| OLD TESTAMENT | NEW TESTAMENT | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The 7 Books | Old Testament History | Wisdom Books | Major Prophets | Minor Prophets | NT History | Epistles of St. Paul | General Writings | |||
| Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuter. Joshua Judges | Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chron. 2 Chron. | Ezra Nehem. Tobit Judith Esther 1 Macc. 2 Macc. | Job Psalms Proverbs Eccles. Songs Wisdom Sirach | Isaiah Jeremiah Lament. Baruch Ezekiel Daniel | Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah | Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi | Matthew Mark Luke John Acts | Romans 1 Corinth. 2 Corinth. Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians | 1 Thess. 2 Thess. 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews | James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation |
| 1 |
1 Do not flatter thyself with hopes of to-morrow; what lies in the womb of the future thou canst not tell. | 1 Ne glorieris in crastinum, ignorans quid superventura pariat dies. |
| 2 ἐγκωμιαζέτω |
2 Seek praise, but not of thy own bestowing; another’s lips, not thine, must sound it. | 2 Laudet te alienus, et non os tuum; extraneus, et non labia tua. |
| 3 |
3 What is more crushing than stone, more burdensome than sand? A fool’s ill humour. 4 Fierce, fierce is rage, and indignation mounts like a flood, but the pangs of jealousy, these there is no resisting. | 3 Grave est saxum, et onerosa arena, sed ira stulti utroque gravior. Ira non habet misericordiam nec erumpens furor, et impetum concitati ferre quis poterit? |
| 5 κρείσσους ἔλεγχοι ἀποκεκαλυμμένοι κρυπτομένης φιλίας 6 ἀξιοπιστότερά ἐστιν τραύματα φίλου ἢ ἑκούσια φιλήματα ἐχθροῦ | 5 Better open reproof than the love that gives no sign. 6 Better the love that scourges, than hate’s false kiss. | 5 Melior est manifesta correptio quam amor absconditus. Meliora sunt vulnera diligentis quam fraudulenta oscula odientis. |
| 7 |
7 Full-fed spurns the honeycomb; to Hunger’s lips, bitter is sweet. | 7 Anima saturata calcabit favum, et anima esuriens etiam amarum pro dulci sumet. |
| 8 ὥσπερ ὅ |
8 When bird leaves nest, let a man leave his home. | 8 Sicut avis transmigrans de nido suo, sic vir qui derelinquit locum suum. |
| 9 μύροις |
9 Sweeter than ointment, sweeter than any perfume, when man’s heart talks to heart of friend. 10 Friend of thine, and friend that was thy father’s, never forsake; so, in thy sore need, no kinsman’s door thou shalt need to enter. Neighbour over the way is better than kinsman at a distance. |
9 Unguento et variis odoribus delectatur cor, et bonis amici consiliis anima dulcoratur. Amicum tuum et amicum patris tui ne dimiseris, et domum fratris tui ne ingrediaris in die afflictionis tuæ. Melior est vicinus juxta quam frater procul. |
| 11 |
11 My son, wouldst thou be thy father’s pride? Court wisdom, and silence thy detractors. | 11 Stude sapientiæ, fili mi, et lætifica cor meum, ut possis exprobranti respondere sermonem. |
| 12 |
12 When ill times come, prudence is on its guard, and takes refuge; the unwary march on, and pay the penalty.[1] | 12 Astutus videns malum, absconditus est: parvuli transeuntes sustinuerunt dispendia. |
| 13 ἀφελοῦ |
13 Does a man go bail for a stranger? Without more ado, take his garment from him; who trusts without knowledge, forfeits the pledge.[2] | 13 Tolle vestimentum ejus qui spopondit pro extraneo, et pro alienis aufer ei pignus. |
| 14 ὃς ἂ |
14 So early abroad, so loudly wishing thy neighbour well? This is curse, not blessing.[3] | 14 Qui benedicit proximo suo voce grandi, de nocte consurgens maledicenti similis erit. |
| 15 σταγόνες ἐκβάλλουσιν ἄνθρωπον ἐ |
15 Between a scold and a roof that drips in winter there is nothing to choose. 16 As well store up the wind in thy house, though thou call her the marrow of thy right hand.[4] | 15 Tecta perstillantia in die frigoris et litigiosa mulier comparantur. Qui retinet eam quasi qui ventum teneat, et oleum dexteræ suæ vocabit. |
| 17 σίδηρος σίδηρον ὀξύνει ἀ |
17 Iron whets iron, friend shapes friend. | 17 Ferrum ferro exacuitur, et homo exacuit faciem amici sui. |
| 18 ὃς φυτεύει |
18 If figs thou wouldst eat, tend thy fig-tree well; if honour thou wouldst have, wait well on thy master. | 18 Qui servat ficum comedet fructus ejus, et qui custos est domini sui glorificabitur. |
| 19 ὥσπερ |
19 Clear as a face mirrored in water, the wise see men’s hearts.[5] | 19 Quomodo in aquis resplendent vultus prospicientium, sic corda hominum manifesta sunt prudentibus. |
| 20 ᾅδης |
20 Death and the grave were never yet content, nor man’s eyes with gazing. | 20 Infernus et perditio numquam implentur: similiter et oculi hominum insatiabiles. |
| 21 δοκίμιον ἀργύρῳ |
21 Silver and gold are judged by furnace and crucible, man by his repute.[6] (Heart of knave is ever set on mischief, heart of true man on wisdom.) | 21 Quomodo probatur in conflatorio argentum et in fornace aurum, sic probatur homo ore laudantis. Cor iniqui inquirit mala, cor autem rectum inquirit scientiam. |
| 22 ἐὰ |
22 Bray a fool like corn, with pestle and mortar, he will be a fool still. | 22 Si contuderis stultum in pila quasi ptisanas feriente desuper pilo, non auferetur ab eo stultitia ejus. |
| 23 |
23 Spent be thy care, thy eyes watchful, over flock and herd of thine; 24 riches will slip from thy grasp, and crowns, will they last for ever?[7] 25 See, where the meadows are laid bare, and the aftermath is springing, the hay all carried, now, from the hill-slopes! 26 Pasture for the lambs that shall clothe thee, for the goats that shall be the price of more fields yet; 27 goat’s milk, too, shall suffice to feed thee, give life and strength to thy men and thy serving-maids. | 23 Diligenter agnosce vultum pecoris tui, tuosque greges considera: non enim habebis jugiter potestatem, sed corona tribuetur in generationem et generationem. Aperta sunt prata, et apparuerunt herbæ virentes, et collecta sunt fœna de montibus. Agni ad vestimentum tuum, et hædi ad agri pretium. Sufficiat tibi lac caprarum in cibos tuos, et in necessaria domus tuæ, et ad victum ancillis tuis. |
[1] See 22.3.
[2] See 20.16.
[3] The precise bearing of this proverb remains in doubt.
[4] The whole of this verse is obscure, and the second half of it probably corrupt.
[5] The Hebrew text reads simply, ‘As water face to face, so heart of man to man’, it is not clear in what sense.
[6] That common repute should be regarded as a test of what a man really is, seems unlikely (cp. especially 17.3 above). Some think the Hebrew text means a man should be judged by what he holds in repute, and this would fit in well with the second part of the verse (which is found in the Septuagint Greek, but not in the Hebrew text itself). Others would read, instead of ‘repute’, ‘adversity’, and this would lead on well to verse 22.
[7] The Latin version here ignores the question, and runs ‘but a crown shall be granted for ever’; a rendering which yields no good sense in the context.
Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd
