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Proverbs 24

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1 υἱέ μὴ ζηλώσῃς κακοὺς ἄνδρας μηδὲ ἐπιθυμήσῃς εἶναι με{T'} αὐτῶν 2 ψεύδη γὰρ μελετᾷ ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν καὶ πόνους τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν λαλεῖ

1 Not for thee to emulate wrong-doers, and aspire to be of their company; 2 what minds are theirs, who think only of men’s undoing, what talk, whose every word is treachery!

1

Ne æmuleris viros malos,
nec desideres esse cum eis: 2
quia rapinas meditatur mens eorum,
et fraudes labia eorum loquuntur.

3 μετὰ σοφίας οἰκοδομεῖται οἶκος καὶ μετὰ συνέσεως ἀνορθοῦται 4 μετὰ αἰσθήσεως ἐμπίμπλαται ταμίεια ἐκ παντὸς πλούτου τιμίου καὶ καλοῦ 5 κρείσσων σοφὸς ἰσχυροῦ καὶ ἀνὴρ φρόνησιν ἔχων γεωργίου μεγάλου 6 μετὰ κυβερνήσεως γίνεται πόλεμος βοήθεια δὲ μετὰ καρδίας βουλευτικῆς 7 σοφία καὶ ἔννοια ἀγαθὴ ἐν πύλαις σοφῶν σοφοὶ οὐκ ἐκκλίνουσιν ἐκ στόματος κυρίου

3 No foundation for a house like wisdom, no buttress like discernment; 4 no furnishing may be found for the rooms of it so rare and so pleasant, as true knowledge. 5 Only the wise are strong; well taught is firm of sinew. 6 War must be planned first, before thou wage it, and he will prosper best who most takes counsel; 7 wisdom hangs high beyond the fool’s reach; tongue-tied he stands when there are consultations at the gate.[1]

3
Sapientia ædificabitur domus,
et prudentia roborabitur. 4
In doctrina replebuntur cellaria,
universa substantia pretiosa et pulcherrima. 5
Vir sapiens fortis est,
et vir doctus robustus et validus: 6
quia cum dispositione initur bellum,
et erit salus ubi multa consilia sunt. 7
Excelsa stulto sapientia;
in porta non aperiet os suum.

8 ἀλλὰ λογίζονται ἐν συνεδρίοις ἀπαιδεύτοις συναντᾷ θάνατος 9 ἀποθνῄσκει δὲ ἄφρων ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἀκαθαρσία δὲ ἀνδρὶ λοιμῷ ἐμμολυνθήσεται

8 Consecrate close thought to evil ends, and thou wilt earn no better name than mischief-maker. 9 Craft of his own the fool has, but all used amiss; the insidious rogue[2] no man can stomach.

8
Qui cogitat mala facere stultus vocabitur: 9
cogitatio stulti peccatum est,
et abominatio hominum detractor.

10 ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῇ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεως ἕως ἂν ἐκλίπῃ 11 ῥῦσαι ἀγομένους εἰς θάνατον καὶ ἐκπρίου κτεινομένους μὴ φείσῃ 12 ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃς οὐκ οἶδα τοῦτον γίνωσκε ὅτι κύριος καρδίας πάντων γινώσκει καὶ ὁ πλάσας πνοὴν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς οἶδεν πάντα ὃς ἀποδίδωσιν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ

10 What, hang thy hands down in time of peril? Little shalt thou avail. 11 Thine to rescue the doomed, to cheat the gallows of its prey; 12 not plead thy lack of strength, when he, the Searcher of all hearts, the Saviour of thy life, knows all, sees all, and requites the actions of men.

10
Si desperaveris lassus in die angustiæ,
imminuetur fortitudo tua. 11

Erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem,
et qui trahuntur ad interitum, liberare ne cesses. 12
Si dixeris: Vires non suppetunt;
qui inspector est cordis ipse intelligit:
et servatorem animæ tuæ nihil fallit,
reddetque homini juxta opera sua.

13 φάγε μέλι υἱέ ἀγαθὸν γὰρ κηρίον ἵνα γλυκανθῇ σου ὁ φάρυγξ 14 οὕτως αἰσθήσῃ σοφίαν τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ ἐὰν γὰρ εὕρῃς ἔσται καλὴ ἡ τελευτή σου καὶ ἐλπίς σε οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψει

13 Sweet to thy palate, my son, is honey from the comb; why then, eat; 14 but wise teaching is no less thy soul’s food, tomorrow’s resource, and a resource unfailing.

