1 σοφια ταπεινου ανυψωσει κεφαλην αυτου και εν μεσω μεγιστανων καθισει αυτον | 1 Wisdom enables the poor to stand erect, and gives to the poor a place with the great. |
2 μη αινεσης ανδρα εν καλλει αυτου και μη βδελυξη ανθρωπον εν ορασει αυτου | 2 Do not praise anyone for good looks, nor dislike anyone for mere appearance. |
3 μικρα εν πετεινοις μελισσα και αρχη γλυκασματων ο καρπος αυτης | 3 Smal among winged creatures is the bee but her produce is the sweetest of the sweet. |
4 εν περιβολη ιματιων μη καυχηση και εν ημερα δοξης μη επαιρου οτι θαυμαστα τα εργα κυριου και κρυπτα τα εργα αυτου ανθρωποις | 4 Do not grow proud when people honour you; for the works of the Lord are wonderful but hidden fromhuman beings. |
5 πολλοι τυραννοι εκαθισαν επι εδαφους ο δε ανυπονοητος εφορεσεν διαδημα | 5 Many monarchs have been made to sit on the ground, and the person nobody thought of has worn thecrown. |
6 πολλοι δυνασται ητιμασθησαν σφοδρα και ενδοξοι παρεδοθησαν εις χειρας ετερων | 6 Many influential people have been utterly disgraced, and prominent people have fal en into the power ofothers. |
7 πριν εξετασης μη μεμψη νοησον πρωτον και τοτε επιτιμα | 7 Do not find fault before making thorough enquiry; first reflect, then give a reprimand. |
8 πριν η ακουσαι μη αποκρινου και εν μεσω λογων μη παρεμβαλλου | 8 Listen before you answer, and do not interrupt a speech before it is finished. |
9 περι πραγματος ου ουκ εστιν σοι χρεια μη εριζε και εν κρισει αμαρτωλων μη συνεδρευε | 9 Do not wrangle about something that does not concern you, do not interfere in the quarrels of sinners. |
10 τεκνον μη περι πολλα εστωσαν αι πραξεις σου εαν πληθυνης ουκ αθωωθηση και εαν διωκης ου μη καταλαβης και ου μη εκφυγης διαδρας | 10 My child, do not take on a great amount of business; if you multiply your interests, you are bound to suffer for it; hurry as fast as you can, yet you wil never arrive, nor wil you escape by running away. |
11 εστιν κοπιων και πονων και σπευδων και τοσω μαλλον υστερειται | 11 Some people work very hard at top speed, only to find themselves fal ing further behind. |
12 εστιν νωθρος προσδεομενος αντιλημψεως υστερων ισχυι και πτωχεια περισσευει και οι οφθαλμοι κυριου επεβλεψαν αυτω εις αγαθα και ανωρθωσεν αυτον εκ ταπεινωσεως αυτου | 12 Or there is the slow kind of person, needing help, poor in possessions and rich in poverty; and theLord turns a favourable eye on him, lifts him out of his wretched condition, |
13 και ανυψωσεν κεφαλην αυτου και απεθαυμασαν επ' αυτω πολλοι | 13 and enables him to hold his head high, thus causing general astonishment. |
14 αγαθα και κακα ζωη και θανατος πτωχεια και πλουτος παρα κυριου εστιν | 14 Good and bad, life and death, poverty and wealth, al come from the Lord. |
15 - | 15 |
16 - | 16 |
17 δοσις κυριου παραμενει ευσεβεσιν και η ευδοκια αυτου εις τον αιωνα ευοδωθησεται | 17 To the devout the Lord's gift remains constant, and his favour will be there to lead them for ever. |
18 εστιν πλουτων απο προσοχης και σφιγγιας αυτου και αυτη η μερις του μισθου αυτου | 18 Others grow rich by pinching and scraping, and here is the reward they receive for it: |
19 εν τω ειπειν αυτον ευρον αναπαυσιν και νυν φαγομαι εκ των αγαθων μου και ουκ οιδεν τις καιρος παρελευσεται και καταλειψει αυτα ετεροις και αποθανειται | 19 although they say, 'Now I can sit back and enjoy the benefit of what I have got,' they do not know howlong this wil last; they will have to leave their goods to others and die. |
20 στηθι εν διαθηκη σου και ομιλει εν αυτη και εν τω εργω σου παλαιωθητι | 20 Stick to your job, work hard at it and grow old at your work. |
21 μη θαυμαζε εν εργοις αμαρτωλου πιστευε δε κυριω και εμμενε τω πονω σου οτι κουφον εν οφθαλμοις κυριου δια ταχους εξαπινα πλουτισαι πενητα | 21 Do not admire the achievements of sinners, trust the Lord and mind your own business; since it is atrifle in the eyes of the Lord, in a moment, suddenly to make the poor rich. |
22 ευλογια κυριου εν μισθω ευσεβους και εν ωρα ταχινη αναθαλλει ευλογιαν αυτου | 22 The blessing of the Lord is the reward of the devout, in a moment God brings his blessing to flower. |
23 μη ειπης τις εστιν μου χρεια και τινα απο του νυν εσται μου τα αγαθα | 23 Do not say, 'What are my needs, how much shal I have in the future?' |
24 μη ειπης αυταρκη μοι εστιν και τι απο του νυν κακωθησομαι | 24 And do not say, 'I am self-sufficient, what disaster can affect me now?' |
25 εν ημερα αγαθων αμνησια κακων και εν ημερα κακων ου μνησθησεται αγαθων | 25 In prosperous times, disasters are forgotten and in times of disaster, no one remembers prosperity. |
26 οτι κουφον εναντι κυριου εν ημερα τελευτης αποδουναι ανθρωπω κατα τας οδους αυτου | 26 Yet it is a trifle for the Lord on the day someone dies to repay him as his conduct deserves. |
27 κακωσις ωρας επιλησμονην ποιει τρυφης και εν συντελεια ανθρωπου αποκαλυψις εργων αυτου | 27 A moment's adversity, and pleasures are forgotten; in a person's last hour his deeds wil standrevealed. |
28 προ τελευτης μη μακαριζε μηδενα και εν τεκνοις αυτου γνωσθησεται ανηρ | 28 Cal no one fortunate before his death; it is by his end that someone wil be known. |
29 μη παντα ανθρωπον εισαγε εις τον οικον σου πολλα γαρ τα ενεδρα του δολιου | 29 Do not bring everyone home with you, for many are the traps of the crafty. |
30 περδιξ θηρευτης εν καρταλλω ουτως καρδια υπερηφανου και ως ο κατασκοπος επιβλεπει πτωσιν | 30 Like a captive partridge in a cage, so is the heart of the proud: like a spy he watches for your downfal , |
31 τα γαρ αγαθα εις κακα μεταστρεφων ενεδρευει και εν τοις αιρετοις επιθησει μωμον | 31 ever on the look-out, turning good into bad and finding fault with what is praiseworthy. |
32 απο σπινθηρος πυρος πληθυνεται ανθρακια και ανθρωπος αμαρτωλος εις αιμα ενεδρευει | 32 A hearthful of glowing coals starts from a single spark, and the sinner lurks for the chance to spilblood. |
33 προσεχε απο κακουργου πονηρα γαρ τεκταινει μηποτε μωμον εις τον αιωνα δω σοι | 33 Beware of a scoundrel and his evil contrivances, in case he puts a smear on you for ever. |
34 ενοικισον αλλοτριον και διαστρεψει σε εν ταραχαις και απαλλοτριωσει σε των ιδιων σου | 34 Give a home to a stranger and he wil start trouble and estrange you from your own family. |