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CAP 24
1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.
2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.
3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.
4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.
5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.
6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.
7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.
8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.
9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.
10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.
11 Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.
12 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.
13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.
14 `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.
15 Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.
16 For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.
17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.
19 Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.
20 For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.
21 My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.
22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?
23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.
24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.
25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.
26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.
27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.
28 Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.
29 Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk.
30 I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!
31 nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.
32 And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.
33 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;
34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.