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Proverbs 16

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1 2 πάντα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ταπεινοῦ φανερὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῇ ὀλοῦνται 3

1 Man’s heart is ever full of devising; from the Lord comes the ordering of right speech.[1] 2 His own path man scans, and nothing sees amiss, but the divine balance weighs our thoughts; 3 share with the Lord the burden of all thy doings, if thou wouldst be sincere in thy intent.

1

Hominis est animam præparare,
et Domini gubernare linguam. 2
Omnes viæ hominis patent oculis ejus;
spirituum ponderator est Dominus. 3
Revela Domino opera tua,
et dirigentur cogitationes tuæ.

4 God, who made all, made all for his own purposes, even the godless man, with doom awaiting him.

4
Universa propter semetipsum operatus est Dominus;
impium quoque ad diem malum.

5 ἀκάθαρτος παρὰ θεῷ πᾶς ὑψηλοκάρδιος χειρὶ δὲ χεῖρας ἐμβαλὼν ἀδίκως οὐκ ἀθῳωθήσεται 6 7 ἀρχὴ ὁδοῦ ἀγαθῆς τὸ ποιεῖν τὰ δίκαια δεκτὰ δὲ παρὰ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ θύειν θυσίας

5 A proud man the Lord holds in abhorrence; depend upon it, no acquittal shall he find. (To do right, that is the first step on the way of blessedness, a more welcome thing in God’s sight than any sacrifice a man can offer.[2]) 6 Kindness and honour are sin’s purging; ever it is the fear of the Lord turns men away from harm. 7 Live as the Lord would have thee live, and he will make even thy enemies into well-wishers.

5
Abominatio Domini est omnis arrogans;
etiamsi manus ad manum fuerit, non est innocens.
Initium viæ bonæ facere justitiam;
accepta est autem apud Deum magis quam immolare hostias. 6
Misericordia et veritate redimitur iniquitas,
et in timore Domini declinatur a malo. 7
Cum placuerint Domino viæ hominis,
inimicos quoque ejus convertet ad pacem.

8 ὁ ζητῶν τὸν κύριον εὑρήσει γνῶσιν μετὰ δικαιοσύνης οἱ δὲ ὀρθῶς ζητοῦντες αὐτὸν εὑρήσουσιν εἰρήνην

8 Better a penny honestly come by than great revenues ill gotten.

8
Melius est parum cum justitia
quam multi fructus cum iniquitate.

9 πάντα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ κυρίου μετὰ δικαιοσύνης φυλάσσεται δὲ ὁ ἀσεβὴς εἰς ἡμέραν κακήν

9 Heart of man must plan his course, but his steps will fall as the Lord guides them.

9
Cor hominis disponit viam suam,
sed Domini est dirigere gressus ejus.

10 μαντεῖον ἐπὶ χείλεσιν βασιλέως ἐν δὲ κρίσει οὐ μὴ πλανηθῇ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ 11 ῥοπὴ ζυγοῦ δικαιοσύνη παρὰ κυρίῳ τὰ δὲ ἔργα αὐτοῦ στάθμια δίκαια 12 βδέλυγμα βασιλεῖ ὁ ποιῶν κακά μετὰ γὰρ δικαιοσύνης ἑτοιμάζεται θρόνος ἀρχῆς 13 δεκτὰ βασιλεῖ χείλη δίκαια λόγους δὲ ὀρθοὺς ἀγαπᾷ 14 θυμὸς βασιλέως ἄγγελος θανάτου ἀνὴρ δὲ σοφὸς ἐξιλάσεται αὐτόν 15 ἐν φωτὶ ζωῆς υἱὸς βασιλέως οἱ δὲ προσδεκτοὶ αὐτῷ ὥσπερ νέφος ὄψιμον

10 Speaks king, speaks oracle; never a word amiss. 11 Scale and balance are emblems of the Lord’s own justice; no weight in the merchant’s wallet but is of divine fashioning. 12 Wrong-doing the king will not abide; on right his own throne rests. 13 Kings are for honest talk; free-spoken is well loved. 14 The king’s frown is death at thy door; wisdom will appease it; 15 his smile is life; not more welcome the spring rains, than royal favour.

10

Divinatio in labiis regis;
in judicio non errabit os ejus. 11
Pondus et statera judicia Domini sunt,
et opera ejus omnes lapides sacculi. 12
Abominabiles regi qui agunt impie,
quoniam justitia firmatur solium. 13
Voluntas regum labia justa;
qui recta loquitur diligetur. 14
Indignatio regis nuntii mortis,
et vir sapiens placabit eam. 15
In hilaritate vultus regis vita,
et clementia ejus quasi imber serotinus.

16 νοσσιαὶ σοφίας αἱρετώτεραι χρυσίου νοσσιαὶ δὲ φρονήσεως αἱρετώτεραι ὑπὲρ ἀργύριον

16 Not of gold or silver be thy hoard; make wisdom thine, discernment thine, more precious than these.

16

Posside sapientiam, quia auro melior est,
et acquire prudentiam, quia pretiosior est argento.

17 τρίβοι ζωῆς ἐκκλίνουσιν ἀπὸ κακῶν μῆκος δὲ βίου ὁδοὶ δικαιοσύνης ὁ δεχόμενος παιδείαν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἔσται ὁ δὲ φυλάσσων ἐλέγχους σοφισθήσεται ὃς φυλάσσει τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ὁδούς τηρεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν ἀγαπῶν δὲ ζωὴν αὐτοῦ φείσεται στόματος αὐτοῦ

17 The just man travels by the high road, safe from harm, watching his path anxiously, as he values his life.

17
Semita justorum declinat mala;
custos animæ suæ servat viam suam.

18 πρὸ συντριβῆς ἡγεῖται ὕβρις πρὸ δὲ πτώματος κακοφροσύνη 19 κρείσσων πραΰθυμος μετὰ ταπεινώσεως ἢ ὃς διαιρεῖται σκῦλα μετὰ ὑβριστῶν

18 Presumption comes first, and ruin close behind it; pride ever goes before a fall. 19 Better a humble lot among peaceful folk, than all the spoil a tyrant’s friendship can bring thee.

18
Contritionem præcedit superbia,
et ante ruinam exaltatur spiritus. 19
Melius est humiliari cum mitibus
quam dividere spolia cum superbis.

20 συνετὸς ἐν πράγμασιν εὑρετὴς ἀγαθῶν πεποιθὼς δὲ ἐπὶ θεῷ μακαριστός 21 τοὺς σοφοὺς καὶ συνετοὺς φαύλους καλοῦσιν οἱ δὲ γλυκεῖς ἐν λόγῳ πλείονα ἀκούσονται 22 πηγὴ ζωῆς ἔννοια τοῖς κεκτημένοις παιδεία δὲ ἀφρόνων κακή 23 καρδία σοφοῦ νοήσει τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου στόματος ἐπὶ δὲ χείλεσιν φορέσει ἐπιγνωμοσύνην 24 κηρία μέλιτος λόγοι καλοί γλύκασμα δὲ αὐτῶν ἴασις ψυχῆς 25 εἰσὶν ὁδοὶ δοκοῦσαι εἶναι ὀρθαὶ ἀνδρί τὰ μέντοι τελευταῖα αὐτῶν βλέπει εἰς πυθμένα ᾅδου

20 Well versed in doctrine, happiness thou shalt win; trust in the Lord, and find a blessing. 21 Good judgement a wise heart can claim; winning words bring greater prizes yet. 22 The prudent man drinks from a living fountain; fools only learn the lessons of their folly. 23 Wisdom distils from heart to mouth, and lends the lips persuasion. 24 Honey itself cannot vie with well-framed words, for heart’s comfort and body’s refreshment. 25 The right road in a man’s thinking may be one whose goal is death.

20
Eruditus in verbo reperiet bona,
et qui sperat in Domino beatus est. 21
Qui sapiens est corde appellabitur prudens,
et qui dulcis eloquio majora percipiet. 22
Fons vitæ eruditio possidentis;
doctrina stultorum fatuitas. 23

Cor sapientis erudiet os ejus,
et labiis ejus addet gratiam. 24
Favus mellis composita verba;
dulcedo animæ sanitas ossium. 25
Est via quæ videtur homini recta,
et novissima ejus ducunt ad mortem.

26 ἀνὴρ ἐν πόνοις πονεῖ ἑαυτῷ καὶ ἐκβιάζεται ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἀπώλειαν ὁ μέντοι σκολιὸς ἐπὶ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ στόματι φορεῖ τὴν ἀπώλειαν

26 No better friend drudgery has than appetite; hunger drives a man to his task.

26
Anima laborantis laborat sibi,
quia compulit eum os suum.

27 ἀνὴρ ἄφρων ὀρύσσει ἑαυτῷ κακά ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ χειλέων θησαυρίζει πῦρ 28 ἀνὴρ σκολιὸς διαπέμπεται κακὰ καὶ λαμπτῆρα δόλου πυρσεύει κακοῖς καὶ διαχωρίζει φίλους 29 ἀνὴρ παράνομος ἀποπειρᾶται φίλων καὶ ἀπάγει αὐτοὺς ὁδοὺς οὐκ ἀγαθάς 30 στηρίζων ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ λογίζεται διεστραμμένα ὁρίζει δὲ τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ κακά οὗτος κάμινός ἐστιν κακίας

27 Ever the godless man digs a well of mischief, ever his lips are aflame. 28 His the scheming that breeds quarrels, the whispering that divides his clan, 29 the love of wrong that misleads his neighbours and carries them off into evil ways; 30 spell-bound with dreams of treachery, he shuts his lips tight and goes about his false errand.[3]

27
Vir impius fodit malum,
et in labiis ejus ignis ardescit. 28
Homo perversus suscitat lites,
et verbosus separat principes. 29
Vir iniquus lactat amicum suum,
et ducit eum per viam non bonam. 30
Qui attonitis oculis cogitat prava,
mordens labia sua perficit malum.

31 στέφανος καυχήσεως γῆρας ἐν δὲ ὁδοῖς δικαιοσύνης εὑρίσκεται

31 No prize so honourable as old age, and it is won by innocence of life.

31
Corona dignitatis senectus,
quæ in viis justitiæ reperietur.

32 κρείσσων ἀνὴρ μακρόθυμος ἰσχυροῦ ὁ δὲ κρατῶν ὀργῆς κρείσσων καταλαμβανομένου πόλιν

32 Patience is worth more than valour; better a disciplined heart than a stormed city.

32
Melior est patiens viro forti,
et qui dominatur animo suo expugnatore urbium.

33 εἰς κόλπους ἐπέρχεται πάντα τοῖς ἀδίκοις παρὰ δὲ κυρίου πάντα τὰ δίκαια

33 Into the lap’s fold the lot falls haphazard, but the Lord rules the issue.

33
Sortes mittuntur in sinum,
sed a Domino temperantur.

[1] The bearing of this maxim is uncertain.

[2] The second half of this verse is found in the Septuagint Greek, but not in the Hebrew text.

[3] In the first half of this verse, the Hebrew text is usually understood to mean ‘He plots treachery with a wink of the eye’.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd