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CAP 17
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.