Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Ne æmuleris viros malos, nec desideres esse cum eis:
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
quia rapinas meditatur mens eorum, et fraudes labia eorum loquuntur.
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
Sapientia ædificabitur domus, et prudentia roborabitur.
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
In doctrina replebuntur cellaria, universa substantia pretiosa et pulcherrima.
5 If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
Vir sapiens, fortis est: et vir doctus, robustus et validus.
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
Quia cum dispositione initur bellum: et erit salus ubi multa consilia sunt.
7 Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
Excelsa stulto sapientia, in porta non aperiet os suum.
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
Qui cogitat mala facere, stultus vocabitur.
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
Cogitatio stulti peccatum est: et abominatio hominum detractor.
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
Si desperaveris lassus in die angustiæ: imminuetur fortitudo tua.
11 Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
Erue eos, qui ducuntur ad mortem: et qui trahuntur ad interitum liberare ne cesses.
12 If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.
Si dixeris: Vires non suppetunt: qui inspector est cordis, ipse intelligit, et servatorem animæ tuæ nihil fallit, reddetque homini iuxta opera sua.
13 My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
Comede, fili mi, mel, quia bonum est, et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo:
14 In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
Sic et doctrina sapientiæ animæ tuæ: quam cum inveneris, habebis in novissimis spem, et spes tua non peribit.
15 Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
Ne insidieris, et quæras impietatem in domo iusti, neque vastes requiem eius.
16 Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
Septies enim cadet iustus, et resurget: impii autem corruent in malum.
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
Cum ceciderit inimicus tuus, ne gaudeas, et in ruina eius ne exultet cor tuum:
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
ne forte videat Dominus, et displiceat ei, et auferat ab eo iram suam.
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
Ne contendas cum pessimis, nec æmuleris impios:
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
quoniam non habent futurorum spem mali, et lucerna impiorum extinguetur.
21 My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
Time Dominum, fili mi, et regem: et cum detractoribus non commiscearis:
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum: et ruinam utriusque quis novit?
23 These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
Hæc quoque sapientibus: Cognoscere personam in iudicio non est bonum.
24 Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
Qui dicunt impio: Iustus es: maledicent eis populi, et detestabuntur eos tribus.
25 while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
Qui arguunt eum, laudabuntur: et super ipsos veniet benedictio.
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
Labia deosculabitur, qui recta verba respondet.
27 Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
Præpara foris opus tuum, et diligenter exerce agrum tuum: ut postea ædifices domum tuam.
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
Ne sis testis frustra contra proximum tuum: nec lactes quemquam labiis tuis.
29 Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”
Ne dicas: Quomodo fecit mihi, sic faciam ei: reddam unicuique secundum opus suum.
30 I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
Per agrum hominis pigri transivi, et per vineam viri stulti:
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
et ecce totum repleverant urticæ, et operuerant superficiem eius spinæ, et maceria lapidum destructa erat.
32 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
Quod cum vidissem, posui in corde meo, et exemplo didici disciplinam.
33 You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
Parum, inquam, dormies, modicum dormitabis, pauxillum manus conseres, ut quiescas:
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
et veniet tibi quasi cursor egestas, et mendicitas quasi vir armatus.
