Lijf is in the gladnesse of the `cheer of the king; and his merci is as a reyn comynge late.
16 Welde thou wisdom, for it is betere than gold; and gete thou prudence, for it is precyousere than siluer.
17 The path of iust men bowith awei yuelis; the kepere of his soule kepith his weie.
18 Pride goith bifore sorewe; and the spirit schal be enhaunsid byfor fallyng.
19 It is betere to be maad meke with mylde men, than to departe spuylis with proude men.
20 A lerned man in word schal fynde goodis; and he that hopith in the Lord is blessid.
21 He that is wijs in herte, schal be clepid prudent; and he that is swete in speche, schal fynde grettere thingis.
22 The welle of lijf is the lernyng of him that weldith; the techyng of foolis is foli.
23 The herte of a wijs man schal teche his mouth; and schal encreesse grace to hise lippis.
24 Wordis wel set togidere is a coomb of hony; helthe of boonys is the swetnesse of soule.
25 A weye is that semeth riytful to a man; and the laste thingis therof leden to deth.
26 The soule of a man trauelinge trauelith to hym silf; for his mouth compellide hym.
27 An vnwijs man diggith yuel; and fier brenneth in hise lippis.
28 A weiward man reisith stryues; and a man ful of wordis departith princis.
29 A wickid man flaterith his frend; and ledith hym bi a weie not good.
30 He that thenkith schrewid thingis with iyen astonyed, bitith hise lippis, and parformeth yuel.
31 A coroun of dignyte is eelde, that schal be foundun in the weies of riytfulnesse.
32 A pacient man is betere than a stronge man; and he that `is lord of his soule, is betere than an ouercomere of citees.
33 Lottis ben sent into the bosum; but tho ben temperid of the Lord.