10 One word of warning in a prudent man’s ear does more than a hundred lashes given to a fool. 11 Still the godless man will be for stirring up strife, till at last an angel visits him with no kindly message. 12 Better meet the she-bear reft of her cubs, than a fool in his blind confidence.
10 Plus proficit correptio apud prudentem,quam centum plagæ apud stultum. 11 Semper jurgia quærit malus:angelus autem crudelis mittetur contra eum. 12 Expedit magis ursæ occurrere raptis fœtibus,quam fatuo confidenti in stultitia sua.
16 Little the fool’s wealth avails; he may not buy wisdom if he would. (Build high, and court thy ruin; despise learning, and thou shalt come to mischief.[3])
16 Quid prodest stulto habere divitias,cum sapientiam emere non possit?Qui altum facit domum suam quærit ruinam,et qui evitat discere incidet in mala.
19 He loves a feud, that loves contention; build high, and court thy ruin. 20 False heart never found happiness, nor lying tongue escaped mischief.
19 Qui meditatur discordias diligit rixas,et qui exaltat ostium quærit ruinam. 20 Qui perversi cordis est non inveniet bonum,et qui vertit linguam incidet in malum.
24 Wisdom is a beacon-light to the discerning; the fool’s eyes roam this way and that, as wide as earth. 25 Poor fool, his father’s bane, sorrow of the mother that bore him!
24 In facie prudentis lucet sapientia;oculi stultorum in finibus terræ. 25 Ira patris filius stultus,et dolor matris quæ genuit eum.
27 Skilful is he who has skill to check his tongue, learned he is that knows how to spare his breath. 28 Let him keep his own counsel, a fool may pass for a wise man; shut lips can claim discernment.
27 Qui moderatur sermones suos doctus et prudens est,et pretiosi spiritus vir eruditus. 28 Stultus quoque, si tacuerit, sapiens reputabitur,et si compresserit labia sua, intelligens.
[1] The sense of the Hebrew text seems to be, ‘A bribe is a talisman for him who owns it; wherever he turns, he prospers’.
[2] The Hebrew text is commonly interpreted as meaning, ‘The beginning of a quarrel is as when a man opens a sluice; let it alone, before trouble breaks out’.
[3] The second part of this verse is found in the Septuagint Greek, but not in the Hebrew text.