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Proverbs 21

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1 ὥσπερ ὁρμὴ ὕδατος οὕτως καρδία βασιλέως ἐν χειρὶ θεοῦ οὗ ἐὰν θέλων νεύσῃ ἐκεῖ ἔκλινεν αὐτήν 2 πᾶς ἀνὴρ φαίνεται ἑαυτῷ δίκαιος κατευθύνει δὲ καρδίας κύριος 3 ποιεῖν δίκαια καὶ ἀληθεύειν ἀρεστὰ παρὰ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ θυσιῶν αἷμα 4 μεγαλόφρων ἐ{F'} ὕβρει θρασυκάρδιος λαμπτὴρ δὲ ἀσεβῶν ἁμαρτία

1 The thoughts of a king are in the Lord’s hand, streams he can sluice which way he wills. 2 His own path man scans, and nothing sees amiss, but the divine balance weighs our thoughts. 3 Mercy shewn and justice done win the Lord’s favour beyond any sacrifice. 4 Lordly looks, proud heart; the hopes[1] of the wicked are all at fault.

1

Sicut divisiones aquarum, ita cor regis in manu Domini:
quocumque voluerit, inclinabit illud. 2
Omnis via viri recta sibi videtur:
appendit autem corda Dominus. 3
Facere misericordiam et judicium
magis placet Domino quam victimæ. 4
Exaltatio oculorum est dilatatio cordis;
lucerna impiorum peccatum.

5 Ever diligence plans for plenty; sloth must be content to starve.

5
Cogitationes robusti semper in abundantia;
omnis autem piger semper in egestate est.

6 ὁ ἐνεργῶν θησαυρίσματα γλώσσῃ ψευδεῖ μάταια διώκει ἐπὶ παγίδας θανάτου 7 ὄλεθρος ἀσεβέσιν ἐπιξενωθήσεται οὐ γὰρ βούλονται πράσσειν τὰ δίκαια 8 πρὸς τοὺς σκολιοὺς σκολιὰς ὁδοὺς ἀποστέλλει ὁ θεός ἁγνὰ γὰρ καὶ ὀρθὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ

6 Illusion it is and madness, wealth to win by perjury; death has caught thee in his snare. 7 Wicked men, that refuse the right, by their own violence come to ruin. 8 Crooked is man’s course, and belies his own nature, but pure souls there are whose life runs true.

6

Qui congregat thesauros lingua mendacii vanus et excors est,
et impingetur ad laqueos mortis. 7
Rapinæ impiorum detrahent eos,
quia noluerunt facere judicium. 8
Perversa via viri aliena est;
qui autem mundus est, rectum opus ejus.

9 κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐπὶ γωνίας ὑπαίθρου ἢ ἐν κεκονιαμένοις μετὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ κοινῷ

9 Better lodge in a garret than share thy house with a scold.

9
Melius est sedere in angulo domatis,
quam cum muliere litigiosa, et in domo communi.

10 ψυχὴ ἀσεβοῦς οὐκ ἐλεηθήσεται ὑ{P'} οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων 11 ζημιουμένου ἀκολάστου πανουργότερος γίνεται ὁ ἄκακος συνίων δὲ σοφὸς δέξεται γνῶσιν 12 συνίει δίκαιος καρδίας ἀσεβῶν καὶ φαυλίζει ἀσεβεῖς ἐν κακοῖς

10 A godless man has set his heart on ill-doing; no ruth has he for his fellows. 11 The lash for the reckless, if thou wouldst turn a fool into a wise man; a wise master, and he shall learn yet. 12 Good heed the just man gives to the sinner’s household, in hope of diverting sinners from harm.[2]

10
Anima impii desiderat malum:
non miserebitur proximo suo. 11
Mulctato pestilente, sapientior erit parvulus,
et si sectetur sapientem, sumet scientiam. 12
Excogitat justus de domo impii,
ut detrahat impios a malo.

13 ὃς φράσσει τὰ ὦτα τοῦ μὴ ἐπακοῦσαι ἀσθενοῦς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπικαλέσεται καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ εἰσακούων

13 Who shuts his ear to the poor man’s plea, himself one day shall plead in vain.

13

Qui obturat aurem suam ad clamorem pauperis,
et ipse clamabit, et non exaudietur.

14 δόσις λάθριος ἀνατρέπει ὀργάς δώρων δὲ ὁ φειδόμενος θυμὸν ἐγείρει ἰσχυρόν

14 Carry a secret gift in thy bosom for thy enemy’s appeasing; the open hand no grudge will ever resist.

14
Munus absconditum extinguit iras,
et donum in sinu indignationem maximam.

15 εὐφροσύνη δικαίων ποιεῖν κρίμα ὅσιος δὲ ἀκάθαρτος παρὰ κακούργοις

15 Right done, honest folk rejoice, and knaves tremble.

15
Gaudium justo est facere judicium,
et pavor operantibus iniquitatem.

16 ἀνὴρ πλανώμενος ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαιοσύνης ἐν συναγωγῇ γιγάντων ἀναπαύσεται

16 Stray from the path thou wast taught, and thou shalt lodge with the dead.

16
Vir qui erraverit a via doctrinæ
in cœtu gigantum commorabitur.

17 ἀνὴρ ἐνδεὴς ἀγαπᾷ εὐφροσύνην φιλῶν οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον εἰς πλοῦτον

