Παροιμίαι 23
1 ἐὰν καθίσῃς δειπνεῖν ἐπὶ τραπέζης δυναστῶν νοητῶς νόει τὰ παρατιθέμενά σοι
If you sit to sup at the table of a prince, consider attentively the things set before you:
2 καὶ ἐπίβαλλε τὴν χεῖρά σου εἰδὼς ὅτι τοιαῦτά σε δεῖ παρασκευάσαι
and apply your hand, knowing that it behoves you to prepare such [meats]: but if you are very insatiable,
3 εἰ δὲ ἀπληστότερος εἶ μὴ ἐπιθύμει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων αὐτοῦ ταῦτα γὰρ ἔχεται ζωῆς ψευδοῦς
desire not his provisions; for these belong to a false life.
4 μὴ παρεκτείνου πένης ὢν πλουσίῳ τῇ δὲ σῇ ἐννοίᾳ ἀπόσχου
If you are poor, measure not yourself with a rich man; but refrain yourself in your wisdom.
5 ἐὰν ἐπιστήσῃς τὸ σὸν ὄμμα πρὸς αὐτόν οὐδαμοῦ φανεῖται κατεσκεύασται γὰρ αὐτῷ πτέρυγες ὥσπερ ἀετοῦ καὶ ὑποστρέφει εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ προεστηκότος αὐτοῦ
If you should fix your eye upon him, he will disappear; for wings like an eagle's are prepared for him, and he returns to the house of his master.
6 μὴ συνδείπνει ἀνδρὶ βασκάνῳ μηδὲ ἐπιθύμει τῶν βρωμάτων αὐτοῦ
Sup not with an envious man, neither desire you his meats:
7 ὃν τρόπον γὰρ εἴ τις καταπίοι τρίχα οὕτως ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει
so he eats and drinks as if any one should swallow a hair, and do not bring him in to yourself, nor eat your morsel with him:
8 μηδὲ πρὸς σὲ εἰσαγάγῃς αὐτὸν καὶ φάγῃς τὸν ψωμόν σου μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἐξεμέσει γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ λυμανεῖται τοὺς λόγους σου τοὺς καλούς
for he will vomit it up, and spoil your fair words.
9 εἰς ὦτα ἄφρονος μηδὲν λέγε μήποτε μυκτηρίσῃ τοὺς συνετοὺς λόγους σου
Say nothing in the ears of a fool, lest at any time he sneer at your wise words.
10 μὴ μεταθῇς ὅρια αἰώνια εἰς δὲ κτῆμα ὀρφανῶν μὴ εἰσέλθῃς
Remove not the ancient landmarks; and enter not upon the possession of the fatherless:
11 ὁ γὰρ λυτρούμενος αὐτοὺς κύριος κραταιός ἐστιν καὶ κρινεῖ τὴν κρίσιν αὐτῶν μετὰ σοῦ
for the Lord is their redeemer; he is mighty, and will plead their cause with you.
12 δὸς εἰς παιδείαν τὴν καρδίαν σου τὰ δὲ ὦτά σου ἑτοίμασον λόγοις αἰσθήσεως
Apply your heart to instruction, and prepare your ears for words of discretion.
13 μὴ ἀπόσχῃ νήπιον παιδεύειν ὅτι ἐὰν πατάξῃς αὐτὸν ῥάβδῳ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ
Refrain not from chastening a child; for if you beat him with the rod, he shall not die.
For you shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from death. (Sheol h7585)
15 υἱέ ἐὰν σοφὴ γένηταί σου ἡ καρδία εὐφρανεῖς καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν καρδίαν
Son, if your heart be wise, you shall also gladden my heart;
16 καὶ ἐνδιατρίψει λόγοις τὰ σὰ χείλη πρὸς τὰ ἐμὰ χείλη ἐὰν ὀρθὰ ὦσιν
and your lips shall converse with my lips, if they be right.
17 μὴ ζηλούτω ἡ καρδία σου ἁμαρτωλούς ἀλλὰ ἐν φόβῳ κυρίου ἴσθι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν
Let not your heart envy sinners: but be you in the fear of the Lord all the day.
18 ἐὰν γὰρ τηρήσῃς αὐτά ἔσται σοι ἔκγονα ἡ δὲ ἐλπίς σου οὐκ ἀποστήσεται
For if you should keep these things, you shall have posterity; and your hope shall not be removed.
