Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
ne aemuleris 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 aedificabitur 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 et 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 malefacere 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 angustiae inminuetur 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 intellegit et servatorem animae tuae 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 sapientiae animae tuae quam cum inveneris habebis in novissimis 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 quaeras 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 aemuleris 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.
haec 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 dicit impio iustus es maledicent ei populi et detestabuntur eum tribus
25 while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
qui arguunt 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.
praepara foris opus tuum et diligenter exerce agrum tuum ut postea aedifices 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 urticae operuerant superficiem eius spinae 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 quasi cursor egestas tua et mendicitas quasi vir armatus
