Fili, eleemosynam pauperis ne defraudes, et oculos tuos ne transvertas a paupere.

My son, do not cheat a poor man of the alms he asks, nor pass him by, with averted look, in his need.

Son, defraud not the poor of alms, and turn not away thy eyes from the poor.

Animam esurientem ne despexeris, et non exasperes pauperem in inopia sua.

Wouldst thou despise his hungry glance, and add to the burden of his distress?

Despise not the hungry soul: and provoke not the poor in his want.

Cor inopis ne afflixeris, et non protrahas datum angustianti.

Wouldst thou disappoint him in his bitter need by bidding him wait for the gift?

Afflict not the heart of the needy, and defer not to give to him that is in distress.

Rogationem contribulati ne abjicias, et non avertas faciem tuam ab egeno.

Nay, spurn thou never the plea of the afflicted; look thy suppliant in the face,

Reject not the petition of the afflicted: and turn not away thy face from the needy.

Ab inope ne avertas oculos tuos propter iram: et non relinquas quærentibus tibi retro maledicere.

and of his poverty take good heed; shall his baffled rage curse thee behind thy back?

Turn not away thy eyes from the poor for fear of anger: and leave not to them that ask of thee to curse thee behind thy back.

Maledicentis enim tibi in amaritudine animæ, exaudietur deprecatio illius: exaudiet autem eum qui fecit illum.

The curse of an embittered man does not go unheard; his Maker is listening.

For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of his soul, shall be heard, for he that made him will hear him.

Congregationi pauperum affabilem te facito: et presbytero humilia animam tuam, et magnato humilia caput tuum.

To the common sort of men give friendly welcome; before an elder abate thy pride; and to a man of eminence bow meekly thy head.

Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poor, and humble thy soul to the ancient, and bow thy head to a great man.

Declina pauperi sine tristitia aurem tuam, et redde debitum tuum, et responde illi pacifica in mansuetudine.

If a poor man would speak to thee, lend him thy ear without grudging; give him his due, and let him have patient and friendly answer.

Bow down thy ear cheerfully to the poor, and pay what thou owest, and answer him peaceable words with mildness.

Libera eum qui injuriam patitur de manu superbi, et non acide feras in anima tua.

If he is wronged by oppression, redress thou needs must win him, nor be vexed by his importunity.

Deliver him that suffereth wrong out of the hand of the proud: and be not fainthearted in thy soul.

In judicando esto pupillis misericors ut pater, et pro viro matri illorum:

When thou sittest in judgement, be a father to the orphans, a husband to the widow that bore them;

In judging be merciful to the fatherless as a father, and as a husband to their mother.

et eris tu velut filius Altissimi obediens, et miserebitur tui magis quam mater.

so the most High an obedient son shall reckon thee, and shew thee more than a mother’s kindness.

And thou shalt be as the obedient son of the most High, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother.

Sapientia filiis suis vitam inspirat: et suscipit inquirentes se, et præibit in via justitiæ.

New life wisdom breathes into her children, befriends all that have recourse to her, and guides them in the right way.

Wisdom inspireth life into her children, and protecteth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice.

Et qui illam diligit, diligit vitam, et qui vigilaverint ad illam complectentur placorem ejus.

Love her, as thou lovest life; wait early at her doors, if thou wouldst win her sweet embrace.

And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness.

Qui tenuerint illam, vitam hæreditabunt: et quo introibit benedicet Deus.

Life the prize, if thou hold her fast; come she in at the door, God’s blessing comes with her;

They that hold her fast, shall inherit life: and whithersoever she entereth, God will give a blessing.

Qui serviunt ei obsequentes erunt sancto: et eos qui diligunt illam, diligit Deus.

court paid to her, worship paid to the Holy One; love given to her, God’s love made thine in return for it!

They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy one: and God loveth them that love her.

Qui audit illam judicabit gentes: et qui intuetur illam permanebit confidens.

A word from her, and the world is at thy feet, a sight of her face, and thou shalt dwell ever secure;

He that hearkeneth to her, shall judge nations: and he that looketh upon her, shall remain secure.

Si crediderit ei, hæreditabit illam, et erunt in confirmatione creaturæ illius:

trust her, and she will be thy inheritance, settled on the heirs of thy body.

If he trust to her, he shall inherit her, and his generation shall be in assurance.

quoniam in tentatione ambulat cum eo, et in primis eligit eum.

When first she chooses a man out, she does but make trial of his company;

For she walketh with him in temptation, and at the first she chooseth him.

