Old/New Testament
19 Better is a poor man, that goeth in his simpleness, than a rich man biting his lips, and unwise. (Better is a poor person, who goeth in his honesty, or in his integrity, than a rich person biting his lips, and unwise.)
2 Where is not knowing of the soul, there is not good; and he that is hasty, in feet hurteth. (A mind without knowledge is not good; and he who is hasty with his feet, sinneth.)
3 The folly of a man deceiveth his steps (A person’s foolishness perverteth his own way); and he burneth in his soul against God.
4 Riches increase full many friends; forsooth also they be departed from a poor man, which he had (but the friends which a poor person had, shall soon depart).
5 A false witness shall not be unpunished; and he that speaketh leasings, shall not escape. (A lying witness shall not go unpunished; and he who speaketh lies, shall not escape.)
6 Many men honour the person of a mighty man; and they be friends of him that dealeth (out) gifts.
7 The brethren of a poor man hate him; furthermore and the friends went away far from him. He that followeth words only, shall have nothing; (The brothers of a poor man hate him; and furthermore his friends shall go far away from him. He who followeth after only words, shall soon have nothing;)
8 but he that holdeth stably the mind, loveth his soul, and the keeper of prudence shall find goods. (but he who keepeth his mind stable, loveth, or helpeth, his own life, and the keeper of understanding, or of discernment, shall obtain good things.)
9 A false witness shall not be unpunished; and he that speaketh leasings, shall perish. (A lying witness shall not go unpunished; and he who speaketh lies, shall perish.)
10 Delights become not a fool; neither it becometh a servant to be (the) lord of princes.
11 The teaching of a man is known by patience; and his glory is to pass over wicked things. (Patience showeth a person’s wisdom, or the lack of it; and a person’s glory is to overlook a wrong.)
12 As the gnashing of a lion, so and the ire of the king; and as dew on herb, so and the gladness of the king. (Like the gnashing of a lion, is the king’s anger; and like the dew on the grass, is the king’s gladness.)
13 The sorrow of the father is a fond son; and roofs dropping continually is a woman full of chiding. (A father’s sorrow is a foolish son; and a woman full of arguments, or of bickering, is like a roof continually dripping water.)
14 Houses and riches be given of father and mother; but a prudent wife is given properly of the Lord. (Houses and riches be given to thee by thy father and mother; but a prudent wife cometh only from the Lord.)
15 Sloth bringeth in sleep; and a negligent soul shall have hunger.
16 He that keepeth the commandment of God, keepeth his soul; but he that chargeth not his way, shall be slain. (He who keepeth God’s commandments, keepeth his life safe; but he who despiseth the Lord’s way, shall die.)
17 He that hath mercy on a poor man, lendeth to the Lord (He who hath mercy on the poor, lendeth to the Lord); and he shall yield his while to him.
18 Teach thy son, and despair thou not; but set thou not thy soul to the slaying of him (but do not thou beat him).
19 Forsooth he that is unpatient, shall suffer harm; and when he hath ravished (one thing), he shall lay to another thing. (He who is ill-tempered, shall suffer harm; thou shalt help him once, and then thou shalt need to help him again, and again.)
20 Hear thou counsel, and take thou doctrine; that thou be wise in thy last things. (Listen thou to advice, and receive thou teaching, or instruction; so that thou shalt be wise until thy last breath.)
21 Many thoughts there be in the heart of a man; but the will of the Lord shall dwell. (There be many plans in a person’s heart; but the Lord’s purpose shall stand, yea, it shall prevail.)
22 A needy man is merciful; and better is a poor (but) just man, than a man (who is a) liar. (A person in need is merciful; and it is better to be poor but righteous, than to be a liar.)
23 Dread of the Lord leadeth to life; and he that dreadeth God shall dwell in plenty, without visiting of the worst/without full evil visiting. (Fear of the Lord leadeth to life; and he who feareth God shall live amidst plenty, without the visiting of the adversary./Reverence for the Lord leadeth to life; and he who revereth God shall live amidst plenty, without the assailing of great evil.)
