2 No good ever came of money ill gotten; honest living is death’s avoiding. 3 Still the Lord gives honesty a full belly, and on the knave’s scheming shuts his door.
2 Nil proderunt thesauri impietatis,justitia vero liberabit a morte. 3 Non affliget Dominus fame animam justi,et insidias impiorum subvertet.
4 Idle hand, empty purse; riches come of hard work. (Who trusts in false promises, throws his food to the winds; as well may he chase bird in flight.[1])
4 Egestatem operata est manus remissa;manus autem fortium divitias parat.Qui nititur mendaciis, hic pascit ventos;idem autem ipse sequitur aves volantes.
6 Shines the Lord’s favour on the just man’s head; the sinner’s lips are silenced by his own ill-doing. 7 When blessings are given, the just are remembered still; it is the sinner’s name that rusts.
6 Benedictio Domini super caput justi;os autem impiorum operit iniquitas. 7 Memoria justi cum laudibus,et nomen impiorum putrescet.
10 It needs no more than a wink of the eye to bring trouble; what wonder if the fool who talks earns a beating?[2] 11 The mouth, for the just man a life-giving well, for the wicked an arsenal of harm.[3] 12 Hatred is ever ready to pick a quarrel; love passes over all kinds of offence. 13 Never wise man’s lips but found the right word, or fool’s back but felt the rod. 14 Wise men treasure up their knowledge; a fool’s talk is ready to mar all.
10 Qui annuit oculo dabit dolorem;et stultus labiis verberabitur. 11 Vena vitæ os justi,et os impiorum operit iniquitatem. 12 Odium suscitat rixas,et universa delicta operit caritas. 13 In labiis sapientis invenitur sapientia,et virga in dorso ejus qui indiget corde. 14 Sapientes abscondunt scientiam;os autem stulti confusioni proximum est.
15 As the rich man’s wealth is his stronghold, and the poor man’s need his peril, 16 so the doings of the just evermore win fresh life, the sinner’s increase his guilt. 17 Who lives by the lessons he has learned finds life; the way is lost when warnings go unheeded.
15 Substantia divitis, urbs fortitudinis ejus;pavor pauperum egestas eorum. 16 Opus justi ad vitam,fructus autem impii ad peccatum. 17 Via vitæ custodienti disciplinam;qui autem increpationes relinquit, errat.
18 Lying lips that hide malice, foolish lips that spread slander, 19 what a world of sin there is in talking! Where least is said, most prudence is. 20 Silver refined is the just man’s every word, and trash the sinner’s every thought. 21 The just man’s talk plays the shepherd to many, while the fool dies of his own starved heart.
18 Abscondunt odium labia mendacia;qui profert contumeliam, insipiens est. 19 In multiloquio non deerit peccatum,qui autem moderatur labia sua prudentissimus est. 20 Argentum electum lingua justi;cor autem impiorum pro nihilo. 21 Labia justi erudiunt plurimos;qui autem indocti sunt in cordis egestate morientur.
24 Not in vain the sinner fears, the just man hopes; 25 vanished, like the storm of yesterday, or secure eternally.
24 Quod timet impius veniet super eum;desiderium suum justus dabitur. 25 Quasi tempestas transiens non erit impius;justus autem quasi fundamentum sempiternum.
27 If fear of the Lord brings life, few years shall the wicked have; 28 die their hopes must while honest folk wait on contentedly. 29 The Lord’s judgements, what comfort they bring to the innocent, what terrors to the evil-doer! 30 An abiding home never the just lacked yet, or the guilty found. 31 A just man’s talk breeds wisdom, while the sinner’s tongue dies barren; 32 welcome ever the one, cross-grained the other.
27 Timor Domini apponet dies,et anni impiorum breviabuntur. 28 Exspectatio justorum lætitia,spes autem impiorum peribit. 29 Fortitudo simplicis via Domini,et pavor his qui operantur malum. 30 Justus in æternum non commovebitur,impii autem non habitabunt super terram. 31 Os justi parturiet sapientiam;lingua pravorum peribit. 32 Labia justi considerant placita,et os impiorum perversa.
[1] The second half of this verse is not found in the Hebrew text; the Septuagint Greek gives it immediately after verse 12 of ch. 9.
[2] vv. 8, 10. The second half of either verse is the same in the original.
[3] vv. 6, 11. In the Hebrew text, both verses end with the same formula, which the Latin interprets in verse 6 ‘iniquity covers the mouth of the godless’ and in verse 11 ‘the mouth of the godless covers iniquity’.