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Proverbs 17

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1 κρείσσων ψωμὸς με{Q'} ἡδονῆς ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἢ οἶκος πλήρης πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ ἀδίκων θυμάτων μετὰ μάχης

1 Better dry crust and gay heart, than a house where all is feasting and all is quarrelling.

1

Melior est buccella sicca cum gaudio
quam domus plena victimis cum jurgio.

2 οἰκέτης νοήμων κρατήσει δεσποτῶν ἀφρόνων ἐν δὲ ἀδελφοῖς διελεῖται μέρη

2 Where sons are fools, slaves will be masters, and share the inheritance like heirs born.

2
Servus sapiens dominabitur filiis stultis,
et inter fratres hæreditatem dividet.

3 ὥσπερ δοκιμάζεται ἐν καμίνῳ ἄργυρος καὶ χρυσός οὕτως ἐκλεκταὶ καρδίαι παρὰ κυρίῳ

3 For silver and gold, furnace and crucible; men’s hearts are for the Lord’s assaying.

3
Sicut igne probatur argentum et aurum camino,
ita corda probat Dominus.

4 κακὸς ὑπακούει γλώσσης παρανόμων δίκαιος δὲ οὐ προσέχει χείλεσιν ψευδέσιν

4 Ever ill-will gives heed to injurious talk, false faith listens to the slander.

4
Malus obedit linguæ iniquæ,
et fallax obtemperat labiis mendacibus.

5 ὁ καταγελῶν πτωχοῦ παροξύνει τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτόν ὁ δὲ ἐπιχαίρων ἀπολλυμένῳ οὐκ ἀθῳωθήσεται ὁ δὲ ἐπισπλαγχνιζόμενος ἐλεηθήσεται

5 He who shews contempt to the poor, insults man’s Maker; at thy own peril thou wilt take delight in another’s ruin.

5
Qui despicit pauperem exprobrat factori ejus,
et qui ruina lætatur alterius non erit impunitus.

6 στέφανος γερόντων τέκνα τέκνων καύχημα δὲ τέκνων πατέρες αὐτῶν τοῦ πιστοῦ ὅλος ὁ κόσμος τῶν χρημάτων τοῦ δὲ ἀπίστου οὐδὲ ὀβολός

6 Crown of old age, when a man sees his children’s children; pride of youth, when a man can boast of the fathers that begot him.

6
Corona senum filii filiorum,
et gloria filiorum patres eorum.

7 οὐχ ἁρμόσει ἄφρονι χείλη πιστὰ οὐδὲ δικαίῳ χείλη ψευδῆ

7 Solemn talk matches ill with folly, lying speech with royalty.

7
Non decent stultum verba composita,
nec principem labium mentiens.

8 μισθὸς χαρίτων ἡ παιδεία τοῖς χρωμένοις οὗ {D'} ἂν ἐπιστρέψῃ εὐοδωθήσεται

8 When a man has hope in view, like a jewel it shines before him; look where he will, his way lies clear.[1]

8
Gemma gratissima exspectatio præstolantis;
quocumque se vertit, prudenter intelligit.

9 ὃς κρύπτει ἀδικήματα ζητεῖ φιλίαν ὃς δὲ μισεῖ κρύπτειν διίστησιν φίλους καὶ οἰκείους

9 If good will be thy quest, hide the wrong done; gossip unknits the bond of friendship.

9
Qui celat delictum quærit amicitias;
qui altero sermone repetit, separat fœderatos.

10 συντρίβει ἀπειλὴ καρδίαν φρονίμου ἄφρων δὲ μαστιγωθεὶς οὐκ αἰσθάνεται 11 ἀντιλογίας ἐγείρει πᾶς κακός ὁ δὲ κύριος ἄγγελον ἀνελεήμονα ἐκπέμψει αὐτῷ 12 ἐμπεσεῖται μέριμνα ἀνδρὶ νοήμονι οἱ δὲ ἄφρονες διαλογιοῦνται κακά

10 One word of warning in a prudent man’s ear does more than a hundred lashes given to a fool. 11 Still the godless man will be for stirring up strife, till at last an angel visits him with no kindly message. 12 Better meet the she-bear reft of her cubs, than a fool in his blind confidence.

10
Plus proficit correptio apud prudentem,
quam centum plagæ apud stultum. 11
Semper jurgia quærit malus:
angelus autem crudelis mittetur contra eum. 12
Expedit magis ursæ occurrere raptis fœtibus,
quam fatuo confidenti in stultitia sua.

13 ὃς ἀποδίδωσιν κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν οὐ κινηθήσεται κακὰ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ

13 Evil shall still haunt his dwelling, that repays kindness with injury.

13
Qui reddit mala pro bonis,
non recedet malum de domo ejus.

14 ἐξουσίαν δίδωσιν λόγοις ἀρχὴ δικαιοσύνης προηγεῖται δὲ τῆς ἐνδείας στάσις καὶ μάχη

14 Who began the quarrel? He who let loose the flood-gates of it; and before he can suffer injury, he stands aside from the debate.[2]

14
Qui dimittit aquam caput est jurgiorum,
et antequam patiatur contumeliam judicium deserit.

15 ὃς δίκαιον κρίνει τὸν ἄδικον ἄδικον δὲ τὸν δίκαιον ἀκάθαρτος καὶ βδελυκτὸς παρὰ θεῷ

15 Misjudgement the Lord will never abide, whether the guilty go free, or the innocent are condemned.

15

Qui justificat impium, et qui condemnat justum,
abominabilis est uterque apud Deum.

