Flee evil company, lest thou be allured to vice. Wisdom and virtues, not wickedness, do prosper temporally and spiritually. Counsel in wars, and other great affairs. Good purposes. Report well of others. Fortitude. Works of mercy, according to our ability. Wisdom is sweet: and giveth hope. Toleration of others' imperfections, without which none liveth. Charity towards enemies. Have peace with all: so much as may be. Loyalty to God and king. Equity in judgment, condemning the guilty, and delivering the innocent, is very grateful to all. Order in all affairs. Discretion in bearing witness. Revenge not. Diligent labour, and vigilance to provide necessaries, and to avoid beggary.[No italic chapter argument is printed — per the Chap. X second-part preamble these Parables chapters set a brief virtue-summary in the margin of each sentence in place of a running argument. The marginal summaries, in order, are:] Flee euil companie, lest thou be alured to vice. VVisdom and vertues, not wickednes, do prosper temporally and spiritualy. Counsel in warres, and other great affayres. Good purposes. Report wel of others. Fortitude. VVorkes of mercie, according to our habilitie. VVisdom is sweete: and geueth hope. Toleration of others imperfections, without which none liueth. Charitie towards enemies. Haue peace with al: so much as may be. Loialtie to God & king. Equitie in iudgement, condemning the guiltie, & deliuering the innocent, is very gratful to al. Order in al affaires. Discretion in bearing witnes. Reuenge not. Diligent labour, and vigilance to prouide necessaries, and to auoide beggerie.✦
not evil men, neither desire thou to be with them:EMVLATE not euil men, neither desire thou to be with them:Ne æmuleris viros malos, nec desideres esse cum eis :
2because their mind doth meditate robberies, and their lips speak deceits.because their mind doth meditate robberies, and their lippes speake deceites.quia rapinas meditatur mens eorum, et fraudes labia eorum loquuntur.
3By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.By wisedom the house shal be built, and by prudence it shal be strengthened.✦Sapientia ædificabitur domus, et prudentia roborabitur.
4In doctrine the cellars shall be replenished with all precious, and most beautiful substance.In doctrine the cellars shal be replenished with al precious, and most beautiful substance.✦In doctrina replebuntur cellaria, universa substantia pretiosa et pulcherrima.
5A wise man is strong: and a learned man, strong and valiant.A wiseman is strong: and a lerned man, strong and valiant.✦Vir sapiens fortis est, et vir doctus robustus et validus :
6Because war is managed by due ordering, and there shall be salvation where many counsels are.Because warre is managed by due ordering & there shal be saluation where manie counsels are.✦quia cum dispositione initur bellum, et erit salus ubi multa consilia sunt.
7Wisdom is high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.Wisedom is high for a foole, in the gate he shal not open his mouth.✦Excelsa stulto sapientia ; in porta non aperiet os suum.
8He that thinketh to do evils, shall be called a fool.He that thinketh to doe euils, shal be called a foole.✦Qui cogitat mala facere stultus vocabitur :
9The cogitatio: the thought, the scheming of a fool is sin: and a detractor: a slanderer, a backbiter the abomination of men.The cogitation of a foole is sinne: and a detracter the abomination of men.✦cogitatio stulti peccatum est, et abominatio hominum detractor.
10If thou despair being weary in the day of distress: thy strength shall be diminished.If thou despaire being wearie in the day of distresse: thy strength shal be diminished.✦Si desperaveris lassus in die angustiæ, imminuetur fortitudo tua.
11Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death cease not to deliver.Deliuer them that are led to death: and those that are drawen to death cease not to deliuer.✦Erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem, et qui trahuntur ad interitum, liberare ne cesses.
12If thou say: I am not of force: he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall render to a man according to his works.If thou say: I am not of force: he that seeth into the hart, he vnderstandeth, and nothing deceiueth the keeper of thy soule, and he shal render to a man according to his workes.✦Si dixeris : Vires non suppetunt ; qui inspector est cordis ipse intelligit : et servatorem animæ tuæ nihil fallit, reddetque homini juxta opera sua.
13Eat honey my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:Eate honie my sonne, because it is good, and the honie-combe most sweete to thy throte:Comede, fili mi, mel, quia bonum est, et favum dulcissimum gutturi tuo.
14so also the doctrine of wisdom to thy soul: which when thou shalt find, thou shalt have hope in the later end, and thy hope shall not perish.so also the doctrine of wisedom to thy soule: which when thou shalt finde, thou shalt haue hope in the later end, and thy hope shal not perish.Sic et doctrina sapientiæ animæ tuæ : quam cum inveneris, habebis in novissimis spem, et spes tua non peribit.
15Lie not in wait, nor seek impiety in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.Lie not in wayte, nor seeke impietie in the house of the iust, nor spoile his rest.Ne insidieris, et quæras impietatem in domo justi, neque vastes requiem ejus.
16For seven times shall the just fall, and shall rise again: but the impious shall fall into evil.For seuen * times shal the iust fal, and shal rise againe: but the impious shal fal into euil.¶Septies enim cadet justus, et resurget : impii autem corruent in malum.
17When thine enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:When thine enemie shal fal, be not glad, and in his ruine let not thy hart reioyce:Cum ceciderit inimicus tuus ne gaudeas, et in ruina ejus ne exsultet cor tuum :
18Lest perhaps our Lord see, and it displease him, and he take away his wrath from him.Lest perhaps our Lord see, and it displease him, and he take away his wrath from him.ne forte videat Dominus, et displiceat ei, et auferat ab eo iram suam.
