Proverbs Chapter 2

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,
2 That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: incline thy heart to know prudence.
3 For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:
4 If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God:
6 Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.
7 He wilt keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity,
8 Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.

10 If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:
11 Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,
12 That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:
13 Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:
14 Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the most wicked things:
15 Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.
16 That thou mayst be delivered from the strange woman, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words;
17 And forsaketh the guide of her youth,
18 And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell.
19 None that go in unto her, shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life.
20 That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.
21 For they that are upright, shall dwell in the earth; and the simple shall continue in it.
22 But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly, shall be taken away from it.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Fili mi, si susceperis sermones meos,
et mandata mea absconderis penes te:
2 ut audiat sapientiam auris tua,
inclina cor tuum ad cognoscendam prudentiam.
3 Si enim sapientiam invocaveris,
et inclinaveris cor tuum prudentiæ;
4 si quæsieris eam quasi pecuniam,
et sicut thesauros effoderis illam:
5 tunc intelliges timorem Domini,
et scientiam Dei invenies,
6 quia Dominus dat sapientiam,
et ex ore ejus prudentia et scientia.
7 Custodiet rectorum salutem,
et proteget gradientes simpliciter,
8 servans semitas justitiæ,
et vias sanctorum custodiens.
9 Tunc intelliges justitiam, et judicium,
et æquitatem, et omnem semitam bonam.

10 Si intraverit sapientia cor tuum,
et scientia animæ tuæ placuerit,
11 consilium custodiet te,
et prudentia servabit te:
12 ut eruaris a via mala,
et ab homine qui perversa loquitur;
13 qui relinquunt iter rectum,
et ambulant per vias tenebrosas;
14 qui lætantur cum malefecerint,
et exsultant in rebus pessimis;
15 quorum viæ perversæ sunt,
et infames gressus eorum.
16 Ut eruaris a muliere aliena,
et ab extranea quæ mollit sermones suos,
17 et relinquit ducem pubertatis suæ,
18 et pacti Dei sui oblita est.
Inclinata est enim ad mortem domus ejus,
et ad inferos semitæ ipsius.
19 Omnes qui ingrediuntur ad eam non revertentur,
nec apprehendent semitas vitæ.
20 Ut ambules in via bona,
et calles justorum custodias:
21 qui enim recti sunt habitabunt in terra,
et simplices permanebunt in ea;
22 impii vero de terra perdentur,
et qui inique agunt auferentur ex ea.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition

CONTACT US