He that will be avenged brings on himself the Lord’s vengeance; watch and ward shall be kept over his sins continually.

Qui vindicari vult, a Domino inveniet vindictam, et peccata illius servans servabit.

He that seeketh to revenge himself, shall find vengeance from the Lord, and he will surely keep his sins in remembrance.

Forgive thy neighbour his fault, and for thy own sins thy prayer shall win pardon;

Relinque proximo tuo nocenti te, et tunc deprecanti tibi peccata solventur.

Forgive thy neighbour if he hath hurt thee: and then shall thy sins be forgiven to thee when thou prayest.

should man bear man a grudge, and yet look to the Lord for healing?

Homo homini reservat iram, et a Deo quærit medelam:

Man to man reserveth anger, and doth he seek remedy of God?

Should he refuse mercy to his fellow-man, yet ask forgiveness,

in hominem similem sibi non habet misericordiam, et de peccatis suis deprecatur.

He hath no mercy on a man like himself, and doth he entreat for his own sins?

should he think to appease God, while he, a mortal man, is obdurate? Who shall plead for his acquittal?

Ipse cum caro sit reservat iram, et propitiationem petit a Deo: quis exorabit pro delictis illius?

He that is but flesh, nourisheth anger, and doth he ask forgiveness of God? who shall obtain pardon for his sins?

Look to thy last end, and leave thy quarrelling;

Memento novissimorum, et desine inimicari:

Remember thy last things, and let enmity cease:

with the grave’s corruption God’s commandments threaten thee.

tabitudo enim et mors imminent in mandatis ejus.

For corruption and death hang over in his commandments.

Thy God fear, thy neighbour forgive;

Memorare timorem Dei, et non irascaris proximo.

Remember the fear of God, and be not angry with thy neighbour.

the covenant of the most High remember, thy neighbour’s slip forget.

Memorare testamentum Altissimi, et despice ignorantiam proximi.

Remember the covenant of the most High, and overlook the ignorance of thy neighbour.

Keep clear of quarrelling, and sin shall less abound.

Abstine te a lite, et minues peccata.

Refrain from strife, and thou shalt diminish thy sins.

Quick temper sets feuds a-raging, and wicked men there are that will embroil fast friends, and stir up strife among folk that lived at peace.

Homo enim iracundus incendit litem, et vir peccator turbabit amicos, et in medio pacem habentium immittet inimicitiam.

For a passionate man kindleth strife, and a sinful man will trouble his friends, and bring in debate in the midst of them that are at peace.

More fuel, more fire; strong man will rage the more, rich man push his vengeance further.

Secundum enim ligna silvæ sic ignis exardescit: et secundum virtutem hominis sic iracundia illius erit, et secundum substantiam suam exaltabit iram suam.

For as the wood of the forest is, so the fire burneth, and as a man’s strength is, so shall his anger be, and according to his riches he shall increase his anger.

Heat is gendered by the haste of rivalry, and bloodshed by hot blood; but it is tongue of witness that brings death.

Certamen festinatum incendit ignem, et lis festinans effundit sanguinem: et lingua testificans adducit mortem.

A hasty contention kindleth a fire: and a hasty quarrel sheddeth blood: and a tongue that beareth witness bringeth death.

Spark blown upon will blaze, spat upon will die out; see how of both the mouth is arbiter!

Si sufflaveris in scintillam, quasi ignis exardebit: et si exspueris super illam, extinguetur: utraque ex ore proficiscuntur.

If thou blow the spark, it shall burn as a fire: and if thou spit upon it, it shall be quenched: both come out of the mouth.

A curse on every tale-bearer and traducer that disturbs the world’s peace!

Susurro et bilinguis maledictus, multos enim turbabit pacem habentes.

The whisperer and the double tongue is accursed: for he hath troubled many that were at peace.

Tongue that comes between two friends, how many it has exiled, sent them to wander far away,

Lingua tertia multos commovit, et dispersit illos de gente in gentem.

