The Latin Vulgate VUL
Wycliffe WYC
1 ne aemuleris viros malos nec desideres esse cum eis
1
Follow thou not evil men (Do not thou follow evil people), desire thou not to be with them.
2 quia rapinas meditatur mens eorum et fraudes labia eorum loquuntur
2
For the soul of them bethinketh (on) ravens, and their lips speak frauds. (For their minds think about robberies, and their lips speak lies.)
3 sapientia aedificabitur domus et prudentia roborabitur
3
An house shall be builded by wisdom, and it shall be made strong by prudence, (or by understanding).
4 in doctrina replebuntur cellaria universa substantia pretiosa et pulcherrima
4
[The] Cellars shall be filled in teaching, with all riches precious and full fair. (By knowledge and study, the cellars shall be filled with all precious and beautiful things of riches.)
5 vir sapiens et fortis est et vir doctus robustus et validus
5
A wise man is strong, and a learned man is stalworthy and mighty.
6 quia cum dispositione initur bellum et erit salus ubi multa consilia sunt
6
For why battle is begun with ordinance; and health shall be, where many counsels be. (For battle is begun with forethought; and victory shall be, where there be many plans, or much good advice.)
7 excelsa stulto sapientia in porta non aperiet os suum
7
Wisdom is high to a fool; in the gate he shall not open his mouth. (Wisdom is too high for a fool to reach; in court/at the city gates, he shall not even dare to open his mouth.)
8 qui cogitat malefacere stultus vocabitur
8
He that thinketh to do evils, shall be called a fool.
9 cogitatio stulti peccatum est et abominatio hominum detractor
9
The thought of a fool is (a) sin; and a backbiter is abomination of men (and a backbiter is an abomination to everyone).
10 si desperaveris lassus in die angustiae inminuetur fortitudo tua
10
If thou hast slid, despairest (thou) in the day of anguish, (for) thy strength shall be made less.
11 erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem et qui trahuntur ad interitum liberare ne cesses
11
Deliver thou them, that be led to death (Rescue thou them, who be led to death); and cease thou not to deliver them, that be drawn to death.
12 si dixeris vires non suppetunt qui inspector est cordis ipse intellegit et servatorem animae tuae nihil fallit reddetque homini iuxta opera sua
12
If thou sayest, Strongholds suffice not; he that is [the] beholder of the heart, understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall yield to a man after his works.
13 comede fili mi mel quia bonum est et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo
13
My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; and the honeycomb for it is full sweet to thy throat.
14 sic et doctrina sapientiae animae tuae quam cum inveneris habebis in novissimis et spes tua non peribit
14
So and the teaching of wisdom is good to thy soul; and when thou hast found it, thou shalt have hope in the last things, and thine hope shall not perish. (And so the teaching of wisdom is good for thy soul; and when thou hast found it, thou shalt have hope unto the end, and thy hope shall never perish.)
15 ne insidieris et quaeras impietatem in domo iusti neque vastes requiem eius
15
Ambush thou not, and seek not (to bring) wickedness in the house of a just man, neither waste thou, his rest(ing) (place). (Do not thou ambush, and do not seek to bring wickedness into the house of a righteous person, nor destroy thou his resting place.)
16 septies enim cadet iustus et resurget impii autem corruent in malum
16
For a just man shall fall seven times in the day, and shall rise again; but wicked men shall fall into evil. (For a righteous person shall fall seven times in a day, and shall rise up again each time; but the wicked shall fall into evil, and shall never get out of it.)
17 cum ceciderit inimicus tuus ne gaudeas et in ruina eius ne exultet cor tuum
17
When thine enemy falleth, have thou not joy; and thine heart have not full out joying in his falling;
18 ne forte videat Dominus et displiceat ei et auferat ab eo iram suam
18
lest peradventure the Lord see, and it displease him, and he take away his ire from him.
19 ne contendas cum pessimis nec aemuleris impios
19
Strive thou not with the worst men, neither follow thou wicked men. (Argue thou not with the wicked, nor follow thou the wicked.)
20 quoniam non habent futurorum spem mali et lucerna impiorum extinguetur
20
For why evil men have not hope of things to come, and the lantern of wicked men shall be quenched. (For evil people have no hope in things to come, and the lantern of the wicked shall be quenched.)
21 time Dominum fili mi et regem et cum detractoribus non commiscearis
21
My son, dread thou God, and the king; and be thou not meddled with backbiters. (My son, fear thou God/have thou reverence for God, and the king; and be thou not mixed in, or mingled, with backbiters.)
22 quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum et ruinam utriusque quis novit
22
For their perdition shall rise together suddenly (For their perdition shall suddenly rise up, or shall happen), and who knoweth the fall of ever either?
23 haec quoque sapientibus cognoscere personam in iudicio non est bonum
23
Also these things that follow be to wise men. It is not good to know a person in doom. (And these things that follow also be for the wise. It is not good to know a person whom thou is judging.)
24 qui dicit impio iustus es maledicent ei populi et detestabuntur eum tribus
24
Peoples shall curse them that say to a wicked man, Thou art just; and lineages shall hold them abominable. (The peoples, or the nations, shall curse those who say to a wicked person, Thou art righteous; and the tribes, or all the people, shall hold them as abominable.)
25 qui arguunt laudabuntur et super ipsos veniet benedictio
25
They that reprove justly sinners, shall be praised (They who justly rebuke sinners, shall be praised); and blessing shall come [up]on them.
26 labia deosculabitur qui recta verba respondet
26
He that answereth (with) rightful words, shall kiss lips. (Lips shall kiss him, who answereth with upright words.)
27 praepara foris opus tuum et diligenter exerce agrum tuum ut postea aedifices domum tuam
27
Make ready thy work withoutforth, and work thy field diligently, that thou build thine house afterward. (Do all thy work outside, and work thy field diligently, and then afterward, thou shalt build thy house.)
28 ne sis testis frustra contra proximum tuum nec lactes quemquam labiis tuis
28
Be thou not a witness without reasonable cause against thy neighbour; neither flatter thou any man with thy lips.
29 ne dicas quomodo fecit mihi sic faciam ei reddam unicuique secundum opus suum
29
Say thou not, As he did to me, so I shall do to him, and I shall yield to each man after his work.
30 per agrum hominis pigri transivi et per vineam viri stulti
30
I passed by the field of a slow man, and by the vinery of a fond man; (I passed by a lazy man's field, and by a foolish person's vineyard;)
31 et ecce totum repleverant urticae operuerant superficiem eius spinae et maceria lapidum destructa erat
31
and lo! nettles had filled all, thorns had covered the higher part thereof, and the wall of stones without mortar was destroyed.
32 quod cum vidissem posui in corde meo et exemplo didici disciplinam
32
And when I had seen this thing, I setted (it) in mine heart, and by ensample, I learned (the) teaching. (And when I had seen this, I put it in my heart, and by example, I learned the lesson.)
33 parum inquam dormies modicum dormitabis pauxillum manus conseres ut quiescas
33
How long sleepest thou, slow man? when shalt thou rise from sleep? Soothly thou shalt sleep a little, thou shalt nap a little, thou shalt join together the hands a little, to take rest; (How long sleepest thou, O lazy man? when shalt thou rise from sleep? Truly thou shalt sleep a little, thou shalt nap a little, and then thou shalt join together thy hands a little, and take rest again;)
34 et veniet quasi cursor egestas tua et mendicitas quasi vir armatus
34
and then thy neediness as a courier shall come to thee, and thy beggary as an armed man.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.