13
Comede, fili mi, mel, quia bonum est,
et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo. 14
Sic et doctrina sapientiæ animæ tuæ:
quam cum inveneris, habebis in novissimis spem,
et spes tua non peribit.

15 μὴ προσαγάγῃς ἀσεβῆ νομῇ δικαίων μηδὲ ἀπατηθῇς χορτασίᾳ κοιλίας 16 ἑπτάκι γὰρ πεσεῖται ὁ δίκαιος καὶ ἀναστήσεται οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἀσθενήσουσιν ἐν κακοῖς 17 ἐὰν πέσῃ ὁ ἐχθρός σου μὴ ἐπιχαρῇς αὐτῷ ἐν δὲ τῷ ὑποσκελίσματι αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐπαίρου 18 ὅτι ὄψεται κύριος καὶ οὐκ ἀρέσει αὐτῷ καὶ ἀποστρέψει τὸν θυμὸν αὐτοῦ ἀ{P'} αὐτοῦ 19 μὴ χαῖρε ἐπὶ κακοποιοῖς μηδὲ ζήλου ἁμαρτωλούς 20 οὐ γὰρ μὴ γένηται ἔκγονα πονηρῶν λαμπτὴρ δὲ ἀσεβῶν σβεσθήσεται

15 Lie not in wait, treacherously, to despoil the homes where honest men take their ease; 16 seven times the just may stumble, and rise to their feet again, it is the wicked fall headlong into ruin. 17 Not thine to triumph over a fallen foe; that thrill of rejoicing in thy heart over his calamity 18 the Lord will see, and little love; his vengeance may yet change its course. 19 Do not be impatient when the wicked thrive, do not envy the lot of evil-doers; 20 villainy has no hope in store, its light flickers and is gone.

15
Ne insidieris, et quæras impietatem in domo justi,
neque vastes requiem ejus. 16
Septies enim cadet justus, et resurget:
impii autem corruent in malum. 17
Cum ceciderit inimicus tuus ne gaudeas,
et in ruina ejus ne exsultet cor tuum: 18
ne forte videat Dominus, et displiceat ei,
et auferat ab eo iram suam. 19
Ne contendas cum pessimis,
nec æmuleris impios: 20
quoniam non habent futurorum spem mali,
et lucerna impiorum extinguetur.

21 φοβοῦ τὸν θεόν υἱέ καὶ βασιλέα καὶ μηθετέρῳ αὐτῶν ἀπειθήσῃς 22 ἐξαίφνης γὰρ τείσονται τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς τὰς δὲ τιμωρίας ἀμφοτέρων τίς γνώσεται λόγον φυλασσόμενος υἱὸς ἀπωλείας ἐκτὸς ἔσται δεχόμενος δὲ ἐδέξατο αὐτόν μηδὲν ψεῦδος ἀπὸ γλώσσης βασιλεῖ λεγέσθω καὶ οὐδὲν ψεῦδος ἀπὸ γλώσσης αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἐξέλθῃ μάχαιρα γλῶσσα βασιλέως καὶ οὐ σαρκίνη ὃς {D'} ἂν παραδοθῇ συντριβήσεται ἐὰν γὰρ ὀξυνθῇ ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ σὺν νεύροις ἀνθρώπους ἀναλίσκει καὶ ὀστᾶ ἀνθρώπων κατατρώγει καὶ συγκαίει ὥσπερ φλὸξ ὥστε ἄβρωτα εἶναι νεοσσοῖς ἀετῶν

21 Fear God, my son, and fear the king; have nothing to do with malcontents. 22 How sudden their ruin, how swift falls, from either hand, the blow!

21
Time Dominum, fili mi, et regem,
et cum detractoribus non commiscearis: 22
quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum,
et ruinam utriusque quis novit?

