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Proverbs 20

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1 ἀκόλαστον οἶνος καὶ ὑβριστικὸν μέθη πᾶς δὲ ὁ συμμειγνύμενος αὐτῇ οὐκ ἔσται σοφός 2 οὐ διαφέρει ἀπειλὴ βασιλέως θυμοῦ λέοντος ὁ δὲ παροξύνων αὐτὸν ἁμαρτάνει εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν 3 δόξα ἀνδρὶ ἀποστρέφεσθαι λοιδορίας πᾶς δὲ ἄφρων τοιούτοις συμπλέκεται

1 A reckless counsellor is wine, strong drink a riotous friend; the man who is swayed by these, call not wise. 2 Beware of the king’s power, as of lion roaring; challenge it, and thy life is forfeit. 3 Well may he boast, that keeps clear of strife; every fool will be quarrelling.

1

Luxuriosa res vinum, et tumultuosa ebrietas:
quicumque his delectatur non erit sapiens. 2
Sicut rugitus leonis, ita et terror regis:
qui provocat eum peccat in animam suam. 3
Honor est homini qui separat se a contentionibus;
omnes autem stulti miscentur contumeliis.

4 ὀνειδιζόμενος ὀκνηρὸς οὐκ αἰσχύνεται ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ δανιζόμενος σῖτον ἐν ἀμήτῳ

4 Too cold to plough, says Sloth; vainly, when harvest comes, he will go a-begging.

4
Propter frigus piger arare noluit;
mendicabit ergo æstate, et non dabitur illi.

5 ὕδωρ βαθὺ βουλὴ ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀνδρός ἀνὴρ δὲ φρόνιμος ἐξαντλήσει αὐτήν 6 μέγα ἄνθρωπος καὶ τίμιον ἀνὴρ ἐλεήμων ἄνδρα δὲ πιστὸν ἔργον εὑρεῖν 7 ὃς ἀναστρέφεται ἄμωμος ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ μακαρίους τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ καταλείψει 8 ὅταν βασιλεὺς δίκαιος καθίσῃ ἐπὶ θρόνου οὐκ ἐναντιοῦται ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ πᾶν πονηρόν

5 Prudent counsel is a well buried deep in man’s heart; but the wise know how to draw from it. 6 Many there are that pass for kindly souls, but a faithful friend is hard to come by. 7 An upright man that goes armed with honest intent, leaves a blessing to his children. 8 Let a king rule justly, wrong-doing shall be winnowed away under his scrutiny.

5
Sicut aqua profunda, sic consilium in corde viri;
sed homo sapiens exhauriet illud. 6
Multi homines misericordes vocantur;
virum autem fidelem quis inveniet? 7

Justus qui ambulat in simplicitate sua
beatos post se filios derelinquet. 8
Rex qui sedet in solio judicii
dissipat omne malum intuitu suo.

9 τίς καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν ἢ τίς παρρησιάσεται καθαρὸς εἶναι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτιῶν κακολογοῦντος πατέρα ἢ μητέρα σβεσθήσεται λαμπτήρ αἱ δὲ κόραι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ ὄψονται σκότος μερὶς ἐπισπουδαζομένη ἐν πρώτοις ἐν τοῖς τελευταίοις οὐκ εὐλογηθήσεται μὴ εἴπῃς τείσομαι τὸν ἐχθρόν ἀλλὰ ὑπόμεινον τὸν κύριον ἵνα σοι βοηθήσῃ

9 Who dares to boast, My heart is unsullied now, I have cleansed myself of every fault?

9
Quis potest dicere: Mundum est cor meum;
purus sum a peccato?

10 στάθμιον μέγα καὶ μικρὸν καὶ μέτρα δισσά ἀκάθαρτα ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἀμφότερα

10 One balance for getting and one for giving, one yard-wand for selling and one for buying, the Lord will not endure.

10
Pondus et pondus, mensura et mensura:
utrumque abominabile est apud Deum.

11 καὶ ὁ ποιῶν αὐτὰ ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτοῦ συμποδισθήσεται νεανίσκος μετὰ ὁσίου καὶ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ 12 οὖς ἀκούει καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς ὁρᾷ κυρίου ἔργα καὶ ἀμφότερα

11 Watch a boy even at his play, thou canst tell whether his heart is pure and true. 12 The ear that listens, the watchful eye, are both of the Lord’s fashioning.

11
Ex studiis suis intelligitur puer,
si munda et recta sint opera ejus. 12
Aurem audientem, et oculum videntem:
Dominus fecit utrumque.

