¹

ΕΑΝ καθίσῃς δειπνεῖν ἐπὶ τραπέζης δυναστῶν, νοητῶς νόει τὰ παρατιθέμενά σοι

¹

If thou sit to sup at the table of a prince, consider attentively the things set before thee:

²

καὶ ἐπίβαλλε τὴν χεῖρά σου, εἰδὼς ὅτι τοιαῦτά σε δεῖ παρασκευάσαι· εἰ δὲ ἀπληστότερος εἶ,

²

and apply thine hand, knowing that it behoves thee to prepare such meats: but if thou art very insatiable,

³

μὴ ἐπιθύμει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων αὐτοῦ, ταῦτα γὰρ ἔχεται ζωῆς ψευδοῦς.

³

desire not his provisions; for these belong to a false life.

⁴

μὴ παρεκτείνου πένης ὢν πλουσίῳ, τῇ δὲ σῇ ἐννοίᾳ ἀπόσχου.

⁴

If thou art poor, measure not thyself with a rich man; but refrain thyself in thy wisdom.

⁵

ἐὰν ἐπιστήσῃς τὸ σὸν ὄμμα πρὸς αὐτόν, οὐδαμοῦ φανεῖται· κατεσκεύασται γὰρ αὐτῷ πτέρυγες ὥσπερ ἀετοῦ, καὶ ὑποστρέφει εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ προεστηκότος αὐτοῦ.

⁵

If thou shouldest fix thine eye upon him, he will disappear; for wings like an eagle's are prepared for him, and he returns to the house of his master.

⁶

μὴ συνδείπνει ἀνδρὶ βασκάνῳ, μηδὲ ἐπιθύμει τῶν βρωμάτων αὐτοῦ·

⁶

Sup not with an envious man, neither desire thou his meats:

⁷

ὃν τρόπον γὰρ εἴ τις καταπίοι τρίχα, οὕτως ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει.

⁷

so he eats and drinks as if any one should swallow a hair, and do not bring him in to thyself, nor eat thy morsel with him:

⁸

μηδὲ πρός σε εἰσαγάγῃς αὐτὸν καὶ φάγῃς τὸν ψωμόν σου μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ· ἐξεμέσει γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ λυμανεῖται τοὺς λόγους σου τοὺς καλούς.

⁸

for he will vomit it up, and spoil thy fair words.

⁹

εἰς ὦτα ἄφρονος μηδὲν λέγε, μήποτε μυκτηρίσῃ τοὺς συνετοὺς λόγους σου.

⁹

Say nothing in the ears of a fool, lest at any time he sneer at thy wise words.

¹⁰

μὴ μεταθῇς ὅρια αἰώνια, εἰς δὲ κτῆμα ὀρφανῶν μὴ εἰσέλθῃς·

¹⁰

Remove not the ancient landmarks; and enter not upon the possession of the fatherless:

¹¹

ὁ γὰρ λυτρούμενος αὐτοὺς Κύριος κραταιός ἐστι καὶ κρινεῖ τὴν κρίσιν αὐτῶν μετὰ σοῦ.

¹¹

for the Lord is their redeemer; he is mighty, and will plead their cause with thee.

¹²

δὸς εἰς παιδείαν τὴν καρδίαν σου, τὰ δὲ ὦτά σου ἑτοίμασον λόγοις αἰσθήσεως.

¹²

Apply thine heart to instruction, and prepare thine ears for words of discretion.

¹³

μὴ ἀπόσχῃ νήπιον παιδεύειν, ὅτι ἐὰν πατάξῃς αὐτὸν ράβδῳ, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ·

¹³

Refrain not from chastening a child; for if thou beat him with the rod, he shall not die.

¹⁴

σὺ μὲν γὰρ πατάξεις αὐτὸν ράβδῳ, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου ρύσῃ.

¹⁴

For thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from death.

¹⁵

υἱέ, ἐὰν σοφὴ γένηταί σου ἡ καρδία, εὐφρανεῖς καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν καρδίαν,

¹⁵

Son, if thy heart be wise, thou shalt also gladden my heart;

¹⁶

καὶ ἐνδιατρίψει λόγοις τὰ σὰ χείλη πρὸς τὰ ἐμὰ χείλη, ἐὰν ὀρθὰ ὦσι.

¹⁶

and thy lips shall converse with my lips, if they be right.

¹⁷

μὴ ζηλούτω ἡ καρδία σου ἁμαρτωλούς, ἀλλὰ ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου ἴσθι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν·

¹⁷

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day.

¹⁸

ἐὰν γὰρ τηρήσῃς αὐτά, ἔσται σοι ἔκγονα, ἡ δὲ ἐλπίς σου οὐκ ἀποστήσεται.

¹⁸

For if thou shouldest keep these things, thou shalt have posterity; and thine hope shall not be removed.

