Ecclesiasticus — Ecclesiasticus Jesu, filii Sirach
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Chapter 34
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Vulgate><Knox Bible><Douay-Rheims
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Vana spes et mendacium viro insensato: et somnia extollunt imprudentes.
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Fools are cheated by vain hopes, buoyed up with the fancies of a dream.
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The hopes of a man that is void of understanding are vain and deceitful: and dreams lift up fools.
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Quasi qui apprehendit umbram et persequitur ventum, sic et qui attendit ad visa mendacia.
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Wouldst thou heed such lying visions? Better clutch at shadows, or chase the wind.
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The man that giveth heed to lying visions, is like to him that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the wind.
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Hoc secundum hoc visio somniorum, ante faciem hominis similitudo hominis.
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Nought thou seest in a dream but symbols; man is but face to face with his own image.
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The vision of dreams is the resemblance of one thing to another: as when a man’s likeness is before the face of a man.
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Ab immundo, quid mundabitur? et a mendace, quid verum dicetur?
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As well may foul thing cleanse, as false thing give thee a true warning.
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What can be made clean by the unclean? and what truth can come from that which is false?
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Divinatio erroris, et auguria mendacia, et somnia malefacientium, vanitas est:
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Out upon the folly of them, pretended divination, and cheating omen, and wizard’s dream!
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Deceitful divinations and lying omens and the dreams of evildoers, are vanity:
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et sicut parturientis, cor tuum phantasias patitur. Nisi ab Altissimo fuerit emissa visitatio, ne dederis in illis cor tuum:
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Heart of woman in her pangs is not more fanciful. Unless it be some manifestation the most High has sent thee, pay no heed to any such;
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And the heart fancieth as that of a woman in travail: except it be a vision sent forth from the most High, set not thy heart upon them.
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multos enim errare fecerunt somnia, et exciderunt sperantes in illis.
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trust in dreams has crazed the wits of many, and brought them to their ruin.
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For dreams have deceived many, and they have failed that put their trust in them.
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Sine mendacio consummabitur verbum legis, et sapientia in ore fidelis complanabitur.
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Believe rather the law’s promises, that cannot miss their fulfilment, the wisdom that trusty counsellors shall make clear to thee.
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The word of the law shall be fulfilled without a lie, and wisdom shall be made plain in the mouth of the faithful.
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Qui non est tentatus quid scit? vir in multis expertus cogitabit multa: et qui multa didicit enarrabit intellectum.
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A man will not learn until he is tested by discipline. That experience gained, he will think deeply, and the many lessons he has learned will make him a wise talker.
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What doth he know, that hath not been tried? A man that hath much experience, shall think of many things: and he that hath learned many things, shall shew forth understanding.
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Qui non est expertus pauca recognoscit: qui autem in multis factus est, multiplicat malitiam.
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Without experience, a man knows little; yet, if he is too venturesome, he reaps a rich harvest of mischief …
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He that hath no experience, knoweth little: and he that hath been experienced in many things, multiplieth prudence.
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Qui tentatus non est qualia scit? qui implanatus est abundabit nequitia.
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A man will not learn until he is tested by discipline … and if he is led astray he will be full of knavery …
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He that hath not been tried, what manner of things doth he know? he that hath been surprised, shall abound with subtlety.
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Multa vidi errando, et plurimas verborum consuetudines.
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I myself have seen much in my wanderings, the customs of men more than I can tell.
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I have seen many things by travelling, and many customs of things.
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Aliquoties usque ad mortem periclitatus sum horum causa, et liberatus sum gratia Dei.
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Sometimes, by this means, I have been in danger of death, and only the divine favour has preserved me from it.
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Sometimes I have been in danger of death for these things, and I have been delivered by the grace of God.
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Spiritus timentium Deum quæritur, et in respectu illius benedicetur.
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The life of such as fear the Lord is held precious, and wins a blessing from his regard;
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The spirit of those that fear God, is sought after, and by his regard shall be blessed.
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Spes enim illorum in salvantem illos, et oculi Dei in diligentes se.
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they have a deliverer they can trust in, and God’s eye watches over them in return for their love.
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For their hope is on him that saveth them, and the eyes of God are upon them that love him.
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Qui timet Dominum nihil trepidabit: et non pavebit, quoniam ipse est spes ejus.