19Contend not with the most wicked, nor emulate the impious:Contend not with the most wicked, nor emulate the impious:Ne contendas cum pessimis, nec æmuleris impios :
20because evil men have not hope of things to come, and the lamp of the impious shall be extinguished.because euil men haue not hope of thinges to come, and the lampe of the impious shal be extinguished.quoniam non habent futurorum spem mali, et lucerna impiorum extinguetur.
21Fear our Lord, my son, and the king: and with detractors meddle not:Feare our Lord, my sonne, and the king: & with detracters medle not:Time Dominum, fili mi, et regem, et cum detractoribus non commiscearis :
22because their perdition shall suddenly rise: and the ruin of both who knoweth?because their perdition shal sodenly rise: and the ruine of both who knoweth?quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum, et ruinam utriusque quis novit ?
23These things also to the wise: to know a personam: to respect persons, to show partiality in judgment is not good.These thinges also to the wise: to know a person in iudgement is not good.✦Hæc quoque sapientibus. Cognoscere personam in judicio non est bonum.
24They that say to the impious: Thou art just: peoples shall curse them, and tribes shall detest them.They that say to the impious: Thou art iust: peoples shal curse them, and tribes shal detest them.Qui dicunt impio : Justus es : maledicent eis populi, et detestabuntur eos tribus.
25They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and blessing shall come upon them.They that rebuke him, shal be praysed: and blessing shal come vpon them.Qui arguunt eum laudabuntur, et super ipsos veniet benedictio.
26He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.He shal kisse the lippes, who answereth right wordes.✦Labia deosculabitur qui recta verba respondet.
27Prepare thy work abroad, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayest build thy house.Prepare thy worke abrode, and diligently til thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.✦Præpara foris opus tuum, et diligenter exerce agrum tuum, ut postea ædifices domum tuam.
28Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: neither allure any man with thy lips.Be not witnes without cause against thy neighbour: neither alure any man with thy lippes.✦Ne sis testis frustra contra proximum tuum, nec lactes quemquam labiis tuis.
29Say not: As he hath done to me, so will I do to him: I will render to every one according to his work.Say not: As he hath done to me, so wil I doe to him: I wil render to euerie one according to his worke.✦Ne dicas : Quomodo fecit mihi, sic faciam ei ; reddam unicuique secundum opus suum.
30I passed by the field of a slothful man, and by the vineyard of a foolish man:I passed by the filde of a slothful man, and by the vineyard of a foolish man:✦Per agrum hominis pigri transivi, et per vineam viri stulti :
31and behold nettles had filled it wholly, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the wall of stones was destroyed.and behold nettels had filled it wholy, and thornes had couered the face therof, and the wal of stones was destroyed.et ecce totum repleverant urticæ, et operuerant superficiem ejus spinæ, et maceria lapidum destructa erat.
32Which when I had seen, I laid it in my heart, and by the example I learned discipline.Which when I had seene, I layd it in my hart, and by the example I lerned discipline.Quod cum vidissem, posui in corde meo, et exemplo didici disciplinam.
33A little I say, thou shalt sleep, a little thou shalt slumber, a little shalt thou join thy hands together, to rest:A litle I say, thou shalt sleepe, a litle thou shalt slumber, a litle shalt thou ioyne thy handes together, to rest:Parum, inquam, dormies, modicum dormitabis ; pauxillum manus conseres ut quiescas :
34and as a cursor: a wooden post or stake; a swift runner, a courier, poverty shall come to thee, and beggary as a man armed.and as a poste, pouertie shal come to thee, & beggerie as a man armed.et veniet tibi quasi cursor egestas, et mendicitas quasi vir armatus.
Annotationsfrom the original 1609 Douay Old Testament
16Seven times shall the just fall. A just man, that is to say, God's true servant, free from mortal sin, is subject during this life, to many temptations, imperfections, and may often fall into venial sins, and not lose justice, nor the true title of a just man (as here he is called) nor become the devil's servant, nor God's enemy: but through God's grace helping his weakness, he riseth again from small sins, still persevering in God's favour: whereas contrariwise the impious falleth into evil, to wit, into more and more sin, through malice, and lack of grace, and riseth not so easily. And therefore the wise man here admonisheth, not to lie in wait, nor calumniously to seek impiety in the house, (that is, in the soul) of the just. For though he commit some faults, yet he riseth again, and is not impious, unjust, nor guilty of mortal crime, as the wicked man is. Margin (left): S. Aug. li.11.c. de civit. Margin (right): A just man falling into venial sins is not thereby unjust, nor God's enemy. Margin (left): All sins are not mortal.Seven times shall the just fall. A just man, that is to say, God's true servant, free from mortal sin, is subject during this life, to many temptations, imperfections, and may often fall into venial sins, and not lose justice, nor the true title of a just man (as here he is called) nor become the devil's servant, nor God's enemy: but through God's grace helping his weakness, he riseth again from small sins, still persevering in God's favour: whereas contrariwise the impious falleth into evil, to wit, into more and more sin, through malice, and lack of grace, and riseth not so easily. And therefore the wise man here admonisheth, not to lie in wait, nor calumniously to seek impiety in the house, (that is, in the soul) of the just. For though he commit some faults, yet he riseth again, and is not impious, unjust, nor guilty of mortal crime, as the wicked man is. Margin (left): S. Aug. li.11.c. de civit. Margin (right): A just man falling into venial sins is not thereby unjust, nor God's enemy. Margin (left): All sins are not mortal.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.