Fili mi, ne obliviscaris legis meæ, et præcepta mea cor tuum custodiat:

My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.

Forget not then, my son, the teaching I give thee; lock these words of mine close in thy bosom;

longitudinem enim dierum, et annos vitæ, et pacem, apponent tibi.

For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life and peace.

long years they shall bring thee of life well spent, and therewith prosperity.

Misericordia et veritas te non deserant; circumda eas gutturi tuo, et describe in tabulis cordis tui:

Let not mercy and truth leave thee, put them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thy heart:

Two things must never leave thee, kindness and loyalty; be these the seals that hang about thy neck, graven be this inscription with thy heart for tablet;

et invenies gratiam, et disciplinam bonam, coram Deo et hominibus.

And thou shalt find grace and good understanding before God and men.

so both to God and man thou shalt be friend and confidant.

Habe fiduciam in Domino ex toto corde tuo, et ne innitaris prudentiæ tuæ.

Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.

Put all thy heart’s confidence in the Lord, on thy own skill relying never;

In omnibus viis tuis cogita illum, et ipse diriget gressus tuos.

In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.

wilt thou but keep him in thy thoughts wherever thou goest, he will shew thee the straight path.

Ne sis sapiens apud temetipsum; time Deum, et recede a malo:

Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil:

Do not give thyself airs of wisdom; enough that thou shouldst fear God and shun ill-doing;

sanitas quippe erit umbilico tuo, et irrigatio ossium tuorum.

For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones.

here is health for the midmost of thy being, here is sap for the marrow of thy bones.

Honora Dominum de tua substantia, et de primitiis omnium frugum tuarum da ei:

Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits:

Pay the Lord his due with what goods thou hast, letting him share the first-fruits of every crop;

et implebuntur horrea tua saturitate, et vino torcularia tua redundabunt.

And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.

so shall plenty fill thy barn, so shall thy wine-press overflow at the vintage.

Disciplinam Domini, fili mi, ne abjicias, nec deficias cum ab eo corriperis:

My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him:

My son, do not undervalue the correction the Lord sends thee, do not be unmanned when he reproves thy faults.

quem enim diligit Dominus, corripit, et quasi pater in filio complacet sibi.

For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.

It is where he loves that he bestows correction, like a father whose son is dear to him.

Beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam, et qui affluit prudentia.

Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom and is rich in prudence:

Happy the man whose treasure-trove is wisdom, who is rich in discernment;

Melior est acquisitio ejus negotiatione argenti, et auri primi et purissimi fructus ejus.

The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chiefest and purest gold:

silver and finest gold are less profitable in the handling.

Pretiosior est cunctis opibus, et omnia quæ desiderantur huic non valent comparari.

She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared with her.

More rare is it than all things else; no prize thou covetest that can match it.

Longitudo dierum in dextera ejus, et in sinistra illius divitiæ et gloria.

Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.

Long life wisdom holds out to thee in one hand, riches and glory in the other;

Viæ ejus viæ pulchræ, et omnes semitæ illius pacificæ.

Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable.

where she guides, journeying is pleasant, where she points the way, all is peace.

Lignum vitæ est his qui apprehenderint eam, et qui tenuerit eam beatus.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.

Take hold of her, clasp her to thee, and the Tree of Life itself could not make thee more blessed.

Dominus sapientia fundavit terram; stabilivit cælos prudentia.

The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.

Not without these, wisdom and discernment, the Lord based earth, the Lord framed heaven;

Sapientia illius eruperunt abyssi, et nubes rore concrescunt.

By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.

not without skill of his did the waters well up from beneath us, or the dews fall in mist.

Fili mi, ne effluant hæc ab oculis tuis. Custodi legem atque consilium,

My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:

My son, never lose sight of what I am telling thee; cling to the wholesome dictates of prudence,

et erit vita animæ tuæ, et gratia faucibus tuis.

And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.

that will quicken life within thee, sparkle like jewels on thy breast.

Tunc ambulabis fiducialiter in via tua, et pes tuus non impinget.

Then shalt thou walk confidently in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble:

Securely thou shalt walk, with no fear of stumbling,

Si dormieris, non timebis; quiesces, et suavis erit somnus tuus.

If thou sleep, thou shalt not fear: thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

fearlessly thou shalt lie down to rest, and enjoy untroubled sleep;

Ne paveas repentino terrore, et irruentes tibi potentias impiorum.

Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.

let no sudden alarm affright thee, though godless enemies press thee hard;

Dominus enim erit in latere tuo, et custodiet pedem tuum, ne capiaris.

For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.

the Lord will be at thy side, and keep thy feet clear of the snares they lay for thee.

Noli prohibere benefacere eum qui potest: si vales, et ipse benefac.

Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.

Suffer him to do kindness who may, and thou thyself, when thou mayest, do kindness;

Ne dicas amico tuo: Vade, et revertere: cras dabo tibi: cum statim possis dare.

Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and to morrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.

never bid a friend come back tomorrow for the gift that might be made to-day.

Ne moliaris amico tuo malum, cum ille in te habeat fiduciam.

Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.

Never plot harm against the friend that suspects no harm of thee,

Ne contendas adversus hominem frustra, cum ipse tibi nihil mali fecerit.

Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.

or pick a quarrel with one who has done thee no injury.

Ne æmuleris hominem injustum, nec imiteris vias ejus:

Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:

Do not envy the prosperity of the wrong-doer, and be led away by his example;

quia abominatio Domini est omnis illusor, et cum simplicibus sermocinatio ejus.

For every mocker is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is with the simple.

knavery the Lord hates, and keeps for honest men his familiar friendship.

Egestas a Domino in domo impii; habitacula autem justorum benedicentur.

Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed.

Still on the home of the wicked the Lord’s ban falls, his blessing where uprightness dwells;

Ipse deludet illusores, et mansuetis dabit gratiam.

He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.

he laughs at the mocker, grants his favours to the humble,

Gloriam sapientes possidebunt; stultorum exaltatio ignominia.

The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.

and the wise shall win renown; only to their shame are fools exalted.