Proverbiorum 4
1 Audite, filii, disciplinam patris, et attendite ut sciatis prudentiam.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 Donum bonum tribuam vobis: legem meam ne derelinquatis.
For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my teaching.
3 Nam et ego filius fui patris mei, tenellus et unigenitus coram matre mea.
For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
4 Et docebat me, atque dicebat: Suscipiat verba mea cor tuum; custodi præcepta mea, et vives.
And he taught me, and said unto me: 'Let thy heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments, and live;
5 Posside sapientiam, posside prudentiam: ne obliviscaris, neque declines a verbis oris mei.
Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
6 Ne dimittas eam, et custodiet te: dilige eam, et conservabit te.
Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; love her, and she will keep thee.
7 Principium sapientiæ: posside sapientiam, et in omni possessione tua acquire prudentiam.
The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Arripe illam, et exaltabit te; glorificaberis ab ea cum eam fueris amplexatus.
Extol her, and she will exalt thee; she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 Dabit capiti tuo augmenta gratiarum, et corona inclyta proteget te.
She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow on thee.'
10 Audi, fili mi, et suscipe verba mea, ut multiplicentur tibi anni vitæ.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 Viam sapientiæ monstrabo tibi; ducam te per semitas æquitatis:
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
12 quas cum ingressus fueris, non arctabuntur gressus tui, et currens non habebis offendiculum.
When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Tene disciplinam, ne dimittas eam; custodi illam, quia ipsa est vita tua.
Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she is thy life.
14 Ne delecteris in semitis impiorum, nec tibi placeat malorum via.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
15 Fuge ab ea, nec transeas per illam; declina, et desere eam.
Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass on.
16 Non enim dormiunt nisi malefecerint, et rapitur somnus ab eis nisi supplantaverint.
For they sleep not, except they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17 Comedunt panem impietatis, et vinum iniquitatis bibunt.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 Justorum autem semita quasi lux splendens procedit, et crescit usque ad perfectam diem.
But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 Via impiorum tenebrosa; nesciunt ubi corruant.
The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble.
20 Fili mi, ausculta sermones meos, et ad eloquia mea inclina aurem tuam.
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Ne recedant ab oculis tuis: custodi ea in medio cordis tui:
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22 vita enim sunt invenientibus ea, et universæ carni sanitas.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Omni custodia serva cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita procedit.
Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Remove a te os pravum, et detrahentia labia sint procul a te.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
25 Oculi tui recta videant, et palpebræ tuæ præcedant gressus tuos.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Dirige semitam pedibus tuis, et omnes viæ tuæ stabilientur.
Make plain the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27 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.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