23 ταῦτα δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν τοῖς σοφοῖς ἐπιγινώσκειν αἰδεῖσθαι πρόσωπον ἐν κρίσει οὐ καλόν 24 ὁ εἰπὼν τὸν ἀσεβῆ δίκαιός ἐστιν ἐπικατάρατος λαοῖς ἔσται καὶ μισητὸς εἰς ἔθνη 25 οἱ δὲ ἐλέγχοντες βελτίους φανοῦνται ἐ{P'} αὐτοὺς δὲ ἥξει εὐλογία ἀγαθή

23 More maxims of the wise. It is ill done, to let partiality sway thy judgement; 24 if thou acquit the guilty, what race will have a good word for thee, what people will love thee? 25 Condemn him, and thou shalt have renown, blessings shall fall on thy head.

23 Hæc quoque sapientibus.

Cognoscere personam in judicio non est bonum. 24
Qui dicunt impio: Justus es: maledicent eis populi,
et detestabuntur eos tribus. 25
Qui arguunt eum laudabuntur,
et super ipsos veniet benedictio.

26 χείλη δὲ φιλήσουσιν ἀποκρινόμενα λόγους ἀγαθούς

26 The right word spoken seals all like a kiss on the lips.[3]

26
Labia deosculabitur
qui recta verba respondet.

27 ἑτοίμαζε εἰς τὴν ἔξοδον τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ παρασκευάζου εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν καὶ πορεύου κατόπισθέν μου καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσεις τὸν οἶκόν σου

27 Be thy first care what lies without; till thy lands first with all diligence; then build up thy home.

27
Præpara foris opus tuum,
et diligenter exerce agrum tuum,
ut postea ædifices domum tuam.

28 μὴ ἴσθι ψευδὴς μάρτυς ἐπὶ σὸν πολίτην μηδὲ πλατύνου σοῖς χείλεσιν 29 μὴ εἴπῃς ὃν τρόπον ἐχρήσατό μοι χρήσομαι αὐτῷ τείσομαι δὲ αὐτὸν ἅ με ἠδίκησεν

28 Do not come forward as a witness against thy neighbour; wouldst thou spread lying tales? 29 Nor be content to say, I am but serving him as he served me; I pay off old scores.

28
Ne sis testis frustra contra proximum tuum,
nec lactes quemquam labiis tuis. 29
Ne dicas: Quomodo fecit mihi, sic faciam ei;
reddam unicuique secundum opus suum.

30 ὥσπερ γεώργιον ἀνὴρ ἄφρων καὶ ὥσπερ ἀμπελὼν ἄνθρωπος ἐνδεὴς φρενῶν 31 ἐὰν ἀφῇς αὐτόν χερσωθήσεται καὶ χορτομανήσει ὅλος καὶ γίνεται ἐκλελειμμένος οἱ δὲ φραγμοὶ τῶν λίθων αὐτοῦ κατασκάπτονται 32 ὕστερον ἐγὼ μετενόησα ἐπέβλεψα τοῦ ἐκλέξασθαι παιδείαν 33 ὀλίγον νυστάζω ὀλίγον δὲ καθυπνῶ ὀλίγον δὲ ἐναγκαλίζομαι χερσὶν στήθη 34 ἐὰν δὲ τοῦτο ποιῇς ἥξει προπορευομένη ἡ πενία σου καὶ ἡ ἔνδειά σου ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς δρομεύς

30 Passing by field or vineyard where idleness reigned and improvidence, what sights I have seen! 31 Nettles were everywhere, briers had covered the ground, the stone wall was ruinous. 32 That sight I took to heart, found a warning in that ill example. 33 Sleep on (thought I) a little longer, yawn a little longer, a little longer pillow head on hand; 34 ay, but poverty will not wait, the day of distress will not wait; like an armed vagabond it will fall upon thee![4]

30

Per agrum hominis pigri transivi,
et per vineam viri stulti: 31
et ecce totum repleverant urticæ,
et operuerant superficiem ejus spinæ,
et maceria lapidum destructa erat. 32
Quod cum vidissem, posui in corde meo,
et exemplo didici disciplinam. 33
Parum, inquam, dormies, modicum dormitabis;
pauxillum manus conseres ut quiescas: 34
et veniet tibi quasi cursor egestas,
et mendicitas quasi vir armatus.

[1] The meaning of the Hebrew text here is doubtful.

[2] ‘The insidious rogue’; literally, the ‘calumniator’. The word used in the Hebrew text commonly implies rash folly, and is here inappropriate.

[3] The phrase, in the original, runs simply ‘Who returns right words kisses lips’; the exact bearing of it can only be conjectured.

[4] vv. 33, 34. See 6.10, 11 above.

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