| 1 Honra al médico por los servicios que presta, | que también a él lo creó el Señor. | 1 Honor the physician with the honor due him, according to your need of him, for the Lord created him; |
| 2 Del Altísimo viene la curación, | y del rey se reciben las dádivas. | 2 for healing comes from the Most High, and he will receive a gift from the king. |
| 3 La ciencia del médico le hace erguir la cabeza, | y es admirado por los poderosos. | 3 The skill of the physician lifts up his head, and in the presence of great men he is admired. |
| 4 El Señor hace que la tierra produzca remedios, | y el hombre prudente no los desprecia. | 4 The Lord created medicines from the earth, and a sensible man will not despise them. |
| 5 ¿Acaso no endulzó el agua con un leño, | para que se conociera su poder? | 5 Was not water made sweet with a tree in order that his power might be known? |
| 6 Él es quien da la ciencia a los humanos, | para que lo glorifiquen por sus maravillas. | 6 And he gave skill to men that he might be glorified in his marvelous works. |
| 7 Con sus medios el médico cura y elimina el sufrimiento, | con ellos el farmacéutico prepara sus mezclas. | 7 By them he heals and takes away pain; |
| 8 Y así nunca se acaban las obras del Señor, | de él procede el bienestar sobre toda la tierra. | 8 the pharmacist makes of them a compound. His works will never be finished; and from him health is upon the face of the earth. |
| 9 Hijo, en tu enfermedad, no te desanimes, | sino ruega al Señor, que él te curará. | 9 My son, when you are sick do not be negligent, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you. |
| 10 Aparta tus faltas, corrige tus acciones | y purifica tu corazón de todo pecado. | 10 Give up your faults and direct your hands aright, and cleanse your heart from all sin. |
| 11 Ofrece incienso, un memorial de flor de harina | y ofrendas generosas según tus medios. | 11 Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial portion of fine flour, and pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford. |
| 12 Luego recurre al médico, pues también a él lo creó el Señor; | que no se aparte de tu lado, pues lo necesitas: | 12 And give the physician his place, for the Lord created him; let him not leave you, for there is need of him. |
| 13 hay ocasiones en que la curación está en sus manos. | | 13 There is a time when success lies in the hands of physicians, |
| 14 También ellos rezan al Señor, | para que les conceda poder aliviar el dolor, | curar la enfermedad y salvar tu vida. | 14 for they too will pray to the Lord that he should grant them success in diagnosis and in healing, for the sake of preserving life. |
| 15 El que peca contra su Hacedor | ¡caiga en manos del médico! | 15 He who sins before his Maker, may he fall into the care of a physician. |
| 16 Hijo, por un muerto derrama lágrimas, | y como quien sufre atrozmente, entona un lamento; | amortaja el cadáver como es debido, | y no descuides su sepultura. | 16 My son, let your tears fall for the dead, and as one who is suffering grievously begin the lament. Lay out his body with the honor due him, and do not neglect his burial. |
| 17 Llora amargamente, date fuertes golpes de pecho, | celebra el duelo según su dignidad: | un día o dos para evitar murmuraciones, | pero luego consuélate de tu tristeza. | 17 Let your weeping be bitter and your wailing fervent; observe the mourning according to his merit, for one day, or two, to avoid criticism; then be comforted for your sorrow. |
| 18 Porque la tristeza lleva a la muerte, | y la pena del corazón consume las fuerzas. | 18 For sorrow results in death, and sorrow of heart saps one's strength. |
| 19 En la desgracia se prolonga la pena, | la vida del pobre le aflige el corazón. | 19 In calamity sorrow continues, and the life of the poor man weighs down his heart. |
| 20 No te abandones a la tristeza, | apártala, pensando en el final. | 20 Do not give your heart to sorrow; drive it away, remembering the end of life. |
| 21 No olvides que no hay retorno; | al difunto no le aprovecha tu tristeza y a ti te perjudicas. | 21 Do not forget, there is no coming back; you do the dead no good, and you injure yourself. |
