The Book of Proverbs — Liber Proverbiorum
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Chapter 18
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| Douay-Rheims> | <Vulgate> | <Knox Bible |
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1 He that hath a mind to depart from a friend seeketh occasions: he shall ever be subject to reproach. | 1 Occasiones quærit qui vult recedere ab amico: omni tempore erit exprobrabilis. | 1 None so quick to find pretexts, as he that would break with a friend; he is in fault continually. |
2 A fool receiveth not the words of prudence: unless thou say those things which are in his heart. | 2 Non recipit stultus verba prudentiæ, nisi ea dixeris quæ versantur in corde ejus. | 2 For prudent warnings a fool has no stomach; nothing will serve but to echo his own thought. |
3 The wicked man when he is come into the depth of sins, contemneth: but ignominy and reproach follow him. | 3 Impius, cum in profundum venerit peccatorum, contemnit; sed sequitur eum ignominia et opprobrium. | 3 Little the godless man recks of it, when he falls into sin’s mire, but shame and reproach go with him. |
4 Words from the mouth of a man are as deep water: and the fountain of wisdom as an overflowing stream. | 4 Aqua profunda verba ex ore viri, et torrens redundans fons sapientiæ. | 4 Man’s utterance has currents like the waters that run deep; from wisdom’s well flows a stream in full flood. |
5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to decline from the truth of judgment. | 5 Accipere personam impii non est bonum, ut declines a veritate judicii. | 5 Foul shame it is to court favour with the wrong-doer by turning justice aside from its course. |
6 The lips of a fool intermeddle with strife: and his mouth provoketh quarrels. | 6 Labia stulti miscent se rixis, et os ejus jurgia provocat. | 6 A fool’s talk is for ever embroiling him; let him but open his mouth, blows will follow. |
7 The mouth of a fool is his destruction: and his lips are the ruin of his soul. | 7 Os stulti contritio ejus, et labia ipsius ruina animæ ejus. | 7 From his own words his undoing comes, from his own lips the snare. |
8 The words of the double tongued are as if they were harmless: and they reach even to the inner parts of the bowels. Fear casteth down the slothful: and the souls of the effeminate shall be hungry. | 8 Verba bilinguis quasi simplicia, et ipsa perveniunt usque ad interiora ventris. Pigrum dejicit timor; animæ autem effeminatorum esurient. | 8 Innocent enough seem the words of the back-biter, yet their poison sinks deep into a man’s belly.(Slow natures every fear disarms; womanish souls shall go hungry. ) |
9 He that is loose and slack in his work, is the brother of him that wasteth his own works. | 9 Qui mollis et dissolutus est in opere suo frater est sua opera dissipantis. | 9 Dainty and listless go to work, thou art own brother to that work’s undoer. |
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the just runneth to it, and shall be exalted. | 10 Turris fortissima nomen Domini; ad ipsum currit justus, et exaltabitur. | 10 No stronghold like the Lord’s name; there the just take refuge, high above reach. |
11 The substance of the rich man is the city of his strength, and as a strong wall compassing him about. | 11 Substantia divitis urbs roboris ejus, et quasi murus validus circumdans eum. | 11 What citadel has the rich man? His own possessions; he seems shut in by a wall impregnable; |
12 Before destruction, the heart of a man is exalted: and before he be glorified, it is humbled. | 12 Antequam conteratur, exaltatur cor hominis, et antequam glorificetur, humiliatur. | 12 yet hearts are proudest when ruin is nearest; humility is the ante-chamber of renown. |
13 He that answereth before he heareth sheweth himself to be a fool, and worthy of confusion. | 13 Qui prius respondet quam audiat, stultum se esse demonstrat, et confusione dignum. | 13 Let a man hear the tale out before he answer, or he is a fool manifest, marked out for shame. |
14 The spirit of a man upholdeth his infirmity: but a spirit that is easily angered, who can bear? | 14 Spiritus viri sustentat imbecillitatem suam; spiritum vero ad irascendum facilem quis poterit sustinere? | 14 All mortal ills the spirit of man can bear; if the spirit itself be impatient, there is no lightening his lot. |
15 A wise heart shall acquire knowledge: and the ear of the wise seeketh instruction. | 15 Cor prudens possidebit scientiam, et auris sapientium quærit doctrinam. | 15 Prize of the discerning heart, quest of the wise man’s ear, is to learn truth. |
16 A man’s gift enlargeth his way, and maketh him room before princes. | 16 Donum hominis dilatat viam ejus, et ante principes spatium ei facit. | 16 The gift made, how it opens a man’s path for him, wins him access to the great! |
17 The just is first accuser of himself: his friend cometh, and shall search him. | 17 Justus prior est accusator sui: venit amicus ejus, et investigabit eum. | 17 An innocent man is the first to lay bare the truth; let his neighbour come and search him as he will. |
18 The lot suppresseth contentions, and determineth even between the mighty. | 18 Contradictiones comprimit sors, et inter potentes quoque dijudicat. | 18 The lot brings feuds to an end; greatness itself must bow to the lot’s decision. |
19 A brother that is helped by his brother, is like a strong city: and judgments are like the bars of cities. | 19 Frater qui adjuvatur a fratre quasi civitas firma, et judicia quasi vectes urbium. | 19 When brother helps brother, theirs is the strength of a fortress; their cause is like a city gate barred, unassailable. |
20 Of the fruit of a man’s mouth shall his belly be satisfied: and the offspring of his lips shall fill him. | 20 De fructu oris viri replebitur venter ejus, et genimina labiorum ipsius saturabunt eum. | 20 As mouth speaks, belly shall find its fare; a man’s own words bear the fruit that must needs content him. |
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: they that love it, shall eat the fruits thereof. | 21 Mors et vita in manu linguæ; qui diligunt eam comedent fructus ejus. | 21 Of life and death, tongue holds the keys; use it lovingly, and it will requite thee. |
22 He that hath found a good wife, hath found a good thing, and shall receive a pleasure from the Lord. He that driveth away a good wife, driveth away a good thing: but he that keepeth an adulteress, is foolish and wicked. | 22 Qui invenit mulierem bonam invenit bonum, et hauriet jucunditatem a Domino. Qui expellit mulierem bonam expellit bonum; qui autem tenet adulteram stultus est et impius. | 22 A good wife found is treasure found; the Lord is filling thy cup with happiness. (A good wife cast away is treasure cast away; leave to fools, and godless fools, the adulterous embrace. ) |
23 The poor will speak with supplications, and the rich will speak roughly. | 23 Cum obsecrationibus loquetur pauper, et dives effabitur rigide. | 23 Poor men must cringe, for the rich to rate them. |
24 A man amiable in society, shall be more friendly than a brother. | 24 Vir amabilis ad societatem magis amicus erit quam frater. | 24 A man endeared to thee by fellowship will prove a better friend to thee than thy own kin. |