The tongue of a third person hath disquieted many, and scattered them from nation to nation.

how many rich cities dismantled, great houses demolished,

Civitates muratas divitum destruxit, et domus magnatorum effodit.

It hath destroyed the strong cities of the rich, and hath overthrown the houses of great men.

what armies it has routed, what proud nations brought to ruin,

Virtutes populorum concidit, et gentes fortes dissolvit.

It hath cut in pieces the forces of people, and undone strong nations.

what noble women it has driven out from their homes, and left all their toil unrewarded!

Lingua tertia mulieres viratas ejecit, et privavit illas laboribus suis.

The tongue of a third person hath cast out valiant women, and deprived them of their labours.

Pay heed to it, and thou shalt never rest more, never find friend in whom thou canst trust.

Qui respicit illam non habebit requiem, nec habebit amicum in quo requiescat.

He that hearkeneth to it, shall never have rest, neither shall he have a friend in whom he may repose.

Whip that lashes does but bruise the skin; tongue that lashes will break bones;

Flagelli plaga livorem facit: plaga autem linguæ comminuet ossa.

The stroke of a whip maketh a blue mark: but the stroke of the tongue will break the bones.

the sword has killed many, the tongue more.

Multi ceciderunt in ore gladii: sed non sic quasi qui interierunt per linguam suam.

Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not so many as have perished by their own tongue.

Blessed is he that is preserved from the tongue’s wickedness, that has never felt its fury, never borne its yoke or worn its chains;

Beatus qui tectus est a lingua nequam, qui in iracundiam illius non transivit, et qui non attraxit jugum illius, et in vinculis ejus non est ligatus:

Blessed is he that is defended from a wicked tongue, that hath not passed into the wrath thereof, and that hath not drawn the yoke thereof, and hath not been bound in its bands.

that yoke of iron, those chains of bronze!

jugum enim illius jugum ferreum est, et vinculum illius vinculum æreum est;

For its yoke is a yoke of iron: and its bands are bands of brass.

Here is death worse than death itself, here is loss the grave cannot outvie.

mors illius mors nequissima: et utilis potius infernus quam illa.

The death thereof is a most evil death: and hell is preferable to it.

Not for ever shall its reign persist, but where wicked men go it still follows; the just it cannot consume,

Perseverantia illius non permanebit, sed obtinebit vias injustorum, et in flamma sua non comburet justos.

Its continuance shall not be for a long time, but it shall possess the ways of the unjust: and the just shall not be burnt with its flame.

but if thou forsake God thou shalt encounter it, a fire that burns thee and will not be quenched, an assault more perilous than assault of lion or pard.

Qui relinquunt Deum incident in illam, et exardebit in illis, et non extinguetur, et immittetur in illos quasi leo, et quasi pardus lædet illos.

They that forsake God shall fall into it, and it shall burn in them, and shall not be quenched, and it shall be sent upon them as a lion, and as a leopard it shall tear them.

Fence thy ears about with thorns, and give the wicked tongue no hearing; make fast thy mouth with bolt and bar.

Sepi aures tuas spinis: linguam nequam noli audire: et ori tuo facito ostia et seras.

Hedge in thy ears with thorns, hear not a wicked tongue, and make doors and bars to thy mouth.

Melt down gold and silver of thine, and get thee a balance that shall weigh thy words, a bridle that shall be the rule of thy mouth;

Aurum tuum et argentum tuum confla, et verbis tuis facito stateram, et frenos ori tuo rectos:

Melt down thy gold and silver, and make a balance for thy words, and a just bridle for thy mouth:

do all that lies in thee to keep thy tongue from speaking amiss, lest lurking enemies triumph over thy ruin, the fatal and final ruin that shall be thine.

et attende ne forte labaris in lingua, et cadas in conspectu inimicorum insidiantium tibi, et sit casus tuus insanabilis in mortem.

And take heed lest thou slip with thy tongue, and fall in the sight of thy enemies who lie in wait for thee, and thy fall be incurable unto death.