The Holy Scripture
Chapter XXII
A slothful man is compared to a filthy stone, and every one will hiss him out to his disgrace.
λίθῳ ἠρδαλωμένῳ συνεβλήθη ὀκνηρός καὶ πᾶς ἐκσυριεῖ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀτιμίᾳ αὐτοῦ
A slothful man is compared to the filth of a dunghill: every man that takes it up will shake his hand.
βολβίτῳ κοπρίων συνεβλήθη ὀκνηρός πᾶς ὁ ἀναιρούμενος αὐτὸν ἐκτινάξει χεῖρα
An evil-nurtured son is the dishonour of his father that begat him: and a [foolish] daughter is born to his loss.
αἰσχύνη πατρὸς ἐν γεννήσει ἀπαιδεύτου θυγάτηρ δὲ ἐπ᾿ ἐλαττώσει γίνεται
A wise daughter shall bring an inheritance to her husband: but she that liveth dishonestly is her father's heaviness.
θυγάτηρ φρονίμη κληρονομήσει ἄνδρα αὐτῆς καὶ ἡ καταισχύνουσα εἰς λύπην γεννήσαντος
She that is bold dishonoureth both her father and her husband, and they both shall despise her.
πατέρα καὶ ἄνδρα καταισχύνει ἡ θρασεῖα καὶ ὑπὸ ἀμφοτέρων ἀτιμασθήσεται
A tale out of season [is as] music in mourning: but stripes and correction of wisdom are never out of time.
μουσικὰ ἐν πένθει ἄκαιρος διήγησις μάστιγες δὲ καὶ παιδεία ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ σοφίας
Whoso teacheth a fool is as one that glueth a potsherd together, and as he that waketh one from a sound sleep.
συγκολλῶν ὄστρακον ὁ διδάσκων μωρόν ἐξεγείρων καθεύδοντα ἐκ βαθέος ὕπνου
He that telleth a tale to a fool speaketh to one in a slumber: when he hath told his tale, he will say, What is the matter?
διηγούμενος νυστάζοντι ὁ διηγούμενος μωρῷ καὶ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ ἐρεῖ τί ἐστιν
Weep for the dead, for he hath lost the light: and weep for the fool, for he wanteth understanding: make little weeping for the dead, for he is at rest: but the life of the fool is worse than death.
ἐπὶ νεκρῷ κλαῦσον ἐξέλιπεν γὰρ φῶς καὶ ἐπὶ μωρῷ κλαῦσον ἐξέλιπεν γὰρ σύνεσιν ἥδιον κλαῦσον ἐπὶ νεκρῷ ὅτι ἀνεπαύσατο τοῦ δὲ μωροῦ ὑπὲρ θάνατον ἡ ζωὴ πονηρά
Seven days do men mourn for him that is dead; but for a fool and an ungodly man all the days of his life.
πένθος νεκροῦ ἑπτὰ ἡμέραι μωροῦ δὲ καὶ ἀσεβοῦς πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ
Talk not much with a fool, and go not to him that hath no understanding: beware of him, lest thou have trouble, and thou shalt never be defiled with his fooleries: depart from him, and thou shalt find rest, and never be disquieted with madness.
μετὰ ἄφρονος μὴ πληθύνῃς λόγον καὶ πρὸς ἀσύνετον μὴ πορεύου φύλαξαι ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἵνα μὴ κόπον ἔχῃς καὶ οὐ μὴ μολυνθῇς ἐν τῷ ἐντιναγμῷ αὐτοῦ ἔκκλινον ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ εὑρήσεις ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀκηδιάσῃς ἐν τῇ ἀπονοίᾳ αὐτοῦ
What is heavier than lead? and what is the name thereof, but a fool?
ὑπὲρ μόλιβον τί βαρυνθήσεται καὶ τί αὐτῷ ὄνομα ἀλλ᾿ ἢ μωρός
Sand, and salt, and a mass of iron, are easier to bear, than a man without understanding.
