Proverbiorum 23
1 quando sederis ut comedas cum principe diligenter adtende quae posita sunt ante faciem tuam
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,
2 et statue cultrum in gutture tuo si tamen habes in potestate animam tuam
And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
3 ne desideres de cibis eius in quo est panis mendacii
Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 noli laborare ut diteris sed prudentiae tuae pone modum
Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
5 ne erigas oculos tuos ad opes quas habere non potes quia facient sibi pinnas quasi aquilae et avolabunt in caelum
For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
6 ne comedas cum homine invido et ne desideres cibos eius
Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
7 quoniam in similitudinem arioli et coniectoris aestimat quod ignorat comede et bibe dicet tibi et mens eius non est tecum
For as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.
8 cibos quos comederas evomes et perdes pulchros sermones tuos
Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.
9 in auribus insipientium ne loquaris quia despicient doctrinam eloquii tui
In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
10 ne adtingas terminos parvulorum et agrum pupillorum ne introeas
Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
11 propinquus enim eorum Fortis est et ipse iudicabit contra te causam illorum
For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
12 ingrediatur ad doctrinam cor tuum et aures tuae ad verba scientiae
Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 noli subtrahere a puero disciplinam si enim percusseris eum virga non morietur
Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest. (Sheol h7585)
15 fili mi si sapiens fuerit animus tuus gaudebit tecum cor meum
My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
16 et exultabunt renes mei cum locuta fuerint rectum labia tua
And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
17 non aemuletur cor tuum peccatores sed in timore Domini esto tota die
Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
18 quia habebis spem in novissimo et praestolatio tua non auferetur
For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
19 audi fili mi et esto sapiens et dirige in via animum tuum
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
20 noli esse in conviviis potatorum nec in comesationibus eorum qui carnes ad vescendum conferunt
Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
21 quia vacantes potibus et dantes symbola consumentur et vestietur pannis dormitatio
For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22 audi patrem tuum qui genuit te et ne contemnas cum senuerit mater tua
Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
23 veritatem eme et noli vendere sapientiam et doctrinam et intellegentiam
Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
24 exultat gaudio pater iusti qui sapientem genuit laetabitur in eo
The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
25 gaudeat pater tuus et mater tua et exultet quae genuit te
Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
26 praebe fili mi cor tuum mihi et oculi tui vias meas custodiant
Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.
27 fovea enim profunda est meretrix et puteus angustus aliena
For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.
28 insidiatur in via quasi latro et quos incautos viderit interficit
She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
29 cui vae cuius patri vae cui rixae cui foveae cui sine causa vulnera cui suffusio oculorum
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
30 nonne his qui morantur in vino et student calicibus epotandis
Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
31 ne intuearis vinum quando flavescit cum splenduerit in vitro color eius ingreditur blande
See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
32 sed in novissimo mordebit ut coluber et sicut regulus venena diffundet
Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
33 oculi tui videbunt extraneas et cor tuum loquetur perversa
Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
34 et eris sicut dormiens in medio mari et quasi sopitus gubernator amisso clavo
And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
35 et dices verberaverunt me sed non dolui traxerunt me et ego non sensi quando evigilabo et rursum vina repperiam
'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'
