Repeat not the word which thou hast heard, and disclose not the thing that is secret; so shalt thou be truly without confusion, and shalt find favour before all men: be not ashamed of any of these things, and accept no person to sin thereby:

Non duplices sermonem auditus de revelatione sermonis absconditi: et eris vere sine confusione, et invenies gratiam in conspectu omnium hominum. Ne pro his omnibus confundaris, et ne accipias personam ut delinquas:

Nor ever do thou repeat gossip to the betraying of another’s secret. If of such things thou art ashamed, shame thou shalt never feel, and thou shalt have all men’s good word besides. And other dealings there are over which thou must never be abashed, nor, through respect for any human person consent to wrong.

Of the law of the most High, and of his covenant, and of judgment to justify the ungodly:

de lege Altissimi, et testamento, et de judicio justificare impium,

Such are, the law of the most High and his covenant; and right award, that gives the godless his due;

Of the affair of companions and travellers, and of the gift of the inheritance of friends:

de verbo sociorum et viatorum, et de datione hæreditatis amicorum,

a matter between some partner of thine and strangers from far off, the apportioning of an inheritance among thy friends,

Of exactness of balance and weights, of getting much or little:

de æqualitate stateræ et ponderum, de acquisitione multorum et paucorum,

the trueness of weight and balance, profit overmuch or too little,

Of the corruption of buying, and of merchants, and of much correction of children, and to make the side of a wicked slave to bleed.

de corruptione emptionis et negotiatorum, et de multa disciplina filiorum, et servo pessimo latus sanguinare.

the exchange between buyer and seller, the strict punishing of children, the cudgelling of a wicked slave till he bleeds …

Sure keeping is good over a wicked wife.

Super mulierem nequam bonum est signum.

Thriftless wife if thou hast, seal is best.

Where there are many hands, shut up, and deliver all things in number, and weight: and put all in writing that thou givest out or receivest in.

Ubi manus multæ sunt, claude: et quodcumque trades, numera et appende: datum vero et acceptum omne describe.

Where many hands are at work, lock all away; part with nothing, till it be measured and weighed, and of all thy spending and receiving, written record kept …

Be not ashamed to inform the unwise and foolish, and the aged, that are judged by young men: and thou shalt be well instructed in all things, and well approved in the sight of all men living.

De disciplina insensati et fatui, et de senioribus qui judicantur ab adolescentibus: et eris eruditus in omnibus, et probabilis in conspectu omnium vivorum.

Nor be thou abashed, when there is question of chastising reckless folly, and the complaints of old men against the young. So thou shalt shew prudence in all thy dealings, and win the good word of all.

The father waketh for the daughter when no man knoweth, and the care for her taketh away his sleep, when she is young, lest she pass away the flower of her age, and when she is married, lest she should be hateful:

Filia patris abscondita est vigilia, et sollicitudo ejus aufert somnum: ne forte in adolescentia sua adulta efficiatur, et cum viro commorata odibilis fiat:

Daughter to her father is ever hidden anxiety, a care that banishes sleep. Is she young? Then how if age creep on too soon? Is she wed? Then how if her husband should tire of her?

In her virginity, lest she should be corrupted, and be found with child in her father’s house: and having a husband, lest she should misbehave herself, or at the least become barren.

nequando polluatur in virginitate sua, et in paternis suis gravida inveniatur: ne forte cum viro commorata transgrediatur, aut certe sterilis efficiatur.

Is she maid? Then how if she were disgraced, and in her own father’s house brought to bed? Once more, is she wed? Then how if she were false to her husband? How if she prove barren?

Keep a sure watch over a shameless daughter: lest at anytime she make thee become a laughingstock to thy enemies, and a byword in the city, and a reproach among the people, and she make thee ashamed before all the multitude.

Super filiam luxuriosam confirma custodiam, nequando faciat te in opprobrium venire inimicis, a detractione in civitate, et objectione plebis, et confundat te in multitudine populi.

