Proverbs Chapter 4

1 Audite ?? , filii ?? , disciplinam ?? patris ?? , et ?? attendite ?? ut ?? sciatis ?? prudentiam ?? . Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.

2 Donum ?? bonum ?? tribuam ?? vobis ?? : legem ?? meam ?? ne ?? derelinquatis ?? . I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.

3 Nam ?? et ?? ego ?? filius ?? fui ?? patris ?? mei ?? , tenellus ?? et ?? unigenitus ?? coram ?? matre ?? mea ?? . For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:

4 Et ?? docebat ?? me ?? , atque ?? dicebat ?? : Suscipiat ?? verba ?? mea ?? cor ?? tuum ?? ; custodi ?? præcepta ?? mea ?? , et ?? vives ?? . And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.

5 Posside ?? sapientiam ?? , posside ?? prudentiam ?? : ne ?? obliviscaris ?? , neque ?? declines ?? a ?? verbis ?? oris ?? mei ?? . Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6 Ne ?? dimittas ?? eam ?? , et ?? custodiet ?? te ?? : dilige ?? eam ?? , et ?? conservabit ?? te ?? . Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.

7 Principium ?? sapientiæ ?? : posside ?? sapientiam ?? , et ?? in ?? omni ?? possessione ?? tua ?? acquire ?? prudentiam ?? . The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.

8 Arripe ?? illam ?? , et ?? exaltabit ?? te ?? ; glorificaberis ?? ab ?? ea ?? cum ?? eam ?? fueris ?? amplexatus ?? . Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.

9 Dabit ?? capiti ?? tuo ?? augmenta ?? gratiarum ?? , et ?? corona ?? inclyta ?? proteget ?? te ?? . She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.

10 Audi ?? , fili ?? mi ?? , et ?? suscipe ?? verba ?? mea ?? , ut ?? multiplicentur ?? tibi ?? anni ?? vitæ ?? . Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.

11 Viam ?? sapientiæ ?? monstrabo ?? tibi ?? ; ducam ?? te ?? per ?? semitas ?? æquitatis ?? : I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:

12 quas ?? cum ?? ingressus ?? fueris ?? , non ?? arctabuntur ?? gressus ?? tui ?? , et ?? currens ?? non ?? habebis ?? offendiculum ?? . Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.

13 Tene ?? disciplinam ?? , ne ?? dimittas ?? eam ?? ; custodi ?? illam ?? , quia ?? ipsa ?? est ?? vita ?? tua ?? . Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.

14 Ne ?? delecteris ?? in ?? semitis ?? impiorum ?? , nec ?? tibi ?? placeat ?? malorum ?? via ?? . Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.

15 Fuge ?? ab ?? ea ?? , nec ?? transeas ?? per ?? illam ?? ; declina ?? , et ?? desere ?? eam ?? . Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.

16 Non ?? enim ?? dormiunt ?? nisi ?? malefecerint ?? , et ?? rapitur ?? somnus ?? ab ?? eis ?? nisi ?? supplantaverint ?? . For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.

17 Comedunt ?? panem ?? impietatis ?? , et ?? vinum ?? iniquitatis ?? bibunt ?? . They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.

18 Justorum ?? autem ?? semita ?? quasi ?? lux ?? splendens ?? procedit ?? , et ?? crescit ?? usque ?? ad ?? perfectam ?? diem ?? . But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.

19 Via ?? impiorum ?? tenebrosa ?? ; nesciunt ?? ubi ?? corruant ?? . The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.

20 Fili ?? mi ?? , ausculta ?? sermones ?? meos ?? , et ?? ad ?? eloquia ?? mea ?? inclina ?? aurem ?? tuam ?? . My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.

21 Ne ?? recedant ?? ab ?? oculis ?? tuis ?? : custodi ?? ea ?? in ?? medio ?? cordis ?? tui ?? : Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:

22 vita ?? enim ?? sunt ?? invenientibus ?? ea ?? , et ?? universæ ?? carni ?? sanitas ?? . For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.

23 Omni ?? custodia ?? serva ?? cor ?? tuum ?? , quia ?? ex ?? ipso ?? vita ?? procedit ?? . With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.

24 Remove ?? a ?? te ?? os ?? pravum ?? , et ?? detrahentia ?? labia ?? sint ?? procul ?? a ?? te ?? . Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.

25 Oculi ?? tui ?? recta ?? videant ?? , et ?? palpebræ ?? tuæ ?? præcedant ?? gressus ?? tuos ?? . Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.

26 Dirige ?? semitam ?? pedibus ?? tuis ?? , et ?? omnes ?? viæ ?? tuæ ?? stabilientur ?? . Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.

27 Ne ?? declines ?? ad ?? dexteram ?? neque ?? ad ?? sinistram ?? ; averte ?? pedem ?? tuum ?? a ?? malo ?? : vias ?? enim ?? quæ ?? a ?? dextris ?? sunt ?? novit ?? Dominus ?? : perversæ ?? vero ?? sunt ?? quæ ?? a ?? sinistris ?? sunt ?? . Ipse ?? autem ?? rectos ?? faciet ?? cursus ?? tuos ?? , itinera ?? autem ?? tua ?? in ?? pace ?? producet ?? . Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.