¹⁹

ἄκουε, υἱέ, καὶ σοφὸς γίνου, καὶ κατεύθυνε ἐννοίας σῆς καρδίας·

¹⁹

Hear, my son, and be wise, and rightly direct the thoughts of thine heart.

²⁰

μὴ ἴσθι οἰνοπότης, μηδὲ ἐκτείνου συμβουλαῖς κρεῶν τε ἀγορασμοῖς·

²⁰

Be not a wine-bibber, neither continue long at feasts, and purchases of flesh:

²¹

πᾶς γὰρ μέθυσος καὶ πορνοκόπος πτωχεύσει, καὶ ἐνδύσεται διερρηγμένα καὶ ρακώδη πᾶς ὑπνώδης.

²¹

for every drunkard and whoremonger shall be poor; and every sluggard shall clothe himself with tatters and ragged garments.

²²

ἄκουε, υἱέ, πατρὸς τοῦ γεννήσαντός σε καὶ μὴ καταφρόνει ὅτι γεγήρακέ σου ἡ μήτηρ.

²²

Hearken, my son, to thy father which begot thee, and despise not thy mother because she is grown old.

²³

ἀλήθειαν κτῆσαι καὶ μὴ ἀπώσῃ σοφίαν καὶ παιδείαν καὶ σύνεσιν.

²⁴

A righteous father brings up his children well; and his soul rejoices over a wise son.

²⁴

καλῶς ἐκτρέφει πατὴρ δίκαιος, ἐπὶ δὲ υἱῷ σοφῷ εὐφραίνεται ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ.

²⁵

Let thy father and thy mother rejoice over thee, and let her that bore thee be glad.

²⁵

εὐφραινέσθω ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ ἐπὶ σοί, καὶ χαιρέτω ἡ τεκοῦσά σε.

²⁶

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

²⁶

δός μοι, υἱέ, σὴν καρδίαν, οἱ δὲ σοὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐμὰς ὁδοὺς τηρείτωσαν·

²⁷

For a strange house is a vessel full of holes; and a strange well is narrow.

²⁷

πίθος γὰρ τετρημένος ἐστὶν ἀλλότριος οἶκος, καὶ φρέαρ στενὸν ἀλλότριον·

²⁸

For such a one shall perish suddenly; and every transgressor shall be cut off.

²⁸

οὗτος γὰρ συντόμως ἀπολεῖται, καὶ πᾶς παράνομος ἀναλωθήσεται.

²⁹

Who has woe? who trouble? who has quarrels? and who vexations and disputes? who has bruises without a cause? whose eyes are livid?

²⁹

τίνι οὐαί; τίνι θόρυβος; τίνι κρίσεις; τίνι δὲ ἀηδίαι καὶ λέσχαι; τίνι συντρίμματα διακενῆς; τίνος πελιδνοὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί;

³⁰

Are not those of them that stay long at wine? are not those of them that haunt the places where banquets are? Be not drunk with wine; but converse with just men, and converse with them openly.

³⁰

οὐ τῶν ἐγχρονιζόντων ἐν οἴνοις; οὐ τῶν ἰχνευόντων ποῦ πότοι γίνονται;

³¹

For if thou shouldest set thine eyes on bowls and cups, thou shalt afterwards go more naked than a pestle.

³¹

μὴ μεθύσκεσθε ἐν οἴνοις, ἀλλὰ ὁμιλεῖτε ἀνθρώποις δικαίοις καὶ ὁμιλεῖτε ἐν περιπάτοις· ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς τὰς φιάλας καὶ τὰ ποτήρια δῷς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, ὕστερον περιπατήσεις γυμνότερος ὑπέρου.

³²

But at last such a one stretches himself out as one smitten by a serpent, and venom is diffused through him as by a horned serpent.

³²

τὸ δὲ ἔσχατον ὥσπερ ὑπὸ ὄφεως πεπληγὼς ἐκτείνεται, καὶ ὥσπερ ὑπὸ κεράστου διαχεῖται αὐτῷ ὁ ἰός.

³³

Whenever thine eyes shall behold a strange woman, then thy mouth shall speak perverse things.

³³

οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἀλλοτρίαν, τὸ στόμα σου τότε λαλήσει σκολιά,

³⁴

And thou shalt lie as in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot in a great storm.

³⁴

καὶ κατακείσῃ ὥσπερ ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης καὶ ὥσπερ κυβερνήτης ἐν πολλῷ κλύδωνι.

³⁵

And thou shalt say, They smote me, and I was not pained; and they mocked me, and I knew it not: when will it be morning, that I may go and seek those with whom I may go in company?

³⁵

ἐρεῖς δέ· τύπτουσί με καὶ οὐκ ἐπόνεσα, καὶ ἐνέπαιξάν μοι, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ᾔδειν· πότε ὄρθρος ἔσται, ἵνα ἐλθὼν ζητήσω μεθ᾿ ὧν συνελεύσομαι;