A reckless counsellor is wine, strong drink a riotous friend; the man who is swayed by these, call not wise.

Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous: whosoever is delighted therewith shall not be wise.

Luxuriosa res vinum, et tumultuosa ebrietas: quicumque his delectatur non erit sapiens.

Beware of the king’s power, as of lion roaring; challenge it, and thy life is forfeit.

As the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king: he that provoketh him, sinneth against his own soul.

Sicut rugitus leonis, ita et terror regis: qui provocat eum peccat in animam suam.

Well may he boast, that keeps clear of strife; every fool will be quarrelling.

It is an honour for a man to separate himself from quarrels: but all fools are meddling with reproaches.

Honor est homini qui separat se a contentionibus; omnes autem stulti miscentur contumeliis.

Too cold to plough, says Sloth; vainly, when harvest comes, he will go a-begging.

Because of the cold the sluggard would not plough: he shall beg therefore in the summer, and it shall not be given him.

Propter frigus piger arare noluit; mendicabit ergo æstate, et non dabitur illi.

Prudent counsel is a well buried deep in man’s heart; but the wise know how to draw from it.

Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water: but a wise man will draw it out.

Sicut aqua profunda, sic consilium in corde viri; sed homo sapiens exhauriet illud.

Many there are that pass for kindly souls, but a faithful friend is hard to come by.

Many men are called merciful: but who shall find a faithful man?

Multi homines misericordes vocantur; virum autem fidelem quis inveniet?

An upright man that goes armed with honest intent, leaves a blessing to his children.

The just that walketh in his simplicity, shall leave behind him blessed children.

Justus qui ambulat in simplicitate sua beatos post se filios derelinquet.

Let a king rule justly, wrong-doing shall be winnowed away under his scrutiny.

The king, that sitteth on the throne of judgment, scattereth away all evil with his look.

Rex qui sedet in solio judicii dissipat omne malum intuitu suo.

Who dares to boast, My heart is unsullied now, I have cleansed myself of every fault?

Who can say: My heart is clean, I am pure from sin?

Quis potest dicere: Mundum est cor meum; purus sum a peccato?

One balance for getting and one for giving, one yard-wand for selling and one for buying, the Lord will not endure.

Diverse weights and diverse measures, both are abominable before God.

Pondus et pondus, mensura et mensura: utrumque abominabile est apud Deum.

Watch a boy even at his play, thou canst tell whether his heart is pure and true.

By his inclinations a child is known, if his works be clean and right.

Ex studiis suis intelligitur puer, si munda et recta sint opera ejus.

The ear that listens, the watchful eye, are both of the Lord’s fashioning.

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made them both.

Aurem audientem, et oculum videntem: Dominus fecit utrumque.

Love not thy sleep, or poverty will overtake thee unawares; the open eye means a full belly.

Love not sleep, lest poverty oppress thee: open thy eyes, and be filled with bread.

Noli diligere somnum, ne te egestas opprimat: aperi oculos tuos, et saturare panibus.

A poor thing, says the buyer, a poor thing! Then off he goes, and boasts of it.

It is nought, it is nought, saith every buyer: and when he is gone away, then he will boast.

Malum est, malum est, dicit omnis emptor; et cum recesserit, tunc gloriabitur.

Gold thou mayst have in abundance, and jewels a many, but the finest ware of all is wise speech.

There is gold, and a multitude of jewels: but the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel.

Est aurum et multitudo gemmarum, et vas pretiosum labia scientiæ.

Does a man go bail for a stranger? Without more ado, take his garment from him; who trusts without knowledge, forfeits the pledge.

Take away the garment of him that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge from him for strangers.

Tolle vestimentum ejus qui fidejussor extitit alieni, et pro extraneis aufer pignus ab eo.

Ill-gotten wealth is bread most appetizing, that will yet turn to grit in the mouth.

The bread of lying is sweet to a man: but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Suavis est homini panis mendacii, et postea implebitur os ejus calculo.

Counsel is the sure buttress of determination; wars must ever be won by statecraft.

Designs are strengthened by counsels: and wars are to be managed by governments.

Cogitationes consiliis roborantur, et gubernaculis tractanda sunt bella.

With the whisperer, that goes about open-mouthed on his errand of gossip, never throw in thy lot.

Meddle not with him that revealeth secrets, and walketh deceitfully, and openeth wide his lips.

Ei qui revelat mysteria, et ambulat fraudulenter, et dilatat labia sua, ne commiscearis.

In deepest night the lamp of his hopes shall be quenched, that turns upon father or mother with a curse.

He that curseth his father, and mother, his lamp shall be put out in the midst of darkness.

Qui maledicit patri suo et matri, extinguetur lucerna ejus in mediis tenebris:

The inheritance too soon come by, too late thou shalt find unblessed.

The inheritance gotten hastily in the beginning, in the end shall be without a blessing.

hæreditas ad quam festinatur in principio, in novissimo benedictione carebit.

Never promise thyself vengeance; await the Lord’s hour, and redress shall be thine.

Say not: I will return evil: wait for the Lord and he will deliver thee.

Ne dicas: Reddam malum: exspecta Dominum, et liberabit te.

One weight for getting and one for giving, the Lord cannot endure; a false balance is great wrong.

Diverse weights are an abomination before the Lord: a deceitful balance is not good.

Abominatio est apud Dominum pondus et pondus; statera dolosa non est bona.

Every step man takes is of the Lord’s choosing; and thou, poor mortal, wouldst thou plot out thy path?

The steps of man are guided by the Lord: but who is the man that can understand his own way?

A Domino diriguntur gressus viri: quis autem hominum intelligere potest viam suam?

He is trapped, that consecrates his gift in haste; the vow made, repentance comes too late.

It is ruin to a man to devour holy ones, and after vows to retract.

Ruina est homini devorare sanctos, et post vota retractare.

Fan and flail a wise king has for the ill-doer.

A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth over them the wheel.

Dissipat impios rex sapiens, et incurvat super eos fornicem.

Man’s spirit is a lamp the Lord gives, to search out the hidden corners of his being.

The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, which searcheth all the hidden things of the bowels.

Lucerna Domini spiraculum hominis, quæ investigat omnia secreta ventris.

What is a king’s best body-guard? Mercy and faithfulness; on mercy his throne rests.

Mercy and truth preserve the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency.

Misericordia et veritas custodiunt regem, et roboratur clementia thronus ejus.

Youth has strong arms to boast of, old age white hairs for a crown.

The joy of young men is their strength: and the dignity of old men, their grey hairs.

Exsultatio juvenum fortitudo eorum, et dignitas senum canities.

Hurts that bruise cruelly, chastisement felt deep within, are sin’s best remedy.

The blueness of a wound shall wipe away evils: and stripes in the more inward parts of the belly.

Livor vulneris absterget mala, et plagæ in secretioribus ventris.