Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious of wicked men, And desire not to be with them!
Ne æmuleris viros malos, nec desideres esse cum eis:
2 For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips speak mischief.
quia rapinas meditatur mens eorum, et fraudes labia eorum loquuntur.
3 Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established;
Sapientia ædificabitur domus, et prudentia roborabitur.
4 Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.
In doctrina replebuntur cellaria, universa substantia pretiosa et pulcherrima.
5 The wise man is strong; Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.
Vir sapiens fortis est, et vir doctus robustus et validus:
6 For by wise counsel shalt thou make war, And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.
quia cum dispositione initur bellum, et erit salus ubi multa consilia sunt.
7 Wisdom is too high for the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.
Excelsa stulto sapientia; in porta non aperiet os suum.
8 He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.
Qui cogitat mala facere stultus vocabitur:
9 The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
cogitatio stulti peccatum est, et abominatio hominum detractor.
10 If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.
Si desperaveris lassus in die angustiæ, imminuetur fortitudo tua.
11 Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter, —O keep them back!
Erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem, et qui trahuntur ad interitum, liberare ne cesses.
12 If thou sayst, “Behold, we knew it not!” Doth not he that weigheth the heart observe it? Yea, he that keepeth thy soul knoweth it. And he will render to every man according to his works.
Si dixeris: Vires non suppetunt; qui inspector est cordis ipse intelligit: et servatorem animæ tuæ nihil fallit, reddetque homini juxta opera sua.
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;
Comede, fili mi, mel, quia bonum est, et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo.
14 So learn thou wisdom for thy soul! When thou hast found it, there shall be a reward, And thy expectation shall not be cut off.
Sic et doctrina sapientiæ animæ tuæ: quam cum inveneris, habebis in novissimis spem, et spes tua non peribit.
15 Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the righteous; Spoil not his resting-place!
Ne insidieris, et quæras impietatem in domo justi, neque vastes requiem ejus.
16 For though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Septies enim cadet justus, et resurget: impii autem corruent in malum.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
Cum ceciderit inimicus tuus ne gaudeas, et in ruina ejus ne exsultet cor tuum:
18 Lest the LORD see, and it displease him, And he turn away his anger from him.
ne forte videat Dominus, et displiceat ei, et auferat ab eo iram suam.
19 Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;
Ne contendas cum pessimis, nec æmuleris impios:
20 For there shall be no posterity to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
quoniam non habent futurorum spem mali, et lucerna impiorum extinguetur.
21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change!
Time Dominum, fili mi, et regem, et cum detractoribus non commiscearis:
22 For their calamity shall rise up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum, et ruinam utriusque quis novit?
23 These also are words of the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
Hæc quoque sapientibus. Cognoscere personam in judicio non est bonum.
24 He that saith to the wicked, “Thou art righteous,” Him shall the people curse; Nations shall abhor him.
Qui dicunt impio: Justus es: maledicent eis populi, et detestabuntur eos tribus.
25 But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.
Qui arguunt eum laudabuntur, et super ipsos veniet benedictio.
26 He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.
Labia deosculabitur qui recta verba respondet.
27 Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.
Præpara foris opus tuum, et diligenter exerce agrum tuum, ut postea ædifices domum tuam.
28 Be not a witness without cause against thy neighbor, And deceive not with thy lips.
Ne sis testis frustra contra proximum tuum, nec lactes quemquam labiis tuis.
29 Say not, “As he hath done to me, So will I do to him; I will render to the man according to his doings.”
Ne dicas: Quomodo fecit mihi, sic faciam ei; reddam unicuique secundum opus suum.
30 I passed by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,
Per agrum hominis pigri transivi, et per vineam viri stulti:
31 And, lo! it was all overgrown with thorns, And the face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
et ecce totum repleverant urticæ, et operuerant superficiem ejus spinæ, et maceria lapidum destructa erat.
32 Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and received instruction.
Quod cum vidissem, posui in corde meo, et exemplo didici disciplinam.
33 “A little sleep, a little slumber! A little folding of the hands to rest!”
Parum, inquam, dormies, modicum dormitabis; pauxillum manus conseres ut quiescas:
34 So shall poverty come upon thee like a highwayman; Yea, want like an armed man.
et veniet tibi quasi cursor egestas, et mendicitas quasi vir armatus.