16 ἵνα τί ὑπῆρξεν χρήματα ἄφρονι κτήσασθαι γὰρ σοφίαν ἀκάρδιος οὐ δυνήσεται ὃς ὑψηλὸν ποιεῖ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ οἶκον ζητεῖ συντριβήν ὁ δὲ σκολιάζων τοῦ μαθεῖν ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς κακά

16 Little the fool’s wealth avails; he may not buy wisdom if he would. (Build high, and court thy ruin; despise learning, and thou shalt come to mischief.[3])

16
Quid prodest stulto habere divitias,
cum sapientiam emere non possit?
Qui altum facit domum suam quærit ruinam,
et qui evitat discere incidet in mala.

17 εἰς πάντα καιρὸν φίλος ὑπαρχέτω σοι ἀδελφοὶ δὲ ἐν ἀνάγκαις χρήσιμοι ἔστωσαν τούτου γὰρ χάριν γεννῶνται

17 He is thy friend, who is thy friend at all times; of a brother’s love there is no test like adversity.

17
Omni tempore diligit qui amicus est,
et frater in angustiis comprobatur.

18 ἀνὴρ ἄφρων ἐπικροτεῖ καὶ ἐπιχαίρει ἑαυτῷ ὡς καὶ ὁ ἐγγυώμενος ἐγγύῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ φίλον

18 He is a fool, that lightly goes bail for his friend.

18
Stultus homo plaudet manibus,
cum spoponderit pro amico suo.

19 φιλαμαρτήμων χαίρει μάχαις 20 ὁ δὲ σκληροκάρδιος οὐ συναντᾷ ἀγαθοῖς ἀνὴρ εὐμετάβολος γλώσσῃ ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς κακά

19 He loves a feud, that loves contention; build high, and court thy ruin. 20 False heart never found happiness, nor lying tongue escaped mischief.

19
Qui meditatur discordias diligit rixas,
et qui exaltat ostium quærit ruinam. 20
Qui perversi cordis est non inveniet bonum,
et qui vertit linguam incidet in malum.

21 καρδία δὲ ἄφρονος ὀδύνη τῷ κεκτημένῳ αὐτήν οὐκ εὐφραίνεται πατὴρ ἐπὶ υἱῷ ἀπαιδεύτῳ υἱὸς δὲ φρόνιμος εὐφραίνει μητέρα αὐτοῦ

21 A fool’s birthday is a day of shame; never father had joy of a reckless son.

21
Natus est stultus in ignominiam suam;
sed nec pater in fatuo lætabitur.

22 καρδία εὐφραινομένη εὐεκτεῖν ποιεῖ ἀνδρὸς δὲ λυπηροῦ ξηραίνεται τὰ ὀστᾶ

22 A cheerful heart makes a quick recovery, it is crushed spirits that waste a man’s frame.

22
Animus gaudens ætatem floridam facit;
spiritus tristis exsiccat ossa.

23 λαμβάνοντος δῶρα ἐν κόλπῳ ἀδίκως οὐ κατευοδοῦνται ὁδοί ἀσεβὴς δὲ ἐκκλίνει ὁδοὺς δικαιοσύνης

23 Out comes bribe from bosom, and the godless man turns justice aside from its course.

23
Munera de sinu impius accipit,
ut pervertat semitas judicii.

24 πρόσωπον συνετὸν ἀνδρὸς σοφοῦ οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ ἄφρονος ἐ{P'} ἄκρα γῆς 25 ὀργὴ πατρὶ υἱὸς ἄφρων καὶ ὀδύνη τῇ τεκούσῃ αὐτοῦ

24 Wisdom is a beacon-light to the discerning; the fool’s eyes roam this way and that, as wide as earth. 25 Poor fool, his father’s bane, sorrow of the mother that bore him!

24
In facie prudentis lucet sapientia;
oculi stultorum in finibus terræ. 25
Ira patris filius stultus,
et dolor matris quæ genuit eum.

26 ζημιοῦν ἄνδρα δίκαιον οὐ καλόν οὐδὲ ὅσιον ἐπιβουλεύειν δυνάσταις δικαίοις

26 Foul shame it is to make the innocent suffer, to strike a blow against the chieftain that gives redress.

26
Non est bonum damnum inferre justo,
nec percutere principem qui recta judicat.

27 ὃς φείδεται ῥῆμα προέσθαι σκληρόν ἐπιγνώμων μακρόθυμος δὲ ἀνὴρ φρόνιμος 28 ἀνοήτῳ ἐπερωτήσαντι σοφίαν σοφία λογισθήσεται ἐνεὸν δέ τις ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας δόξει φρόνιμος εἶναι

27 Skilful is he who has skill to check his tongue, learned he is that knows how to spare his breath. 28 Let him keep his own counsel, a fool may pass for a wise man; shut lips can claim discernment.

27
Qui moderatur sermones suos doctus et prudens est,
et pretiosi spiritus vir eruditus. 28
Stultus quoque, si tacuerit, sapiens reputabitur,
et si compresserit labia sua, intelligens.

[1] The sense of the Hebrew text seems to be, ‘A bribe is a talisman for him who owns it; wherever he turns, he prospers’.

[2] The Hebrew text is commonly interpreted as meaning, ‘The beginning of a quarrel is as when a man opens a sluice; let it alone, before trouble breaks out’.

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

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