T HE wisdom of the humble shall exalt his head, and shall make him sit in the midst of great men.

Sapientia humiliati exaltabit caput illius, et in medio magnatorum consedere illum faciet.

A man may be lowly born, and yet rise high through the wisdom that is in him, till at last he takes his seat among men of rank.

Praise not a man for his beauty, neither despise a man for his look.

Non laudes virum in specie sua, neque spernas hominem in visu suo.

Esteem no man for his good looks, nor for his outward show despise him;

The bee is small among flying things, but her fruit hath the chiefest sweetness.

Brevis in volatilibus est apis, et initium dulcoris habet fructus illius.

yonder bee is an inconsiderable creature, and yet there is a world of sweetness in the harvest she wins.

Glory not in apparel at any time, and be not exalted in the day of thy honour: for the works of the Highest only are wonderful, and his works are glorious, and secret, and hidden.

In vestitu ne glorieris umquam, nec in die honoris tui extollaris: quoniam mirabilia opera Altissimi solius, et gloriosa, et absconsa, et invisa opera illius.

Plume not thyself when thou goest bravely clad, nor pride thyself in thy brief hour of greatness. Of wonder and of praise what else is worthy, but the doings of the most High? And these, how hedged about with secrecy!

Many tyrants have sat on the throne, and he whom no man would think on, hath worn the crown.

Multi tyranni sederunt in throno: et insuspicabilis portavit diadema.

Kings a many have lost their thrones, to pretenders they never dreamed of;

Many mighty men have been greatly brought down, and the glorious have been delivered into the hand of others.

Multi potentes oppressi sunt valide, et gloriosi traditi sunt in manus alterorum.

great ones a many have fallen full low, and their glory has passed to others.

Before thou inquire, blame no man: and when thou hast inquired, reprove justly.

Priusquam interroges, ne vituperes quemquam: et cum interrogaveris, corripe juste.

Blame not, till thou hast heard the excuse; more just thy reproof shall be when thou hast learnt all.

Before thou hear, answer not a word: and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse.

Priusquam audias, ne respondeas verbum: et in medio sermonum ne adjicias loqui.

Listen first, then answer, never breaking in when the tale is half told.

Strive not in a matter which doth not concern thee, and sit not in judgment with sinners.

De ea re quæ te non molestat, ne certeris: et in judicio peccantium ne consistas.

Quarrel not, where thou thyself art not concerned; leave judgement of the offender to others.

My son, meddle not with many matters: and if thou be rich, thou shalt not be free from sin: for if thou pursue after thou shalt not overtake: and if thou run before thou shalt not escape.

Fili, ne in multis sint actus tui: et si dives fueris, non eris immunis a delicto. Si enim secutus fueris, non apprehendes: et non effugies, si præcucurreris.

Do not be entangled, my son, in too many enterprises. The rich man pays forfeit, chasing what overtake he may not, or fleeing what he may not shun.

There is an ungodly man that laboureth, and maketh haste, and is in sorrow, and is so much the more in want.

Est homo laborans et festinans, et dolens: impius, et tanto magis non abundabit.

Some men’s lives are all toil and haste and anxiety; yet the more they toil, the less advantage they win, for want of piety.

Again, there is an inactive man that wanteth help, is very weak in ability, and full of poverty:

Est homo marcidus egens recuperatione, plus deficiens virtute, et abundans paupertate:

And others are backward folk, that cannot hold their gains, men of little power and much poverty;

Yet the eye of God hath looked upon him for good, and hath lifted him up from his low estate, and hath exalted his head: and many have wondered at him, and have glorified God.

et oculus Dei respexit illum in bono, et erexit eum ab humilitate ipsius, et exaltavit caput ejus: et mirati sunt in illo multi, et honoraverunt Deum.

and yet such a man the Lord will look upon with favour, rescue him from neglect and greatly advance him, to the world’s amazement, and the greater honour of God.

Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from God.

Bona et mala, vita et mors, paupertas et honestas, a Deo sunt:

From God all comes, good fortune and ill, life and death, poverty and riches;

Wisdom and discipline, and the knowledge of the law are with God. Love and the ways of good things are with him.

sapientia, et disciplina, et scientia legis, apud Deum: dilectio, et viæ bonorum, apud ipsum.

in God’s keeping are wisdom and temperance and knowledge of the law, charity and the good life.

Error and darkness are created with sinners: and they that glory in evil things, grow old in evil.

Error et tenebræ peccatoribus concreata sunt: qui autem exsultant in malis consenescunt in malo.

Error and darkness are sinful man’s birthright; it is by making evil their delight that men grow hardened in evil.

The gift of God abideth with the just, and his advancement shall have success for ever.

Datio Dei permanet justis, et profectus illius successus habebit in æternum.

No momentary blessing it is, God’s largesse to his faithful servants; that seed that bears an eternal crop.

There is one that is enriched by living sparingly, and this is the portion of his reward.

