Timenti Dominum non occurrent mala: sed in tentatione Deus illum conservabit, et liberabit a malis. Sapiens non odit mandata et justitias,

No evils shall happen to him that feareth the Lord, but in temptation God will keep him, and deliver him from evils.

If a man fears the Lord, he shall meet with no disaster; God will be watching over him, even when his faith is put to the test, and from such disaster will preserve him.

et non illidetur quasi in procella navis.

A wise man hateth not the commandments and justices, and he shall not be dashed in pieces as a ship in a storm.

A wise man does not grow weary of the law, and the duties it enjoins, and no shipwreck can befall him.

Homo sensatus credit legi Dei, et lex illi fidelis.

A man of understanding is faithful to the law of God, and the law is faithful to him.

If thou art a man of judgement, thou hast only to trust God’s commandment, and it will not fail thee;

Qui interrogationem manifestat parabit verbum, et sic deprecatus exaudietur: et conservabit disciplinam, et tunc respondebit.

He that cleareth up a question, shall prepare what to say, and so having prayed he shall be heard, and shall keep discipline, and then he shall answer.

… giving a true answer to the question asked … thou wilt prepare thy plea, and find audience for thy prayer; wilt recollect the teaching given thee, and so satisfy thy questioner.

Præcordia fatui quasi rota carri, et quasi axis versatilis cogitatus illius.

The heart of a fool is as a wheel of a cart: and his thoughts are like a rolling axletree.

A fool’s heart is but a wheel that turns; his are whirling thoughts.

Equus emissarius, sic et amicus subsannator: sub omni supra sedente hinnit.

A friend that is a mocker, is like a stallion horse: he neigheth under every one that sitteth upon him.

Hast thou a friend that will ever be mocking? Be comforted; stallion will ever neigh, ride him who will.

Quare dies diem superat, et iterum lux lucem, et annus annum a sole?

Why doth one day excel another, and one light another, and one year another year, when all come of the sun?

Why is it that one day which dawns, one year, takes precedence of another, when all come of the same sun?

A Domini scientia separati sunt, facto sole, et præceptum custodiente.

By the knowledge of the Lord they were distinguished, the sun being made, and keeping his commandment.

God’s wisdom it was that so set them apart when he made the sun, and gave it a law to keep;

Et immutavit tempora, et dies festos ipsorum, et in illis dies festos celebraverunt ad horam.

And he ordered the seasons, and holidays of them, and in them they celebrated festivals at an hour.

made a succession of seasons, a succession of feast days, when at stated times men must keep holiday.

Ex ipsis exaltavit et magnificavit Deus, et ex ipsis posuit in numerum dierum: et omnes homines de solo et ex terra unde creatus est Adam.

Some of them God made high and great days, and some of them he put in the number of ordinary days. And all men are from the ground, and out of the earth, from whence Adam was created.

To some he would assign high dignity; others should be lost in the common rabble of days. So it is that all men are built of the same clay; son of Adam is son of earth;

In multitudine disciplinæ Dominus separavit eos, et immutavit vias eorum.

With much knowledge the Lord hath divided them and diversified their ways.

yet the Lord, in the plenitude of his wisdom, has marked them off from one another, not giving the same destiny to each.

Ex ipsis benedixit et exaltavit, et ex ipsis sanctificavit, et ad se applicavit, et ex ipsis maledixit, et humiliavit, et convertit illos a separatione ipsorum.

Some of them hath he blessed, and exalted: and some of them hath he sanctified, and set near himself: and some of them hath he cursed and brought low, and turned them from their station.

For some, his blessing; he will advance them, will set them apart and claim them as his own. For some, his ban; he will bring them low, and single them out no more.

Quasi lutum figuli in manu ipsius, plasmare illud et disponere.

As the potter’s clay is in his hand, to fashion and order it:

Clay we are in the potter’s hands; it is for him who made us to dispose of us;

Omnes viæ ejus secundum dispositionem ejus: sic homo in manu illius qui se fecit, et reddet illi secundum judicium suum.

All his ways are according to his ordering: so man is in the hand of him that made him, and he will render to him according to his judgment.

clay is what potter wills it to be, and we are in our maker’s hands, to be dealt with at his pleasure.

Contra malum bonum est, et contra mortem vita: sic et contra virum justum peccator, et sic intuere in omnia opera Altissimi, duo et duo, et unum contra unum.

Good is set against evil, and life against death: so also is the sinner against a just man. And so look upon all the works of the most High. Two and two, and one against another.

Evil matched with good, life matched with death, sinner matched with man of piety; so everywhere in God’s works thou wilt find pairs matched, one against the other.

Et ego novissimus evigilavi, et quasi qui colligit acinos post vindemiatores.

And I awaked last of all, and as one that gathereth after the grapegatherers.