13 μὴ ἀγάπα καταλαλεῖν ἵνα μὴ ἐξαρθῇς διάνοιξον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ ἐμπλήσθητι ἄρτων

13 Love not thy sleep, or poverty will overtake thee unawares; the open eye means a full belly.

13
Noli diligere somnum, ne te egestas opprimat:
aperi oculos tuos, et saturare panibus.

14 A poor thing, says the buyer, a poor thing! Then off he goes, and boasts of it.

14
Malum est, malum est, dicit omnis emptor;
et cum recesserit, tunc gloriabitur.

15 Gold thou mayst have in abundance, and jewels a many, but the finest ware of all is wise speech.

15
Est aurum et multitudo gemmarum,
et vas pretiosum labia scientiæ.

16 Does a man go bail for a stranger? Without more ado, take his garment from him; who trusts without knowledge, forfeits the pledge.

16

Tolle vestimentum ejus qui fidejussor extitit alieni,
et pro extraneis aufer pignus ab eo.

17 Ill-gotten wealth is bread most appetizing, that will yet turn to grit in the mouth.

17
Suavis est homini panis mendacii,
et postea implebitur os ejus calculo.

18 Counsel is the sure buttress of determination; wars must ever be won by statecraft.

18
Cogitationes consiliis roborantur,
et gubernaculis tractanda sunt bella.

19 With the whisperer, that goes about open-mouthed on his errand of gossip, never throw in thy lot.

19
Ei qui revelat mysteria, et ambulat fraudulenter,
et dilatat labia sua, ne commiscearis.

20 21 22 23 βδέλυγμα κυρίῳ δισσὸν στάθμιον καὶ ζυγὸς δόλιος οὐ καλὸν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ 24 παρὰ κυρίου εὐθύνεται τὰ διαβήματα ἀνδρί θνητὸς δὲ πῶς ἂν νοήσαι τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ

20 In deepest night the lamp of his hopes shall be quenched, that turns upon father or mother with a curse. 21 The inheritance too soon come by, too late thou shalt find unblessed. 22 Never promise thyself vengeance; await the Lord’s hour, and redress shall be thine. 23 One weight for getting and one for giving, the Lord cannot endure; a false balance is great wrong. 24 Every step man takes is of the Lord’s choosing; and thou, poor mortal, wouldst thou plot out thy path?

20
Qui maledicit patri suo et matri,
extinguetur lucerna ejus in mediis tenebris: 21
hæreditas ad quam festinatur in principio,
in novissimo benedictione carebit. 22
Ne dicas: Reddam malum:
exspecta Dominum, et liberabit te. 23
Abominatio est apud Dominum pondus et pondus;
statera dolosa non est bona. 24
A Domino diriguntur gressus viri:
quis autem hominum intelligere potest viam suam?

25 παγὶς ἀνδρὶ ταχύ τι τῶν ἰδίων ἁγιάσαι μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εὔξασθαι μετανοεῖν γίνεται

25 He is trapped, that consecrates his gift in haste;[1] the vow made, repentance comes too late.

25
Ruina est homini devorare sanctos,
et post vota retractare.

26 λικμήτωρ ἀσεβῶν βασιλεὺς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιβαλεῖ αὐτοῖς τροχόν

26 Fan and flail a wise king has for the ill-doer.

26

Dissipat impios rex sapiens,
et incurvat super eos fornicem.

27 φῶς κυρίου πνοὴ ἀνθρώπων ὃς ἐρευνᾷ ταμίεια κοιλίας

27 Man’s spirit is a lamp the Lord gives, to search out the hidden corners of his being.

27
Lucerna Domini spiraculum hominis,
quæ investigat omnia secreta ventris.

28 ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ ἀλήθεια φυλακὴ βασιλεῖ καὶ περικυκλώσουσιν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ

28 What is a king’s best body-guard? Mercy and faithfulness; on mercy his throne rests.

28
Misericordia et veritas custodiunt regem,
et roboratur clementia thronus ejus.

29 κόσμος νεανίαις σοφία δόξα δὲ πρεσβυτέρων πολιαί

29 Youth has strong arms to boast of, old age white hairs for a crown.

29
Exsultatio juvenum fortitudo eorum,
et dignitas senum canities.

30 ὑπώπια καὶ συντρίμματα συναντᾷ κακοῖς πληγαὶ δὲ εἰς ταμίεια κοιλίας

30 Hurts that bruise cruelly, chastisement felt deep within, are sin’s best remedy.

30
Livor vulneris absterget mala,
et plagæ in secretioribus ventris.

[1] This is the meaning of the verse as given in the Septuagint Greek, and perhaps as it stands in the Hebrew. The Latin has ‘It is ruin to a man to devour the holy ones’.

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