24 A slow man, (that is, a lazy person,) hideth his hand under his armpit, and putteth it not to his mouth.
25 When a man full of pestilence is beaten, a fool shall be the wiser, (if he will but learn from his example, or from his experience). (But) If thou blamest a wise man, he shall understand (the) teaching.
26 He that tormenteth his father, and fleeth from his mother, shall be full of evil fame (shall be full of shame), and shall be cursed.
27 Son, cease thou not to hear teaching; and know thou the words of knowing. (My son, cease thou not to listen to instruction; and understand thou words of knowledge.)
28 A wicked witness scorneth doom; and the mouth of unpious men devoureth wickedness. (A false witness perverteth justice; and the mouths of the wicked devour wickedness.)
29 Dooms be made ready to scorners; and hammers smiting be made ready to the bodies of fools. (Justice, or judgement, is prepared for mockers; and striking hammers be prepared for the bodies of fools.)
20 Wine is a lecherous thing, and drunkenness is full of noise; whoever delighteth in these, shall not be wise.
2 As the roaring of a lion, so and the dread of a king (and so the king’s wrath); he that stirreth him to ire, sinneth against his (own) soul.
3 It is honour to a man that separateth himself from strivings; but fond men be meddled with despisings. (It is honourable for someone to separate himself from strife, or from arguments; but the foolish shall mix, or mingle, themselves in with arguments.)
4 A slow man would not ear for cold; therefore he shall beg in summer, and men shall not give to him. (A lazy person will not plow when it is cold; then at harvest time he shall beg, but others shall not give him anything.)
5 As deep water, so counsel is in the heart of a man; but a wise man shall draw it out. (Advice in a person’s heart can be like deep water/can be as deep as the water; but a wise person shall draw it out.)
6 Many men be called merciful; but who shall find a faithful man? (Many people be called, or be thought to be, merciful; but who shall truly find a faithful person?)
7 Forsooth a just man that goeth in his simpleness, shall leave blessed sons after him. (For a righteous person who goeth in his honesty, or in his integrity, shall leave blessed sons and daughters after him.)
8 A king that sitteth in the seat of doom, destroyeth all evil by his looking. (A king who sitteth on the seat of judgement, knoweth evil when he seeth it.)
9 Who may say, Mine heart is clean; I am clean of sin?
10 A weight, greater in buying, and a weight, less(er) in selling, a measure and a measure, ever either is abominable at God (these be abominable to God).
11 A child is understood by his studies (Even a child is known by his deeds), if his works be rightful and clean.
12 An ear hearing, and an eye seeing [The hearing ear, and the seeing eye], God made ever either (God made them both).
13 Do not thou love sleep, lest neediness oppress thee; open thine eyes, and be thou [ful]filled with loaves.
14 Each buyer saith, It is evil, it is evil; and when he hath gone away, then he shall have glory (but after he hath gone away, then he shall boast about it).
15 Gold, and the multitude of gems, and a precious vessel, be the lips of knowing (be the value of words of knowledge, or of wise words).
16 Take thou away the cloth of him that was (a) borrow of another man; and for strangers take thou away a wed from him. (Take thou the cloak of him who pledged for another person; and take thou a pledge from him for strangers.)
17 The bread of a leasing, that is, gotten by a leasing, is sweet to a man (Bread gotten by a lie, tasteth sweet to a person); and afterward his mouth shall be filled with reckoning [but afterward his mouth shall be filled with little pebble stones].
18 Thoughts be made strong by counsels; and battles shall be treated by governances. (Plans be made into successes by good advice; and battles be won by careful planning.)
19 Be thou not meddled with him that showeth privates, and goeth guilefully, and alargeth his lips. (Be thou not mixed in, or mingled, with him who telleth secrets, and goeth deceitfully, and flappeth his lips.)
20 The light of him that curseth his father and mother, shall be quenched in the midst of darknesses.
21 Heritage to which men hasteth (to get) in the beginning, shall want blessing in the last time. (An inheritance which someone hasteneth to get early, shall lack blessing in the end.)
22 Say thou not, I shall yield evil for evil; abide thou the Lord, and he shall deliver thee. (Say thou not, I shall give back evil for evil; wait thou for the Lord, and he shall save thee/and he shall rescue thee.)
