The Book of Proverbs — Liber Proverbiorum
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Chapter 26
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Vulgate><Douay-Rheims><Knox Bible
1
Quomodo nix in æstate, et pluviæ in messe, sic indecens est stulto gloria.
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As snow in summer, and rain in harvest, so glory is not seemly for a fool.
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As well snow in summer or rain in harvest, as honour paid to a fool.
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Sicut avis ad alia transvolans, et passer quolibet vadens, sic maledictum frustra prolatum in quempiam superveniet.
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As a bird flying to other places, and a sparrow going here or there: so a curse uttered without cause shall come upon a man.
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Light as a bird of passage, light as sparrow on the wing, the curse that is undeserved shall reach thee.
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Flagellum equo, et camus asino, et virga in dorso imprudentium.
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A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod for the back of fools.
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Whip for horse, bridle for ass, and never a rod for the fool’s back?
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Ne respondeas stulto juxta stultitiam suam, ne efficiaris ei similis.
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Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be made like him.
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Leave the fool’s challenge unanswered, and prove thyself wise;
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Responde stulto juxta stultitiam suam, ne sibi sapiens esse videatur.
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Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.
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or answer it, if thou wilt, and prove him fool.
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Claudus pedibus, et iniquitatem bibens, qui mittit verba per nuntium stultum.
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He that sendeth words by a foolish messenger, is lame of feet and drinketh iniquity.
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Send a fool on thy errand, thou hast a lame journey, and mischief brewing for thee.
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Quomodo pulchras frustra habet claudus tibias, sic indecens est in ore stultorum parabola.
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As a lame man hath fair legs in vain: so a parable is unseemly in the mouth of fools.
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Give a fool leave to speak, it is all fair legs and no walking.
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Sicut qui mittit lapidem in acervum Mercurii, ita qui tribuit insipienti honorem.
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As he that casteth a stone into the heap of Mercury: so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
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Pay a fool reverence, thou hast wasted one more stone on Mercury’s cairn.
9
Quomodo si spina nascatur in manu temulenti, sic parabola in ore stultorum.
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As if a thorn should grow in the hand of a drunkard: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
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Speech fits as well in a fool’s mouth as branch of bramble in the hand of a drunkard.
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Judicium determinat causas, et qui imponit stulto silentium iras mitigat.
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Judgment determineth causes: and he that putteth a fool to silence, appeaseth anger.
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The law settles quarrels at last, yet silence the fool, and feud there shall be none.
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Sicut canis qui revertitur ad vomitum suum, sic imprudens qui iterat stultitiam suam.
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As a dog that returneth to his vomit, so is the fool that repeateth his folly.
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Like a dog at his vomit, the fool goes back ever to his own folly.
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Vidisti hominem sapientem sibi videri? magis illo spem habebit insipiens.
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Hast thou seen a man wise in his own conceit? there shall be more hope of a fool than of him.
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Who is in more perilous case than the fool himself? The man who lays claim to wisdom.
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Dicit piger: Leo est in via, et leæna in itineribus.
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The slothful man saith: There is a lion in the way, and a lioness in the roads.
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What, go abroad? says Sloth; there is a lion there; trust me, a lion’s dam loose in the street.
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Sicut ostium vertitur in cardine suo, ita piger in lectulo suo.
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As the door turneth upon its hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
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Sloth turns about, but keeps his bed, true as the door to its hinge.
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Abscondit piger manum sub ascella sua, et laborat si ad os suum eam converterit.
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The slothful hideth his hand under his armpit, and it grieveth him to turn it to his mouth.
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With folded hands the sluggard sits by, too idle to put hand to mouth.
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Sapientior sibi piger videtur septem viris loquentibus sententias.
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The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit, than seven men that speak sentences.
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Wiser than seven sages is the sluggard in his own thought.
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Sicut qui apprehendit auribus canem, sic qui transit impatiens et commiscetur rixæ alterius.
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As he that taketh a dog by the ears, so is he that passeth by in anger, and meddleth with another man’s quarrel.
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Better pull a dog by the ears than meddle in another’s quarrels; pass on in quiet.
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Sicut noxius est qui mittit sagittas et lanceas in mortem,
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As he is guilty that shooteth arrows, and lances unto death:
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No excuse he finds, that deadly brand and arrow casts about him;
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ita vir fraudulenter nocet amico suo, et cum fuerit deprehensus dicit: Ludens feci.
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So is the man that hurteth his friend deceitfully: and when he is taken, saith: I did it in jest.
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nor he either, that hurts a friend by treachery and pleads that it was done in jest.
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Cum defecerint ligna extinguetur ignis, et susurrone subtracto, jurgia conquiescent.
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When the wood faileth, the fire shall go out: and when the talebearer is taken away, contentions shall cease.
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No fuel, no fire; no tell-tale, no quarrel.
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Sicut carbones ad prunas, et ligna ad ignem, sic homo iracundus suscitat rixas.
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As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, so an angry man stirreth up strife.
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Coal needs ember, and fire tinder, and strife a quarreller, for their kindling.
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Verba susurronis quasi simplicia, et ipsa perveniunt ad intima ventris.
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The words of a talebearer are as it were simple, but they reach to the innermost parts of the belly.
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Innocent enough seem the words of the backbiter, yet their poison sinks deep into a man’s belly.
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Quomodo si argento sordido ornare velis vas fictile, sic labia tumentia cum pessimo corde sociata.
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Swelling lips joined with a corrupt heart, are like an earthen vessel adorned with silver dross.
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When the heart is wicked, fine talk is but lustre ware.
24
Labiis suis intelligitur inimicus, cum in corde tractaverit dolos.
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An enemy is known by his lips, when in his heart he entertaineth deceit.
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The enemy that has treacherous thoughts is betrayed by his friendly talk;
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Quando submiserit vocem suam, ne credideris ei, quoniam septem nequitiæ sunt in corde illius.
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When he shall speak low, trust him not: because there are seven mischiefs in his heart.
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trust him not when he speaks thee fair; here are seven depths of wickedness in a single heart.
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Qui operit odium fraudulenter, revelabitur malitia ejus in consilio.
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He that covereth hatred deceitfully, his malice shall be laid open in the public assembly.
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Vain the pretences that cloak his malice; before the whole assembly it shall be made known;
27
Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui volvit lapidem revertetur ad eum.
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He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that rolleth a stone, it shall return to him.
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dig pit, and thou shalt fall into it, shift rock, and it shall roll back on thee.
28
Lingua fallax non amat veritatem, et os lubricum operatur ruinas.
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A deceitful tongue loveth not truth: and a slippery mouth worketh ruin.
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Fie on the glib tongues that hate all honesty, the treacherous lips that plot men’s downfall!