Over wanton daughter of thine thou canst not keep watch too strict; else she will make thee the scorn of thy enemies, the talk of the city; strangers will point the finger at thee, and all the rabble know thy shame.

Behold not everybody’s beauty: and tarry not among women.

Omni homini noli intendere in specie, et in medio mulierum noli commorari:

Gaze not on the beauty of human kind, nor occupy thyself much with women;

For from garments cometh a moth, and from a woman the iniquity of a man.

de vestimentis enim procedit tinea, et a muliere iniquitas viri.

garment breeds moth, and woman wickedness in man.

For better is the iniquity of a man, than a woman doing a good turn, and a woman bringing shame and reproach.

Melior est enim iniquitas viri quam mulier benefaciens, et mulier confundens in opprobrium.

Man’s wickedness is too strong for woman at her best; and a woman that plays thee false brings thee only disgrace.

I will now remember the works of the Lord, and I will declare the things I have seen. By the words of the Lord are his works.

Memor ero igitur operum Domini, et quæ vidi annuntiabo. In sermonibus Domini opera ejus.

Recount we now what things the Lord has made; his visible creation be our theme; nothing he has fashioned but hangs on his word.

The sun giving light hath looked upon all things, and full of the glory of the Lord is his work.

Sol illuminans per omnia respexit, et gloria Domini plenum est opus ejus.

Just as yonder sun that looks down on all gives light to all, so the glory of the Lord shines through all his creation;

Hath not the Lord made the saints to declare all his wonderful works, which the Lord Almighty hath firmly settled to be established for his glory?

Nonne Dominus fecit sanctos enarrare omnia mirabilia sua, quæ confirmavit Dominus omnipotens stabiliri in gloria sua?

how should his faithful servants herald them enough, these marvels of his, enabled by divine omnipotence in that glory to endure?

He hath searched out the deep, and the heart of men: and considered their crafty devices.

Abyssum et cor hominum investigavit, et in astutia eorum excogitavit.

Nothing is hidden from him, the deepest depths of earth or of man’s heart; he knows our most secret designs.

For the Lord knoweth all knowledge, and hath beheld the signs of the world, he declareth the things that are past, and the things that are to come, and revealeth the traces of hidden things.

Cognovit enim Dominus omnem scientiam, et inspexit in signum ævi, annuntians quæ præterierunt et quæ superventura sunt, revelans vestigia occultorum.

All knowledge is his; does he not hold the clue of eternity, making plain what has been and what is yet to be, laying bare the track of hidden things?

No thought escapeth him, and no word can hide itself from him.

Non præterit illum omnis cogitatus, et non abscondit se ab eo ullus sermo.

No thought of ours escapes him, never a whisper goes unheard.

He hath beautified the glorious works of his wisdom: and he is from eternity to eternity, and to him nothing may be added,

Magnalia sapientiæ suæ decoravit, qui est ante sæculum et usque in sæculum: neque adjectum est,

How great the wisdom that so ordered all things, his wisdom who has neither beginning nor end; nothing may be added,

Nor can he be diminished, and he hath no need of any counsellor.

neque minuitur, et non eget alicujus consilio.

nothing taken away from them, nor needs he any man’s counsel.

O how desirable are all his works, and what we can know is but as a spark!

Quam desiderabilia omnia opera ejus! et tamquam scintilla quæ est considerare!

How lovely is all he has made, how dazzling to look upon!

All these things live, and remain for ever, and for every use all things obey him.

Omnia hæc vivunt, et manent in sæculum, et in omni necessitate omnia obaudiunt ei.

Changeless through the ages, all of it lives on, responsive to his calls.

All things are double, one against another, and he hath made nothing defective.

Omnia duplicia, unum contra unum, et non fecit quidquam deesse.

All things he has made in pairs, balanced against one another; never a fault of symmetry;

He hath established the good things of every one. And who shall be filled with beholding his glory?

Uniuscujusque confirmavit bona: et quis satiabitur videns gloriam ejus?

to each one its own well-being assured. His glory contemplating, thou shalt never have thy fill.