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Fear the Lord, and thou shalt never hesitate; nothing may daunt thee, while such a hope is thine.
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He that feareth the Lord shall tremble at nothing, and shall not be afraid: for he is his hope.
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Timentis Dominum, beata est anima ejus.
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Blessed souls, that fear the Lord!
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The soul of him that feareth the Lord is blessed.
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Ad quem respicit, et quis est fortitudo ejus?
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They know where to look for refuge.
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To whom doth he look, and who is his strength?
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Oculi Domini super timentes eum: protector potentiæ, firmamentum virtutis, tegimen ardoris, et umbraculum meridiani:
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Fear the Lord, and his eyes watch over thee; here is strong protection, here is firm support; shelter when the hot wind blows, shade at noon-day;
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The eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him, he is their powerful protector, and strong stay, a defence from the heat, and a cover from the sun at noon,
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deprecatio offensionis, et adjutorium casus: exaltans animam, et illuminans oculos, dans sanitatem, et vitam, et benedictionem.
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here is reassurance when a man stumbles, support when he falls; soul uplifted, eyes enlightened, health and life and blessing bestowed.
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A preservation from stumbling, and a help from falling; he raiseth up the soul, and enlighteneth the eyes, and giveth health, and life, and blessing.
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Immolantis ex iniquo oblatio est maculata, et non sunt beneplacitæ subsannationes injustorum.
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Tainted is every sacrifice that comes of goods ill gotten; a mockery, this, of sacrifice, that shall win no favour.
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The offering of him that sacrificeth of a thing wrongfully gotten, is stained, and the mockeries of the unjust are not acceptable.
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Dominus solus sustinentibus se in via veritatis et justitiæ.
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For those who wait upon him in loyal duty, the Lord alone is God.
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The Lord is only for them that wait upon him in the way of truth and justice.
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Dona iniquorum non probat Altissimus, nec respicit in oblationes iniquorum, nec in multitudine sacrificiorum eorum propitiabitur peccatis.
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Should the most High accept the offerings of sinners, take the gifts of the wrong-doer into his reckoning, and pardon their sins because their sacrifices are many?
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The most High approveth not the gifts of the wicked: neither hath he respect to the oblations of the unjust, nor will he be pacified for sins by the multitude of their sacrifices.
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Qui offert sacrificium ex substantia pauperum, quasi qui victimat filium in conspectu patris sui.
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Who robs the poor and then brings sacrifice, is of their fellowship that would immolate some innocent child before the eyes of his father.
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He that offereth sacrifice of the goods of the poor, is as one that sacrificeth the son in the presence of his father.
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Panis egentium vita pauperum est: qui defraudat illum homo sanguinis est.
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Poor man’s bread is poor man’s life; cheat him of it, and thou hast slain him;
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The bread of the needy, is the life of the poor: he that defraudeth them thereof, is a man of blood.
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Qui aufert in sudore panem, quasi qui occidit proximum suum.
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sweat of his brow, or his life’s blood, what matters?
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He that taketh away the bread gotten by sweat, is like him that killeth his neighbour.
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Qui effundit sanguinem, et qui fraudem facit mercenario, fratres sunt.
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Disappoint the hireling, and thou art own brother to a murderer.
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He that sheddeth blood, and he that defraudeth the laborer of his hire, are brothers.
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Unus ædificans, et unus destruens: quid prodest illis, nisi labor?
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Build while another pulls down, and toil is its own reward.
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When one buildeth up, and another pulleth down: what profit have they but the labour?
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Unus orans, et unus maledicens: cujus vocem exaudiet Deus?
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Pray while another curses, and which of you shall find audience with God?
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When one prayeth, and another curseth: whose voice will God hear?
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Qui baptizatur a mortuo, et iterum tangit eum, quid proficit lavatio illius?
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Cleanse thyself from dead body’s contamination, and touch it again, what avails thy cleansing?
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He that washeth himself after touching the dead, if he toucheth him again, what doth his washing avail?
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Sic homo qui jejunat in peccatis suis, et iterum eadem faciens: quid proficit humiliando se? orationem illius quis exaudiet?
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So it is when a man fasts for his sins, yet will not leave his sinning; vain is the fast, the prayer goes unanswered.
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So a man that fasteth for his sins, and doth the same again, what doth his humbling himself profit him? who will hear his prayer?