Proverbiorum 24
1 [Ne æmuleris viros malos, nec desideres esse cum eis:
Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
2 quia rapinas meditatur mens eorum, et fraudes labia eorum loquuntur.
for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 Sapientia ædificabitur domus, et prudentia roborabitur.
Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established;
4 In doctrina replebuntur cellaria, universa substantia pretiosa et pulcherrima.
and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.
5 Vir sapiens fortis est, et vir doctus robustus et validus:
A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6 quia cum dispositione initur bellum, et erit salus ubi multa consilia sunt.
For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
7 Excelsa stulto sapientia; in porta non aperiet os suum.
Wisdom is too high for a fool: he will not open his mouth in the gate.
8 Qui cogitat mala facere stultus vocabitur:
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues.
9 cogitatio stulti peccatum est, et abominatio hominum detractor.
The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10 Si desperaveris lassus in die angustiæ, imminuetur fortitudo tua.]
[If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.
11 [Erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem, et qui trahuntur ad interitum, liberare ne cesses.
Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.
12 Si dixeris: Vires non suppetunt; qui inspector est cordis ipse intelligit: et servatorem animæ tuæ nihil fallit, reddetque homini juxta opera sua.
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.
13 Comede, fili mi, mel, quia bonum est, et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste:
14 Sic et doctrina sapientiæ animæ tuæ: quam cum inveneris, habebis in novissimis spem, et spes tua non peribit.
so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Ne insidieris, et quæras impietatem in domo justi, neque vastes requiem ejus.
Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.
16 Septies enim cadet justus, et resurget: impii autem corruent in malum.
For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.
17 Cum ceciderit inimicus tuus ne gaudeas, et in ruina ejus ne exsultet cor tuum:
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18 ne forte videat Dominus, et displiceat ei, et auferat ab eo iram suam.
lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him.
19 Ne contendas cum pessimis, nec æmuleris impios:
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, [and] be not envious of the wicked:
20 quoniam non habent futurorum spem mali, et lucerna impiorum extinguetur.
for there shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 Time Dominum, fili mi, et regem, et cum detractoribus non commiscearis:
My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change.
22 quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum, et ruinam utriusque quis novit?]
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
23 Hæc quoque sapientibus. [Cognoscere personam in judicio non est bonum.
These things also come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 Qui dicunt impio: Justus es: maledicent eis populi, et detestabuntur eos tribus.
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
25 Qui arguunt eum laudabuntur, et super ipsos veniet benedictio.
but to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them.
26 Labia deosculabitur qui recta verba respondet.
He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.
27 Præpara foris opus tuum, et diligenter exerce agrum tuum, ut postea ædifices domum tuam.
Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.
28 Ne sis testis frustra contra proximum tuum, nec lactes quemquam labiis tuis.
Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?
29 Ne dicas: Quomodo fecit mihi, sic faciam ei; reddam unicuique secundum opus suum.]
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the man according to his work.
30 [Per agrum hominis pigri transivi, et per vineam viri stulti:
I went by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding;
31 et ecce totum repleverant urticæ, et operuerant superficiem ejus spinæ, et maceria lapidum destructa erat.
and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Quod cum vidissem, posui in corde meo, et exemplo didici disciplinam.
Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I 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 rest!
34 et veniet tibi quasi cursor egestas, et mendicitas quasi vir armatus.]
So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
