Proverbs 4
1 Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:
Audite, filii, disciplinam patris, et attendite ut sciatis prudentiam.
2 For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.
Donum bonum tribuam vobis: legem meam ne derelinquatis.
3 For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.
Nam et ego filius fui patris mei, tenellus et unigenitus coram matre mea.
4 And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:
Et docebat me, atque dicebat: Suscipiat verba mea cor tuum; custodi præcepta mea, et vives.
5 Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.
Posside sapientiam, posside prudentiam: ne obliviscaris, neque declines a verbis oris mei.
6 Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.
Ne dimittas eam, et custodiet te: dilige eam, et conservabit te.
7 The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.
Principium sapientiæ: posside sapientiam, et in omni possessione tua acquire prudentiam.
8 Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.
Arripe illam, et exaltabit te; glorificaberis ab ea cum eam fueris amplexatus.
9 She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.
Dabit capiti tuo augmenta gratiarum, et corona inclyta proteget te.
10 Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.
Audi, fili mi, et suscipe verba mea, ut multiplicentur tibi anni vitæ.
11 I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.
Viam sapientiæ monstrabo tibi; ducam te per semitas æquitatis:
12 When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.
quas cum ingressus fueris, non arctabuntur gressus tui, et currens non habebis offendiculum.
13 Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.
Tene disciplinam, ne dimittas eam; custodi illam, quia ipsa est vita tua.
14 Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.
Ne delecteris in semitis impiorum, nec tibi placeat malorum via.
15 Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.
Fuge ab ea, nec transeas per illam; declina, et desere eam.
16 For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.
Non enim dormiunt nisi malefecerint, et rapitur somnus ab eis nisi supplantaverint.
17 The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.
Comedunt panem impietatis, et vinum iniquitatis bibunt.
18 But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.
Justorum autem semita quasi lux splendens procedit, et crescit usque ad perfectam diem.
19 The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.
Via impiorum tenebrosa; nesciunt ubi corruant.
20 My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.
Fili mi, ausculta sermones meos, et ad eloquia mea inclina aurem tuam.
21 Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.
Ne recedant ab oculis tuis: custodi ea in medio cordis tui:
22 For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.
vita enim sunt invenientibus ea, et universæ carni sanitas.
23 And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.
Omni custodia serva cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita procedit.
24 Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.
Remove a te os pravum, et detrahentia labia sint procul a te.
25 Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.
Oculi tui recta videant, et palpebræ tuæ præcedant gressus tuos.
26 Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.
Dirige semitam pedibus tuis, et omnes viæ tuæ stabilientur.
27 Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.
Ne declines ad dexteram neque ad sinistram; averte pedem tuum a malo: vias enim quæ a dextris sunt novit Dominus: perversæ vero sunt quæ a sinistris sunt. Ipse autem rectos faciet cursus tuos, itinera autem tua in pace producet.
