Si benefeceris, scito cui feceris, et erit gratia in bonis tuis multa.

If thou do good, know to whom thou dost it, and there shall be much thanks for thy good deeds.

Favour if thou grantest, look well to whom thou grantest it; so shall thy favours earn abundant gratitude.

Benefac justo, et invenies retributionem magnam: et si non ab ipso, certe a Domino.

Do good to the just, and thou shalt find great recompense: and if not of him, assuredly of the Lord.

A good turn done to an honest man is well rewarded; if not he, then the Lord will repay thee.

Non est enim ei bene qui assiduus est in malis, et eleemosynas non danti: quoniam et Altissimus odio habet peccatores, et misertus est pœnitentibus.

For there is no good for him that is always occupied in evil, and that giveth no alms: for the Highest hateth sinners, and hath mercy on the penitent.

It goes ill with the man who spends all his time courting the wicked, and alms gives none; does not the most High himself treat sinners as his enemies, never sparing them till they repent?

Da misericordi, et ne suscipias peccatorem: et impiis et peccatoribus reddet vindictam, custodiens eos in diem vindictæ.

Give to the merciful and uphold not the sinner: God will repay vengeance to the ungodly and to sinners, and keep them against the day of vengeance.

… For rebellious sinners he has nothing but punishment, although he may save up the day of their punishing.

Da bono, et non receperis peccatorem.

Give to the good, and receive not a sinner.

Keep thy favours for the kind-hearted, and let the sinners go without their welcome.

Benefac humili, et non dederis impio: prohibe panes illi dari, ne in ipsis potentior te sit:

Do good to the humble, and give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not to him, lest thereby he overmaster thee.

The friendless man deserves thy alms; to the godless give nothing; nay, prevent food reaching him, or he will have the mastery of thee.

nam duplicia mala invenies in omnibus bonis quæcumque feceris illi, quoniam et Altissimus odio habet peccatores, et impiis reddet vindictam.

For thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done to him: for the Highest also hateth sinners, and will repay vengeance to the ungodly.

All his gain will be doubly thy loss; and so it is that the most High both hates sinners and will bring retribution on their impiety.

Non agnoscetur in bonis amicus, et non abscondetur in malis inimicus.

A friend shall not be known in prosperity, and an enemy shall not be hidden in adversity.

Prosperity will not shew thee who are thy friends. In bad times, thy enemies may triumph openly,

In bonis viri, inimici illius in tristitia: et in malitia illius, amicus agnitus est.

In the prosperity of a man, his enemies are grieved: and a friend is known in his adversity.

that till now were grieved at thy good fortune; but it is these bad times will shew thee thy friends too.

Non credas inimico tuo in æternum: sicut enim æramentum æruginat nequitia illius:

Never trust thy enemy: for as a brass pot his wickedness rusteth:

Never trust an enemy; deep as verdigris on copper his malice is ingrained.

et si humiliatus vadat curvus, adjice animum tuum, et custodi te ab illo.

Though he humble himself and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him.

Lout he never so low, look to it well and be on thy guard against him;

Non statuas illum penes te, nec sedeat ad dexteram tuam, ne forte conversus in locum tuum, inquirat cathedram tuam, et in novissimo agnosces verba mea, et in sermonibus meis stimuleris.

Set him not by thee, neither let him sit on thy right hand, lest he turn into thy place, and seek to take thy seat: and at the last thou acknowledge my words, and be pricked with my sayings.

never let him attend on thee, or sit at thy right hand. His eyes are on thy place; a time will come when he will sit where thou sittest, when thou wilt recognize the truth of my warning, and be stung by the memory.

Quis miserebitur incantatori a serpente percusso, et omnibus qui appropiant bestiis? et sic qui comitatur cum viro iniquo, et obvolutus est in peccatis ejus.

Who will pity an enchanter struck by a serpent, or any that come near wild beasts? so is it with him that keepeth company with a wicked man, and is involved in his sins.

Who shall pity snake-charmer or beast-tamer if he takes hurt? And he deserves no less, who consorts with rogues and is entangled in their sinful ways.

Una hora tecum permanebit: si autem declinaveris, non supportabit.

For an hour he will abide with thee: but if thou begin to decline, he will not endure it.

This false friend will be thy companion for an hour, then, if thou art for altering thy course, he will not hear of it;

In labiis suis indulcat inimicus, et in corde suo insidiatur ut subvertat te in foveam.

An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he lieth in wait, to throw thee into a pit.

all those honeyed words do but mask a plot to lure thee into some ditch.

In oculis suis lacrimatur inimicus, et si invenerit tempus, non satiabitur sanguine.

An enemy weepeth with his eyes: but if he find an opportunity he will not be satisfied with blood:

How he weeps for thee, this enemy of thine! Yet, if his chance comes, there will be no glutting him with thy blood;

Et si incurrerint tibi mala, invenies eum illic priorem.

And if evils come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first.

come thou into mischief, he is there already waiting for thee.

In oculis suis lacrimatur inimicus, et quasi adjuvans suffodiet plantas tuas.

An enemy hath tears in his eyes, and while he pretendeth to help thee, will undermine thy feet.

How he weeps for thee, this enemy of thine! If he makes to aid thee, it is only to trip thy heel;

Caput suum movebit, et plaudet manu, et multa susurrans commutabit vultum suum.

He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.

then what mopping and mowing, what clapping of the hands and whispering, what a change of mien!