The Book of Proverbs — Liber Proverbiorum
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Chapter 20
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Douay-Rheims><Vulgate><Knox Bible
1
Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous: whosoever is delighted therewith shall not be wise.
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Luxuriosa res vinum, et tumultuosa ebrietas: quicumque his delectatur non erit sapiens.
1
A reckless counsellor is wine, strong drink a riotous friend; the man who is swayed by these, call not wise.
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As the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king: he that provoketh him, sinneth against his own soul.
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Sicut rugitus leonis, ita et terror regis: qui provocat eum peccat in animam suam.
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Beware of the king’s power, as of lion roaring; challenge it, and thy life is forfeit.
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It is an honour for a man to separate himself from quarrels: but all fools are meddling with reproaches.
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Honor est homini qui separat se a contentionibus; omnes autem stulti miscentur contumeliis.
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Well may he boast, that keeps clear of strife; every fool will be quarrelling.
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Because of the cold the sluggard would not plough: he shall beg therefore in the summer, and it shall not be given him.
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Propter frigus piger arare noluit; mendicabit ergo æstate, et non dabitur illi.
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Too cold to plough, says Sloth; vainly, when harvest comes, he will go a-begging.
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Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water: but a wise man will draw it out.
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Sicut aqua profunda, sic consilium in corde viri; sed homo sapiens exhauriet illud.
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Prudent counsel is a well buried deep in man’s heart; but the wise know how to draw from it.
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Many men are called merciful: but who shall find a faithful man?
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Multi homines misericordes vocantur; virum autem fidelem quis inveniet?
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Many there are that pass for kindly souls, but a faithful friend is hard to come by.
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The just that walketh in his simplicity, shall leave behind him blessed children.
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Justus qui ambulat in simplicitate sua beatos post se filios derelinquet.
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An upright man that goes armed with honest intent, leaves a blessing to his children.
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The king, that sitteth on the throne of judgment, scattereth away all evil with his look.
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Rex qui sedet in solio judicii dissipat omne malum intuitu suo.
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Let a king rule justly, wrong-doing shall be winnowed away under his scrutiny.
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Who can say: My heart is clean, I am pure from sin?
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Quis potest dicere: Mundum est cor meum; purus sum a peccato?
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Who dares to boast, My heart is unsullied now, I have cleansed myself of every fault?
10
Diverse weights and diverse measures, both are abominable before God.
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Pondus et pondus, mensura et mensura: utrumque abominabile est apud Deum.
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One balance for getting and one for giving, one yard-wand for selling and one for buying, the Lord will not endure.
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By his inclinations a child is known, if his works be clean and right.
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Ex studiis suis intelligitur puer, si munda et recta sint opera ejus.
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Watch a boy even at his play, thou canst tell whether his heart is pure and true.
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The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made them both.
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Aurem audientem, et oculum videntem: Dominus fecit utrumque.
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The ear that listens, the watchful eye, are both of the Lord’s fashioning.
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Love not sleep, lest poverty oppress thee: open thy eyes, and be filled with bread.
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Noli diligere somnum, ne te egestas opprimat: aperi oculos tuos, et saturare panibus.
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Love not thy sleep, or poverty will overtake thee unawares; the open eye means a full belly.
14
It is nought, it is nought, saith every buyer: and when he is gone away, then he will boast.
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Malum est, malum est, dicit omnis emptor; et cum recesserit, tunc gloriabitur.
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A poor thing, says the buyer, a poor thing! Then off he goes, and boasts of it.
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There is gold, and a multitude of jewels: but the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel.
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Est aurum et multitudo gemmarum, et vas pretiosum labia scientiæ.
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Gold thou mayst have in abundance, and jewels a many, but the finest ware of all is wise speech.
16
Take away the garment of him that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge from him for strangers.
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Tolle vestimentum ejus qui fidejussor extitit alieni, et pro extraneis aufer pignus ab eo.
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Does a man go bail for a stranger? Without more ado, take his garment from him; who trusts without knowledge, forfeits the pledge.
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The bread of lying is sweet to a man: but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
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Suavis est homini panis mendacii, et postea implebitur os ejus calculo.
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Ill-gotten wealth is bread most appetizing, that will yet turn to grit in the mouth.
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Designs are strengthened by counsels: and wars are to be managed by governments.
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Cogitationes consiliis roborantur, et gubernaculis tractanda sunt bella.
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Counsel is the sure buttress of determination; wars must ever be won by statecraft.
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Meddle not with him that revealeth secrets, and walketh deceitfully, and openeth wide his lips.
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Ei qui revelat mysteria, et ambulat fraudulenter, et dilatat labia sua, ne commiscearis.
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With the whisperer, that goes about open-mouthed on his errand of gossip, never throw in thy lot.
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He that curseth his father, and mother, his lamp shall be put out in the midst of darkness.
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Qui maledicit patri suo et matri, extinguetur lucerna ejus in mediis tenebris:
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In deepest night the lamp of his hopes shall be quenched, that turns upon father or mother with a curse.
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The inheritance gotten hastily in the beginning, in the end shall be without a blessing.
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hæreditas ad quam festinatur in principio, in novissimo benedictione carebit.
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The inheritance too soon come by, too late thou shalt find unblessed.
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Say not: I will return evil: wait for the Lord and he will deliver thee.
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Ne dicas: Reddam malum: exspecta Dominum, et liberabit te.
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Never promise thyself vengeance; await the Lord’s hour, and redress shall be thine.
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Diverse weights are an abomination before the Lord: a deceitful balance is not good.
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Abominatio est apud Dominum pondus et pondus; statera dolosa non est bona.
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One weight for getting and one for giving, the Lord cannot endure; a false balance is great wrong.
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The steps of man are guided by the Lord: but who is the man that can understand his own way?
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A Domino diriguntur gressus viri: quis autem hominum intelligere potest viam suam?
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Every step man takes is of the Lord’s choosing; and thou, poor mortal, wouldst thou plot out thy path?
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It is ruin to a man to devour holy ones, and after vows to retract.
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Ruina est homini devorare sanctos, et post vota retractare.
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He is trapped, that consecrates his gift in haste; the vow made, repentance comes too late.
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A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth over them the wheel.
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Dissipat impios rex sapiens, et incurvat super eos fornicem.
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Fan and flail a wise king has for the ill-doer.
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The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, which searcheth all the hidden things of the bowels.
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Lucerna Domini spiraculum hominis, quæ investigat omnia secreta ventris.
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Man’s spirit is a lamp the Lord gives, to search out the hidden corners of his being.
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Mercy and truth preserve the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency.
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Misericordia et veritas custodiunt regem, et roboratur clementia thronus ejus.
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What is a king’s best body-guard? Mercy and faithfulness; on mercy his throne rests.
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The joy of young men is their strength: and the dignity of old men, their grey hairs.
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Exsultatio juvenum fortitudo eorum, et dignitas senum canities.
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Youth has strong arms to boast of, old age white hairs for a crown.
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The blueness of a wound shall wipe away evils: and stripes in the more inward parts of the belly.
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Livor vulneris absterget mala, et plagæ in secretioribus ventris.
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Hurts that bruise cruelly, chastisement felt deep within, are sin’s best remedy.