ἄμμον καὶ ἅλα καὶ βῶλον σιδήρου εὔκοπον ὑπενεγκεῖν ἢ ἄνθρωπον ἀσύνετον
As timber girt and bound together in a building cannot be loosed with shaking: so the heart that is stablished by advised counsel shall fear at no time.
ἱμάντωσις ξυλίνη ἐνδεδεμένη εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ἐν συσσεισμῷ οὐ διαλυθήσεται οὕτως καρδία ἐστηριγμένη ἐπὶ διανοήματος βουλῆς ἐν καιρῷ οὐ δειλιάσει
A heart settled upon a thought of understanding is as a fair plaistering on the wall of a gallery.
καρδία ἡδρασμένη ἐπὶ διανοίας συνέσεως ὡς κόσμος ψαμμωτὸς τοίχου ξυστοῦ
Pales set on an high place will never stand against the wind: so a fearful heart in the imagination of a fool cannot stand against any fear.
χάρακες ἐπὶ μετεώρου κείμενοι κατέναντι ἀνέμου οὐ μὴ ὑπομείνωσιν οὕτως καρδία δειλὴ ἐπὶ διανοήματος μωροῦ κατέναντι παντὸς φόβου οὐ μὴ ὑπομείνῃ
He that pricketh the eye will make tears to fall: and he that pricketh the heart maketh it to shew her knowledge.
ὁ νύσσων ὀφθαλμὸν κατάξει δάκρυα καὶ νύσσων καρδίαν ἐκφαίνει αἴσθησιν
Whoso casteth a stone at the birds frayeth them away: and he that upbraideth his friend breaketh friendship.
βάλλων λίθον ἐπὶ πετεινὰ ἀποσοβεῖ αὐτά καὶ ὁ ὀνειδίζων φίλον διαλύσει φιλίαν
Though thou drewest a sword at thy friend, yet despair not: for there may be a returning [to favour].
ἐπὶ φίλον ἐὰν σπάσῃς ῥομφαίαν μὴ ἀφελπίσῃς ἔστιν γὰρ ἐπάνοδος
If thou hast opened thy mouth against thy friend, fear not; for there may be a reconciliation: except for upbraiding, or pride, or disclosing of secrets, or a treacherous wound: for for these things every friend will depart.
ἐπὶ φίλον ἐὰν ἀνοίξῃς στόμα μὴ εὐλαβηθῇς ἔστιν γὰρ διαλλαγή πλὴν ὀνειδισμοῦ καὶ ὑπερηφανίας καὶ μυστηρίου ἀποκαλύψεως καὶ πληγῆς δολίας ἐν τούτοις ἀποφεύξεται πᾶς φίλος
Be faithful to thy neighbour in his poverty, that thou mayest rejoice in his prosperity: abide steadfast unto him in the time of his trouble, that thou mayest be heir with him in his heritage.
πίστιν κτῆσαι ἐν πτωχείᾳ μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἵνα ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς αὐτοῦ ὁμοῦ πλησθῇς ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως διάμενε αὐτῷ ἵνα ἐν τῇ κληρονομίᾳ αὐτοῦ συγκληρονομήσῃς
As the vapour and smoke of a furnace goeth before the fire; so reviling before blood.
πρὸ πυρὸς ἀτμὶς καμίνου καὶ καπνός οὕτως πρὸ αἱμάτων λοιδορίαι
I will not be ashamed to defend a friend; neither will I hide myself from him;
φίλον σκεπάσαι οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσομαι καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ κρυβῶ
and if any evil happen unto me by him, every one that heareth it will beware of him.
καὶ εἰ κακά μοι συμβήσεται δι᾿ αὐτόν πᾶς ὁ ἀκούων φυλάξεται ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ
Who shall set a watch before my mouth, and a seal of wisdom upon my lips, that I fall not suddenly by them, and that my tongue destroy me not?
τίς δώσει ἐπὶ στόμα μου φυλακὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν χειλέων μου σφραγῖδα πανοῦργον ἵνα μὴ πέσω ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς καὶ ἡ γλῶσσά μου ἀπολέσῃ με