The Message Bible MSG
The Latin Vulgate VUL
1 Dead flies in perfume make it stink, And a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom.
1
muscae morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti pretiosior est sapientia et gloria parva ad tempus stultitia
2 Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.
2
cor sapientis in dextera eius et cor stulti in sinistra illius
3 Fools on the road have no sense of direction. The way they walk tells the story: "There goes the fool again!"
3
sed et in via stultus ambulans cum ipse insipiens sit omnes stultos aestimat
4 If a ruler loses his temper against you, don't panic; A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.
4
si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te locum tuum ne dimiseris quia curatio cessare faciet peccata maxima
5 Here's a piece of bad business I've seen on this earth, An error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge:
5
est malum quod vidi sub sole quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis
6 Immaturity is given a place of prominence, While maturity is made to take a back seat.
6
positum stultum in dignitate sublimi et divites sedere deorsum
7 I've seen unproven upstarts riding in style, While experienced veterans are put out to pasture.
7
vidi servos in equis et principes ambulantes quasi servos super terram
8 Caution: The trap you set might catch you. Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you.
8
qui fodit foveam incidet in eam et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber
9 Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous. Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous.
9
qui transfert lapides adfligetur in eis et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis
10 Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work; Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.
10
si retunsum fuerit ferrum et hoc non ut prius sed hebetatum erit multo labore exacuatur et post industriam sequitur sapientia
11 If the snake bites before it's been charmed, What's the point in then sending for the charmer?
11
si mordeat serpens in silentio nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit
12 The words of a wise person are gracious. The talk of a fool self-destructs -
12
verba oris sapientis gratia et labia insipientis praecipitabunt eum
13 He starts out talking nonsense And ends up spouting insanity and evil.
13
initium verborum eius stultitia et novissimum oris illius error pessimus
14 Fools talk way too much, Chattering stuff they know nothing about.
14
stultus verba multiplicat ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit et quod post futurum est quis illi poterit indicare
15 A decent day's work so fatigues fools That they can't find their way back to town.
15
labor stultorum adfliget eos qui nesciunt in urbem pergere
16 Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup, And whose princes party all night.
16
vae tibi terra cuius rex est puer et cuius principes mane comedunt
17 Lucky the land whose king is mature, Where the princes behave themselves And don't drink themselves silly.
17
beata terra cuius rex nobilis est et cuius principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum et non ad luxuriam
18 A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack; A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.
18
in pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus
19 Laughter and bread go together, And wine gives sparkle to life - But it's money that makes the world go around.
19
in risu faciunt panem ac vinum ut epulentur viventes et pecuniae oboedient omnia
20 Don't bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, And don't abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home. Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around. Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.
20
in cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti quia avis caeli portabit vocem tuam et qui habet pinnas adnuntiabit sententiam
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.