19 ἄκουε υἱέ καὶ σοφὸς γίνου καὶ κατεύθυνε ἐννοίας σῆς καρδίας
Hear, [my] son, and be wise, and rightly direct the thoughts of your heart.
20 μὴ ἴσθι οἰνοπότης μηδὲ ἐκτείνου συμβολαῖς κρεῶν τε ἀγορασμοῖς
Be not a wine-bibber, neither continue long at feasts, and purchases of flesh:
21 πᾶς γὰρ μέθυσος καὶ πορνοκόπος πτωχεύσει καὶ ἐνδύσεται διερρηγμένα καὶ ῥακώδη πᾶς ὑπνώδης
for every drunkard and whoremonger shall be poor; and every sluggard shall clothe himself with tatters and ragged garments.
22 ἄκουε υἱέ πατρὸς τοῦ γεννήσαντός σε καὶ μὴ καταφρόνει ὅτι γεγήρακέν σου ἡ μήτηρ
Listen, [my] son, to your father which begot you, and despise not [your mother] because she is grown old.
24 καλῶς ἐκτρέφει πατὴρ δίκαιος ἐπὶ δὲ υἱῷ σοφῷ εὐφραίνεται ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ
A righteous father brings up [his children] well; and his soul rejoices over a wise son.
25 εὐφραινέσθω ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ ἐπὶ σοί καὶ χαιρέτω ἡ τεκοῦσά σε
Let your father and your mother rejoice over you, and let her that bore you be glad.
26 δός μοι υἱέ σὴν καρδίαν οἱ δὲ σοὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐμὰς ὁδοὺς τηρείτωσαν
[My] son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 πίθος γὰρ τετρημένος ἐστὶν ἀλλότριος οἶκος καὶ φρέαρ στενὸν ἀλλότριον
For a strange house is a vessel full of holes; and a strange well is narrow.
28 οὗτος γὰρ συντόμως ἀπολεῖται καὶ πᾶς παράνομος ἀναλωθήσεται
For such a one shall perish suddenly; and every transgressor shall be cut off.
29 τίνι οὐαί τίνι θόρυβος τίνι κρίσις τίνι ἀηδίαι καὶ λέσχαι τίνι συντρίμματα διὰ κενῆς τίνος πέλειοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοί
Who [has] woe? who trouble? who [has] quarrels? and who vexations and disputes? who [has] bruises without a cause? whose eyes are livid?
30 οὐ τῶν ἐγχρονιζόντων ἐν οἴνοις οὐ τῶν ἰχνευόντων ποῦ πότοι γίνονται
Are not those of them that stay long at wine? [are] not [those] of them that haunt [the places] where banquets are? Be not drunk with wine; but converse with just men, and converse [with them] openly.
31 μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ ἀλλὰ ὁμιλεῖτε ἀνθρώποις δικαίοις καὶ ὁμιλεῖτε ἐν περιπάτοις ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς τὰς φιάλας καὶ τὰ ποτήρια δῷς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ὕστερον περιπατήσεις γυμνότερος ὑπέρου
For if you should set your eyes on bowls and cups, you shall afterwards go more naked than a pestle.
32 τὸ δὲ ἔσχατον ὥσπερ ὑπὸ ὄφεως πεπληγὼς ἐκτείνεται καὶ ὥσπερ ὑπὸ κεράστου διαχεῖται αὐτῷ ὁ ἰός
But at last [such a one] stretches himself out as one struck by a serpent, and venom is diffused through him as by a horned serpent.
33 οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἀλλοτρίαν τὸ στόμα σου τότε λαλήσει σκολιά
Whenever your eyes shall behold a strange woman, then your mouth shall speak perverse things.
34 καὶ κατακείσῃ ὥσπερ ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης καὶ ὥσπερ κυβερνήτης ἐν πολλῷ κλύδωνι
And you shall lie as in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot in a great storm.
35 ἐρεῖς δέ τύπτουσίν με καὶ οὐκ ἐπόνεσα καὶ ἐνέπαιξάν μοι ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ᾔδειν πότε ὄρθρος ἔσται ἵνα ἐλθὼν ζητήσω μεθ’ ὧν συνελεύσομαι
And you shall say, They struck me, and I was not pained; and they mocked me, and I knew it not: when will it be morning, that I may go and seek those with whom I may go in company?