Est qui locupletatur parce agendo, et hæc est pars mercedis illius.

No such boast has the man of thrift, that by his own effort wins wealth.

In that he saith: I have found me rest, and now I will eat of my goods alone:

In eo quod dicit: Inveni requiem mihi, et nunc manducabo de bonis meis solus:

Does he tell himself that he has found security at last; nothing remains but to glut, with his own earnings, his own greed?

And he knoweth not what time shall pass, and that death approacheth, and that he must leave all to others, and shall die.

et nescit quod tempus præteriet, et mors appropinquet, et relinquat omnia aliis, et morietur.

He forgets that time flies, and death draws near; die he must, and leave all he has to another.

Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and grow old in the work of thy commandments.

Sta in testamento tuo, et in illo colloquere, et in opere mandatorum tuorum veterasce.

Be true to thy covenant with God; its words to thy own ears repeat; to that, and thy enjoined duty, inure thyself.

Abide not in the works of sinners. But trust in God, and stay in thy place.

Ne manseris in operibus peccatorum: confide autem in Deo, et mane in loco tuo.

Wouldst thou stand there gaping at the doings of sinners? Nay, trust in God, and keep to thy appointed task.

For it is easy in the eyes of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich.

Facile est enim in oculis Dei subito honestare pauperem.

Dost thou think God finds it hard to enrich the beggar, and in a moment?

The blessing of God maketh haste to reward the just, and in a swift hour his blessing beareth fruit.

Benedictio Dei in mercedem justi festinat, et in hora veloci processus illius fructificat.

Swift, swift comes the blessing that rewards faithful service; in one short hour its fruits ripen.

Say not: What need I, and what good shall I have by this?

Ne dicas: Quid est mihi opus? et quæ erunt mihi ex hoc bona?

Never tell thyself, need thou hast none, there is no more good can befall thee;

Say not: I am sufficient for myself: and what shall I be made worse by this?

Ne dicas: Sufficiens mihi sum: et quid ex hoc pessimabor?

never flatter thyself, thou art master of thy own lot, no harm can touch thee now.

In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils: and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things:

In die bonorum ne immemor sis malorum, et in die malorum ne immemor sis bonorum:

Rather, bethink thyself of foul weather in fair, of fair weather in foul;

For it is easy before God in the day of death to reward every one according to his ways.

quoniam facile est coram Deo in die obitus retribuere unicuique secundum vias suas.

on the very day of a man’s death God can give him his deserts.

The affliction of an hour maketh one forget great delights, and in the end of a man is the disclosing of his works.

Malitia horæ oblivionem facit luxuriæ magnæ, et in fine hominis denudatio operum illius.

One hour of misery, how it can efface in the memory long years of ease! Only a man’s death-bed brings the full history of his fortunes to light.

Praise not any man before death, for a man is known by his children.

Ante mortem ne laudes hominem quemquam: quoniam in filiis suis agnoscitur vir.

Never call a man happy until he is dead; his true epitaph is written in his children.

Bring not every man into thy house: for many are the snares of the deceitful.

Non omnem hominem inducas in domum tuam: multæ enim sunt insidiæ dolosi.

Do not keep thy house open to every comer; knaves have many shifts.

For as corrupted bowels send forth stinking breath, and as the partridge is brought into the cage, and as the roe into the snare: so also is the heart of the proud, and as a spy that looketh on the fall of his neighbour.

Sicut enim eructant præcordia fœtentium, et sicut perdix inducitur in caveam, et ut caprea in laqueum: sic et cor superborum, et sicut prospector videns casum proximi sui.

Foul breath lurks in a diseased body; the partridge a hidden lure awaits, a hidden snare the doe; so there be unquiet hearts, ever on the watch for a neighbour’s downfall,

For he lieth in wait and turneth good into evil, and on the elect he will lay a blot.

Bona enim in mala convertens insidiatur, et in electis imponet maculam.

ready to interpret good things amiss, and cast blame on the innocent.

Of one spark cometh a great fire, and of one deceitful man much blood: and a sinful man lieth in wait for blood.

A scintilla una augetur ignis, et ab uno doloso augetur sanguis: homo vero peccator sanguini insidiatur.

One spark is enough to spread a fire, and one man’s treachery may be the cause of bloodshed; such villains as these plot against life itself.

Take heed to thyself of a mischievous man, for he worketh evils: lest he bring upon thee reproach for ever.

Attende tibi a pestifero, fabricat enim mala, ne inducat super te subsannationem in perpetuum.

Against such a plague be thou timely on thy guard, or it may prove thy eternal disgrace.

Receive a stranger in, and he shall overthrow thee with a whirlwind, and shall turn thee out of thy own.

Admitte ad te alienigenam: et subvertet te in turbine, et abalienabit te a tuis propriis.

Alien let in is whirlwind let in, that shall alienate from thee all thou hast.