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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Homo homini reservat iram, et a Deo quærit medelam:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember thy last things, and let enmity cease:

Memento novissimorum, et desine inimicari:

Look to thy last end, and leave thy quarrelling;

For corruption and death hang over in his commandments.

tabitudo enim et mors imminent in mandatis ejus.

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

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

Memorare timorem Dei, et non irascaris proximo.

Thy God fear, thy neighbour forgive;

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

Memorare testamentum Altissimi, et despice ignorantiam proximi.

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

Refrain from strife, and thou shalt diminish thy sins.

Abstine te a lite, et minues peccata.

Keep clear of quarrelling, and sin shall less abound.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Susurro et bilinguis maledictus, multos enim turbabit pacem habentes.

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

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

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

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

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

Civitates muratas divitum destruxit, et domus magnatorum effodit.

how many rich cities dismantled, great houses demolished,

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

Virtutes populorum concidit, et gentes fortes dissolvit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Flagelli plaga livorem facit: plaga autem linguæ comminuet ossa.

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

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

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

the sword has killed many, the tongue more.

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.

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

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

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

that yoke of iron, those chains of bronze!

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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;

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.

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

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.