23 Abomination with God is weight and weight; a guileful balance is not good. (An abomination with God is different weights; a deceitful scale is not good.)
24 The steps of man be (ad)dressed of the Lord; who forsooth of men may understand his way? (The steps of a person be directed by the Lord; for who can understand his own way?)
25 (A) Falling of man is to make (an) avow to (the) saints, and (then) afterward to withdraw the vows.
26 A wise king scattereth wicked men; and boweth a bow of victory, that is, a stone bow, over them.
27 The lantern of the Lord is the spirit of man, that seeketh out all the privates of the womb. (The spirit of people is the lantern of the Lord, and it seeketh out all our innermost secrets.)
28 Mercy and truth keep a king; and his throne is made strong by meekness. (Fairness and faithfulness, or loyalty, keep a king safe and secure; and his throne is made strong by humility, or by righteousness.)
29 The full out joying of young men is the strength of them; and the dignity of eld men is hoariness. (The rejoicing, or the glory, of young men is their strength; and the dignity of old men is their white, or gray, hair.)
30 The wanness of (a) wound shall wipe away evils, and (so do) wounds in the privier things of the womb. (Sometimes a deep, blue wound shall set someone straight, and sometimes so do wounds in the secret, or the innermost, places of the heart.)
21 As partings of waters, so the heart of the king is in the power of the Lord; whither ever he will, he shall bow it. (Like out-flowings of water, is the king’s heart in the Lord’s hand; he shall turn it wherever he will, or desireth.)
2 Each way of a man seemeth rightful to himself; but the Lord weigheth the hearts.
3 To do mercy and doom, pleaseth more the Lord, than sacrifices. (To do mercy and justice, that pleaseth the Lord more than sacrifices, or burnt offerings.)
4 Enhancing of eyes is [the] alarging of the heart; the lantern of wicked men is sin. (The raising up of the eyes, and the enlarging of the heart; such sins be the lantern of the wicked.)
5 The thoughts of a strong man be ever in abundance; but each slow man is ever in neediness. (The thoughts of a strong person be forevermore on abundance, or on plenty; but those of each person in haste be forevermore on neediness./Carefully-made plans shall be successful; but each person in haste shall be forever in need.)
6 He that gathereth treasures by the tongue of a lie maker, (or of a liar,) is vain, and without heart; and he shall be hurled to the snares of death.
7 The ravens of unpious men shall draw them down; for they would not do doom. (The robberies of the wicked shall pull them down; for what they do is wrong.)
8 The wayward way of a man is alien from God; but the work of him that is clean of sin, is rightful. (The evil way of a person is alien to God; but the work of him who is clean of sin, is upright.)
9 It is better to sit in the corner of an house without roof, than with a woman full of chiding, and in a common house. (It is better to sit in the corner of a house without a roof, than with a woman full of arguments, or of bickering, in a house together.)
10 The soul of an unpious man desireth evil; he shall not have mercy on his neighbour. (The soul of a wicked person desireth evil; he shall not even give mercy to his friend.)
11 When a man full of pestilence is punished, a little man of wit shall be wiser (even someone of little wit, or of low intelligence, shall be made the wiser); and if he followeth a wise man, he shall take knowing.
12 A just man of the house of a wicked man thinketh, to withdraw wicked men from evil. (The righteous think about the wicked in their houses, but it is God who shall throw down the wicked for their evil./The just God thinketh about the house of the wicked, and he shall throw down the wicked for their evil.)
13 He that stoppeth his ear at the cry of a poor man, shall cry also (shall also cry), and he shall not be heard.
14 A gift hid quencheth chidings (A secret gift quencheth arguments); and a gift in [the] bosom quencheth most indignation.
15 It is joy to a just man to make doom; and it is dread to them that work wickedness. (It is a joy for the righteous to see justice done; but judgement bringeth ruin to those who work wickedness.)
16 A man that erreth from the way of doctrine, shall dwell in the company of giants, that is, of men evil ruled, either of fiends. (Those who err, or who stray, from the way of doctrine, shall dwell in the company of the dead.)
