Liber Ecclesiasticus, 20
1. Quam bonum est arguere quam irasci, et confitentem in oratione non prohibere!
1. A workman who is a drunkard will not become rich; he who despises small things will fail little by little.
2. Concupiscentia spadonis devirginans iuvenculam:
2. Wine and women lead intelligent men astray, and the man who consorts with harlots is very reckless.
3. sic qui facit per vim iudicium iniquum.
3. Decay and worms will inherit him, and the reckless soul will be snatched away.
4. Quam bonum est correptum manifestare paenitentiam! Sic enim effugies voluntarium peccatum.
4. One who trusts others too quickly is lightminded, and one who sins does wrong to himself.
5. Est tacens, qui invenitur sapiens, et est odibilis, quia procax est ad loquendum.
5. One who rejoices in wickedness will be condemned,
6. Est tacens non habens responsum, et est tacens sciens tempus aptum.
6. and for one who hates gossip evil is lessened.
7. Homo sapiens tacebit usque ad tempus, lascivus autem et imprudens non servabunt tempus.
7. Never repeat a conversation, and you will lose nothing at all.
8. Qui multis utitur verbis, exsecrabitur; et, qui potestatem sibi assumit iniuste, odietur.
8. With friend or foe do not report it, and unless it would be a sin for you, do not disclose it;
9. Est processus in malis viro indisciplinato, et est inventio in detrimentum.
9. for some one has heard you and watched you, and when the time comes he will hate you.
10. Est datum, quod non est utile, et est datum, cuius retributio duplex.
10. Have you heard a word? Let it die with you. Be brave! It will not make you burst!
11. Est propter gloriam minoratio, et est qui ab humilitate levat caput.
11. With such a word a fool will suffer pangs like a woman in labor with a child.
12. Est qui multa redimat modico pretio et restituens ea in septuplum.
12. Like an arrow stuck in the flesh of the thigh, so is a word inside a fool.
13. Sapiens in verbis seipsum amabilem facit, gratiae autem fatuorum effundentur.
13. Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it; but if he did anything, so that he may do it no more.
14. Datum insipientis non erit utile tibi, oculi enim illius septemplices sunt:
14. Question a neighbor, perhaps he did not say it; but if he said it, so that he may not say it again.
15. exigua dabit et multa improperabit, et apertio oris illius quasi clamantis.
15. Question a friend, for often it is slander; so do not believe everything you hear.
16. Hodie feneratur quis et cras expetit: odibilis est homo huiusmodi.
16. A person may make a slip without intending it. Who has never sinned with his tongue?
17. Fatuus dicit: “Non est mihi amicus, et non est gratia bonis meis”.
17. Question your neighbor before you threaten him; and let the law of the Most High take its course.
18. Qui enim edunt panem illius, falsae linguae sunt. Quoties et quanti irridebunt eum!
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19. Neque enim, quod habendum erat, directo sensu distribuit, similiter et, quod non erat habendum, est indifferens ei.
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20. Melius lapsus in pavimento quam lapsus linguae: sic casus malorum festinanter veniet.
20. All wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and in all wisdom there is the fulfilment of the law.
21. Homo acharis quasi fabula importuna; in ore indisciplinatorum assidua erit.
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22. Ex ore fatui reprobabitur parabola, non enim dicit illam in tempore suo.
22. But the knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, nor is there prudence where sinners take counsel.
23. Est qui vetatur peccare prae inopia, et in requie sua non stimulabitur.
23. There is a cleverness which is abominable, but there is a fool who merely lacks wisdom.
24. Est qui perdit animam suam prae confusione, et ab imprudenti persona perdet eam; personae autem acceptione perdet se.
24. Better is the God-fearing man who lacks intelligence, than the highly prudent man who transgresses the law.
25. Est qui prae confusione promittit amico, et lucratus est eum inimicum gratis.
25. There is a cleverness which is scrupulous but unjust, and there are people who distort kindness to gain a verdict.
26. Opprobrium nequam in homine mendacium, et in ore indisciplinatorum assidue erit.
26. There is a rascal bowed down in mourning, but inwardly he is full of deceit.
27. Potior fur quam assiduitas viri mendacis; perditionem autem ambo hereditabunt.
27. He hides his face and pretends not to hear; but where no one notices, he will forestall you.
28. Mos hominis mendacis est sine honore, et confusio illius cum ipso sine intermissione.
28. And if by lack of strength he is prevented from sinning, he will do evil when he finds an opportunity.
29. Verbum parabolarum. Sapiens in verbis producet seipsum, et homo prudens placebit magnatis.
29. A man is known by his appearance, and a sensible man is known by his face, when you meet him.
30. Qui operatur terram suam, inaltabit acervum frugum, et, qui operatur iustitiam, ipse exaltabitur; qui vero placet magnatis, effugiet iniquitatem.
30. A man's attire and open-mouthed laughter, and a man's manner of walking, show what he is.
31. Xenia et dona excaecant oculos iudicum et quasi camus in ore avertunt correptiones eorum.
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32. Sapientia absconsa et thesaurus invisus, quae utilitas in utrisque?
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33. Melior est, qui celat insipientiam suam, quam homo, qui abscondit sapientiam suam.
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