| 22 Recuerda mi sentencia, que será también la tuya: | «a mí me tocó ayer, a ti te toca hoy». | 22 "Remember my doom, for yours is like it: yesterday it was mine, and today it is yours." |
| 23 Con el descanso del muerto haz que descanse su memoria, | consuélate de él, una vez que ha dejado de existir. | 23 When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance cease, and be comforted for him when his spirit is departed. |
| 24 La sabiduría del escriba se adquiere en los ratos de ocio, | el que se libera de los negocios se hará sabio. | 24 The wisdom of the scribe depends on the opportunity of leisure; and he who has little business may become wise. |
| 25 ¿Cómo podrá llegar a sabio el que empuña el arado, | y alardea de tener por lanza la aguijada, | el que conduce bueyes, los arrea mientras trabajan | y no sabe hablar más que de novillos? | 25 How can he become wise who handles the plow, and who glories in the shaft of a goad, who drives oxen and is occupied with their work, and whose talk is about bulls? |
| 26 Se dedica con empeño a abrir surcos | y se desvela cebando terneras. | 26 He sets his heart on plowing furrows, and he is careful about fodder for the heifers. |
| 27 De igual modo el obrero o artesano | que trabaja noche y día; | los que graban las efigies de los sellos | y se afanan por variar los detalles; | ponen todo su empeño en igualar el modelo | y pasan las noches rematando la obra. | 27 So too is every craftsman and master workman who labors by night as well as by day; those who cut the signets of seals, each is diligent in making a great variety; he sets his heart on painting a lifelike image, and he is careful to finish his work. |
| 28 También al herrero sentado junto al yunque, | atento a los trabajos del hierro: | el vapor del fuego le perjudica la carne | y en el calor de la fragua se fatiga; | el ruido del martillo lo ensordece | y sus ojos están fijos en el modelo de la herramienta; | se esfuerza por concluir su obra | y pasa sus noches puliendo todos los detalles. | 28 So too is the smith sitting by the anvil, intent upon his handiwork in iron; the breath of the fire melts his flesh, and he wastes away in the heat of the furnace; he inclines his ear to the sound of the hammer, and his eyes are on the pattern of the object. He sets his heart on finishing his handiwork, and he is careful to complete its decoration. |
| 29 Igualmente el alfarero sentado a su tarea, | haciendo girar el torno con sus pies, | continuamente preocupado por su trabajo | y atareado en producir más cantidad de piezas; | 29 So too is the potter sitting at his work and turning the wheel with his feet; he is always deeply concerned over his work, and all his output is by number. |
| 30 con su brazo moldea la arcilla, | con sus pies ablanda su dureza; | se esfuerza por acabar el barnizado | y pasa sus noches limpiando el horno. | 30 He moulds the clay with his arm and makes it pliable with his feet; he sets his heart to finish the glazing, and he is careful to clean the furnace. |
| 31 Todos estos confían en sus manos, | y cada uno es experto en su oficio. | 31 All these rely upon their hands, and each is skilful in his own work. |
| 32 Sin ellos no se podría construir una ciudad, | ni se podría habitar ni circular por ella. | 32 Without them a city cannot be established, and men can neither sojourn nor live there. |
| 33 Pero no se les busca para el consejo del pueblo, | ni ocupan puestos de honor en la asamblea. | No se sientan en el sitial del juez, | ni comprenden las disposiciones del derecho. | 33 Yet they are not sought out for the council of the people, nor do they attain eminence in the public assembly. They do not sit in the judge's seat, nor do they understand the sentence of judgment; they cannot expound discipline or judgment, and they are not found using proverbs. |
| 34 No son capaces de enseñar ni de juzgar, | ni figuran entre los autores de proverbios. | Pero ellos aseguran el funcionamiento del mundo | y su preocupación está en las tareas de su oficio. | 34 But they keep stable the fabric of the world, and their prayer is in the practice of their trade. |