17 He that loveth meats shall be in neediness (He who loveth too much food shall be in want); he that loveth wine and fat things, shall not be made rich.
18 An unpious man shall be given for a just man; and a wicked man shall be given for a rightful man. (An evil person shall be given as a ransom for a righteous person; and a wicked person shall be given as a ransom for an upright person.)
19 It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a woman full of chiding, and wrathful.
20 Desirable treasure and oil is in the dwelling place of a just man; and an unprudent man shall destroy it. (Desirable treasure and oil be in the dwelling place of the wise; but an imprudent person shall destroy it all.)
21 He that followeth rightfulness and mercy, shall find life, [and rightwiseness,] and glory.
22 A wise man ascended into the city of (the) strong men, and destroyed the strength of [the] trust thereof.
23 He that keepeth his mouth and his tongue (under control), keepeth his soul from anguishes.
24 A proud man and (a) boaster is called a fool, (for) that (he) worketh (his) pride in ire.
25 Desires slay a slow man; for his hands would not (do) work (of) anything. (Desires shall slay a lazy person; for his hands shall not do any work.)
26 All day he coveteth and desireth; but he that is a just man, shall give, and shall not cease. (All day long he wanteth, and longeth for; but he who is righteous, shall give, and shall never cease to give.)
27 The offerings of wicked men (The offerings of the wicked), that be offered (out) of great trespass, be abominable.
28 A false witness shall perish; a man obedient shall speak victory (but an honest person shall speak, and be rewarded).
29 A wicked man maketh firm his cheer unshamefastly; but he that is rightful, amendeth his way. (A wicked person unashamedly maketh firm his face, or is stubborn; but he who is upright, mendeth his way.)
30 No wisdom there is, no prudence there is, no counsel there is, against the Lord. (There is no wisdom, no understanding, no good advice, in being against the Lord.)
31 An horse is made ready to the day of battle; but the Lord shall give health. (A horse can be prepared for the day of battle; but victory cometh only from the Lord.)
7 Therefore, most dear-worthy brethren, we that have these promises, cleanse we us from all filth of the flesh and of the spirit, doing holiness in the dread of God.[a]
2 Take ye us; we have hurt no man, we have impaired no man [we have corrupted no man], we have beguiled no man.
3 I say not to your condemning; for I said before, that ye be in our hearts, to die together and to live together [to die together, and live together].
4 Much trust is to me with you, much glorying is to me for you. I am filled with comfort, I am plenteous [I abound, or am plenteous,] in joy in all our tribulation.
5 For when we were come to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we suffered all tribulation; withoutforth fightings, and dreads [were] within [forsooth withoutforth, fightings, withinforth, dreads].
6 But God that comforteth meek men, comforted us in the coming of Titus.
7 And not only in the coming of him, but also in the comfort by which he was comforted in you, telling to us your desire, your weeping, your love for me, so that I joyed more.
8 For though I made you sorry in an epistle, it rueth me not; though it rued, [I] seeing that though that epistle made you sorry at an hour,
9 now I have joy; not for ye were made sorrowful [not for ye were made sorry], but for ye were made sorrowful to penance. For why ye be made sorry after God, that in nothing ye suffer impairment of us.
10 For the sorrow that is after God, worketh penance into steadfast health; but sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For lo! this same thing, that ye be sorrowful after God, how much busyness it worketh in you; but defending, but indignation, but dread, but desire, but love, but vengeance. In all things ye have given yourselves to be undefouled in the cause.
12 Therefore though I wrote to you, I wrote not for him that did the injury, neither for him that suffered, but to show our busyness, which we have for you before God.
13 Therefore we be comforted, but in your comfort more plenteously we joyed more on the joy of Titus, for his spirit is fulfilled of all you.
14 And if I gloried any thing with him of you, I am not confounded [I am not confounded, or shamed]; but as we have spoken to you all things [in truth], so also our glory that was at Titus, is made truth.
15 And the inwardness of him be more plenteously in you [And the entrails of him be more plenteous in you], which hath in mind the obedience of you all, how with dread and trembling ye received him.
16 I have joy, that in all things I trust in you. [I joy, that in all things I trust in you.]
2001 by Terence P. Noble