Proverbiorum 24
1 ne aemuleris viros malos nec desideres esse cum eis
Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.
2 quia rapinas meditatur mens eorum et fraudes labia eorum loquuntur
For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.
3 sapientia aedificabitur domus et prudentia roborabitur
By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.
4 in doctrina replebuntur cellaria universa substantia pretiosa et pulcherrima
And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 vir sapiens et fortis est et vir doctus robustus et validus
Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 quia cum dispositione initur bellum et erit salus ubi multa consilia sunt
For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.
7 excelsa stulto sapientia in porta non aperiet os suum
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.
8 qui cogitat malefacere stultus vocabitur
Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.
9 cogitatio stulti peccatum est et abominatio hominum detractor
The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.
10 si desperaveris lassus in die angustiae inminuetur fortitudo tua
Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,
11 erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem et qui trahuntur ad interitum liberare ne cesses
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.
12 si dixeris vires non suppetunt qui inspector est cordis ipse intellegit et servatorem animae tuae nihil fallit reddetque homini iuxta opera sua
When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.
13 comede fili mi mel quia bonum est et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo
Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.
14 sic et doctrina sapientiae animae tuae quam cum inveneris habebis in novissimis et spes tua non peribit
So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.
15 ne insidieris et quaeras impietatem in domo iusti neque vastes requiem eius
Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.
16 septies enim cadet iustus et resurget impii autem corruent in malum
For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 cum ceciderit inimicus tuus ne gaudeas et in ruina eius ne exultet cor tuum
In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
18 ne forte videat Dominus et displiceat ei et auferat ab eo iram suam
Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.
19 ne contendas cum pessimis nec aemuleris impios
Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,
20 quoniam non habent futurorum spem mali et lucerna impiorum extinguetur
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 time Dominum fili mi et regem et cum detractoribus non commiscearis
Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
22 quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum et ruinam utriusque quis novit
For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!
23 haec quoque sapientibus cognoscere personam in iudicio non est bonum
These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.
24 qui dicit impio iustus es maledicent ei populi et detestabuntur eum tribus
Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.
25 qui arguunt laudabuntur et super ipsos veniet benedictio
And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.
26 labia deosculabitur qui recta verba respondet
Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.
27 praepara foris opus tuum et diligenter exerce agrum tuum ut postea aedifices domum tuam
Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.
28 ne sis testis frustra contra proximum tuum nec lactes quemquam labiis tuis
Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.
29 ne dicas quomodo fecit mihi sic faciam ei reddam unicuique secundum opus suum
Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'
30 per agrum hominis pigri transivi et per vineam viri stulti
Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 et ecce totum repleverant urticae operuerant superficiem eius spinae et maceria lapidum destructa erat
And lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.
32 quod cum vidissem posui in corde meo et exemplo didici disciplinam
And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have received instruction,
33 parum inquam dormies modicum dormitabis pauxillum manus conseres ut quiescas
A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down.
34 et veniet quasi cursor egestas tua et mendicitas quasi vir armatus
And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