Timorem, et metum, et probationem inducet super illum: et cruciabit illum in tribulatione doctrinæ suæ, donec tentet eum in cogitationibus suis, et credat animæ illius.

she puts him to the proof, threatening him with her frown, teasing him with her difficult lore, until at last she has proved whether his thoughts are hers, and can trust him perfectly.

She will bring upon him fear and dread and trial: and she will scourge him with the affliction of her discipline, till she try him by her laws, and trust his soul.

Et firmabit illum, et iter adducet directum ad illum, et lætificabit illum:

Then she gives him confidence, coming out openly to meet him; gladdens him with her smile,

Then she will strengthen him, and make a straight way to him, and give him joy,

et denudabit absconsa sua illi, et thesaurizabit super illum scientiam et intellectum justitiæ.

and tells him all her secrets; makes him rich with store of true knowledge, and enables him to discern the right.

And will disclose her secrets to him, and will heap upon him treasures of knowledge and understanding of justice.

Si autem oberraverit, derelinquet eum, et tradet eum in manus inimici sui.

Only if he strays away from her does she abandon him, and leave him at the mercy of his foes.

But if he go astray, she will forsake him, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy.

Fili, conserva tempus, et devita a malo.

My son, study well what the time needs, ever on thy guard against wrong-doing;

Son, observe the time, and fly from evil.

Pro anima tua ne confundaris dicere verum:

though life itself were in peril, never be ashamed to speak the truth.

For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth.

est enim confusio adducens peccatum, et est confusio adducens gloriam et gratiam.

Deference, that is the grace and glory of a man, may yet make a sinner of him.

For there is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace.

Ne accipias faciem adversus faciem tuam, nec adversus animam tuam mendacium.

Wouldst thou hold another man’s honour dearer than thy own, and swear the lie at thy soul’s peril?

Accept no person against thy own person, nor against thy soul a lie.

Ne reverearis proximum tuum in casu suo,

Nay, speak out without shame, though thy own neighbour should be threatened with ruin.

Reverence not thy neighbour in his fall:

nec retineas verbum in tempore salutis. Non abscondas sapientiam tuam in decore suo:

Withhold not thy counsel while safety may yet be won; thy wisdom is not to be hidden away like a veiled beauty.

And refrain not to speak in the time of salvation. Hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.

in lingua enim sapientia dignoscitur: et sensus, et scientia, et doctrina in verbo sensati, et firmamentum in operibus justitiæ.

Wisdom still needs a tongue to disclose it; no discernment or knowledge or shrewd counsel but waits on the apt word; how else should men be encouraged in well doing?

For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and understanding, and knowledge, and learning by the word of the wise, and steadfastness in the works of justice.

Non contradicas verbo veritatis ullo modo, et de mendacio ineruditionis tuæ confundere.

Speak thou never against the known truth; and if thy ignorance has erred, own thy error.

In nowise speak against the truth, but be ashamed of the lie of thy ignorance.

Non confundaris confiteri peccata tua, et ne subjicias te omni homini pro peccato.

Be never ashamed to confess thy faults, nor, for thy fault, put thyself in any man’s power.

Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but submit not thyself to every man for sin.

Noli resistere contra faciem potentis, nec coneris contra ictum fluvii.

Wouldst thou defy, and openly, a ruler’s authority? Thou hadst better swim against the stream’s force.

Resist not against the face of the mighty, and do not strive against the stream of the river.

Pro justitia agonizare pro anima tua, et usque ad mortem certa pro justitia: et Deus expugnabit pro te inimicos tuos.

Do battle for the right, all thy life long, and with thy last breath do battle for the right still; God, in thy cause, will overcome thy enemies.

Strive for justice for thy soul, and even unto death fight for justice, and God will overthrow thy enemies for thee.

Noli citatus esse in lingua tua, et inutilis, et remissus in operibus tuis.

A glib tongue, and hands that hang down idle; such be not thine.

Be not hasty in thy tongue: and slack and remiss in thy works.

Noli esse sicut leo in domo tua, evertens domesticos tuos, et opprimens subjectos tibi.

Lion if thou must be, let not thy own house feel the brunt of it, thy own servants harried, thy own slaves beaten to the earth.

Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household, and oppressing them that are under thee.

Non sit porrecta manus tua ad accipiendum, et ad dandum collecta.

Open hand when the word is Take, shut when the word is Give; such be not thine.

Let not thy hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldst give.