17 Of greed comes want; he grows not rich that loves wine and oil.

17
Qui diligit epulas in egestate erit;
qui amat vinum et pinguia non ditabitur.

18 περικάθαρμα δὲ δικαίου ἄνομος

18 The wicked is still the price of the just man’s ransom; for honest folk, treachery pays the score.[3]

18
Pro justo datur impius,
et pro rectis iniquus.

19 κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐν γῇ ἐρήμῳ ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς μαχίμου καὶ γλωσσώδους καὶ ὀργίλου

19 Better dwell in a wilderness than with a scold who rails at thee.

19
Melius est habitare in terra deserta
quam cum muliere rixosa et iracunda.

20 θησαυρὸς ἐπιθυμητὸς ἀναπαύσεται ἐπὶ στόματος σοφοῦ ἄφρονες δὲ ἄνδρες καταπίονται αὐτόν

20 Precious store there is and good cheer where justice dwells;[4] the fool devours all at once.

20
Thesaurus desiderabilis, et oleum in habitaculo justi:
et imprudens homo dissipabit illud.

21 ὁδὸς δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης εὑρήσει ζωὴν καὶ δόξαν 22 πόλεις ὀχυρὰς ἐπέβη σοφὸς καὶ καθεῖλεν τὸ ὀχύρωμα ἐ{F'} ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν οἱ ἀσεβεῖς 23 ὃς φυλάσσει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν διατηρεῖ ἐκ θλίψεως τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ 24 θρασὺς καὶ αὐθάδης καὶ ἀλαζὼν λοιμὸς καλεῖται ὃς δὲ μνησικακεῖ παράνομος

21 Honest living be thy quest and kindly deeds, life shall be thine, and blessing, and honour. 22 Wisdom can scale the fortress great warriors hold, and bring low its boasted strength. 23 Guard lips and tongue, as thou wouldst guard thy life from peril. 24 I know one, Sir Reckless is the name of him, that is all proud airs, and does nothing but in over-bearing scorn.

21
Qui sequitur justitiam et misericordiam
inveniet vitam, justitiam, et gloriam. 22
Civitatem fortium ascendit sapiens,
et destruxit robur fiduciæ ejus. 23
Qui custodit os suum et linguam suam
custodit ab angustiis animam suam. 24
Superbus et arrogans vocatur indoctus,
qui in ira operatur superbiam.

25 ἐπιθυμίαι ὀκνηρὸν ἀποκτείνουσιν οὐ γὰρ προαιροῦνται αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν τι 26 ἀσεβὴς ἐπιθυμεῖ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπιθυμίας κακάς ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐλεᾷ καὶ οἰκτίρει ἀφειδῶς

25 Day-dreams are the sluggard’s downfall; work his hands will not; 26 all day long dreaming and scheming, while honest men never spare themselves, nor take their ease.

25
Desideria occidunt pigrum:
noluerunt enim quidquam manus ejus operari. 26
Tota die concupiscit et desiderat;
qui autem justus est, tribuet, et non cessabit.

27 θυσίαι ἀσεβῶν βδέλυγμα κυρίῳ καὶ γὰρ παρανόμως προσφέρουσιν αὐτάς 28 μάρτυς ψευδὴς ἀπολεῖται ἀνὴρ δὲ ὑπήκοος φυλασσόμενος λαλήσει 29 ἀσεβὴς ἀνὴρ ἀναιδῶς ὑφίσταται προσώπῳ ὁ δὲ εὐθὴς αὐτὸς συνίει τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ

27 Tainted is the sinner’s sacrifice; the hand that offers it is stained with guilt. 28 The false witness shall meet his doom; obey the commandment, and thy pleadings shall triumph. 29 The ill-doer has eyes for nothing but his wanton designs; the upright scans well his path.

27
Hostiæ impiorum abominabiles,
quia offeruntur ex scelere. 28
Testis mendax peribit;
vir obediens loquetur victoriam. 29
Vir impius procaciter obfirmat vultum suum;
qui autem rectus est corrigit viam suam.

30 οὐκ ἔστιν σοφία οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνδρεία οὐκ ἔστιν βουλὴ πρὸς τὸν ἀσεβῆ 31 ἵππος ἑτοιμάζεται εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμου παρὰ δὲ κυρίου ἡ βοήθεια

30 Wisdom is none, prudence is none, counsel is none that can be matched against the Lord’s will; 31 well armed thy horse may be on the eve of battle, but the Lord sends victory.

30
Non est sapientia, non est prudentia,
non est consilium contra Dominum. 31
Equus paratur ad diem belli;
Dominus autem salutem tribuit.

[1] Literally, ‘the lamp’, or (according to the Hebrew text) ‘the untilled ground’. The sense is doubtful; nor is it clear whether ‘at fault’ refers to sinful actions or has its literal sense of missing a mark.

[2] There is no agreement as to the meaning of this verse; the Hebrew text has ‘drag down to’ instead of ‘divert from’, and some think that ‘the Just’ refers not to a just man but to Almighty God.

[3] Some think this means that in periods of general calamity the wicked suffer, while the just go free; but even so the phrasing of the verse would be obscure.

[4] The Hebrew text has ‘wisdom’ instead of ‘justice’, and the reference is presumably to material (not spiritual) blessings, which the fool squanders and the wise man saves up.

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