Think of me as one that has toiled last of all, and goes about gleaning a fruit here, a fruit there, after the vintagers have done.

In benedictione Dei et ipse speravi, et quasi qui vindemiat replevi torcular.

In the blessing of God I also have hoped: and as one that gathereth grapes, have I filled the winepress.

Yet did I trust that I, too, might have God’s blessing, and I, too, have filled the wine-press, a vintager like the rest.

Respicite quoniam non mihi soli laboravi, sed omnibus exquirentibus disciplinam.

See that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all that seek discipline.

See how I have toiled, not for my own sake merely, but for all such as covet wisdom!

Audite me, magnates et omnes populi: et rectores ecclesiæ, auribus percipite.

Hear me, ye great men, and all ye people, and hearken with your ears, ye rulers of the church.

Words for the hearing of all, high and low; you that hold high place in the assembly, never disdain to listen.

Filio et mulieri, fratri et amico, non des potestatem super te in vita tua: et non dederis alii possessionem tuam, ne forte pœniteat te, et depreceris pro illis.

Give not to son or wife, brother or friend, power over thee while thou livest; and give not thy estate to another, lest thou repent, and thou entreat for the same.

Long as thou livest, do not put thyself in the power of others, though it be son or wife, kinsman or friend; do not make over thy goods to another; it is ill to go a-begging for what is thy own.

Dum adhuc superes et aspiras, non immutabit te omnis caro.

As long as thou livest, and hast breath in thee, let no man change thee.

While life and breath is in thee, never change places with another;

Melius est enim ut filii tui te rogent, quam te respicere in manus filiorum tuorum.

For it is better that thy children should ask of thee, than that thou look toward the hands of thy children.

it is for thy children to ask thee for what they need, not to have thyself for their pensioner.

In omnibus operibus tuis præcellens esto.

In all thy works keep the pre-eminence.

Be at the head of thy own affairs,

Ne dederis maculam in gloria tua. In die consummationis dierum vitæ tuæ, et in tempore exitus tui, distribue hæreditatem tuam.

Let no stain sully thy glory. In the time when thou shalt end the days of thy life, and in the time of thy decease, distribute thy inheritance.

nor ever tarnish thy renown, until thy days are finished; then, at the hour of thy death, make thy bequests.

Cibaria, et virga, et onus asino: panis, et disciplina, et opus servo.

Fodder, and a wand, and a burden are for an ass: bread, and correction, and work for a slave.

Fodder thy ass must have, and the whip, and a pack to bear; thy slave, too, needs food and discipline and hard work.

Operatur in disciplina, et quærit requiescere: laxa manus illi, et quærit libertatem.

He worketh under correction, and seeketh to rest: let his hands be idle, and he seeketh liberty.

Under duress he toils, what marvel if ease should tempt him? Leave his hands idle, and he will seek to be his own master.

Jugum et lorum curvant collum durum, et servum inclinant operationes assiduæ.

The yoke and the thong bend a stiff neck, and continual labours bow a slave.

The stubborn ox yoke and rein will subdue; slave held to his task is slave bowed to thy will;

Servo malevolo tortura et compedes: mitte illum in operationem, ne vacet:

Torture and fetters are for a malicious slave: send him to work, that he be not idle:

keep rack and stocks for one that is bent on mischief. To the task, no hours of leisure!

multam enim malitiam docuit otiositas.

For idleness hath taught much evil.

Idleness is a great teacher of ill habit.

In opera constitue eum: sic enim condecet illum. Quod si non obaudierit, curva illum compedibus, et non amplifices super omnem carnem: verum sine judicio nihil facias grave.

Set him to work: for so it is fit for him. And if he be not obedient, bring him down with fetters, but be not excessive towards any one: and do no grievous thing without judgment.

Toil first assign to him; toiling is his lot; then, if he disobeys thee, with the stocks thou mayst tame him. Yet do not burden flesh and blood more than it can bear, nor inflict more than lawful punishment while the plea is still unheard.

Si est tibi servus fidelis, sit tibi quasi anima tua: quasi fratrem sic eum tracta, quoniam in sanguine animæ comparasti illum.

If thou have a faithful servant, let him be to thee as thy own soul: treat him as a brother: because in the blood of thy soul thou hast gotten him.

Faithful slave if thou hast, make much of him as of thy own self; treat him as if he were thy brother, as if thy own life were the price of his purchase.

Si læseris eum injuste, in fugam convertetur:

If thou hurt him unjustly, he will run away:

Wrong him, and he may run away from thy service;

et si extollens discesserit, quem quæras et in qua via quæras illum nescis.

And if he rise up and depart, thou knowest not whom to ask, and in what way to seek him.

once he takes to his heels, who can tell thee where or in what guise thou mayst discover him?