Choosing a Latin motto for your life, from the Vulgate translation

[Jonathan Aquino]

Since the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible is easily available online, you can easily turn a favorite Bible passage into a Latin motto - a key to your life, so to speak. I think mine will be "Ex toto corde tuo" ("With all your heart", from Matthew 22:37).

What favorite biblical passage represents the key to your life?

[Allen Choong]

Thanks for your link. I can learn some latin words from the site. However, there are too many bible passages that I like. And there is no special passage that represents my key of life. But I can list one of them:
Proverb 17:3
"sicut igne probatur argentum et aurum camino ita corda probat Dominus"
As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace: so the Lord trieth the hearts

[Jonathan Aquino]

Very cool, Allen. A short version of your motto would be "Sicut igne probatur argentum" ("As silver is tried by fire"). Inspiring!

[Allen Choong]

I prefer the second part: "the Lord trieth the hearts". But not sure the latin motto should start from where, start from "ita" or "corda".

[Jonathan Aquino]

According to an English-Latin online translator, "ita" means "and so" or "thus".

So either is ok:
- Ita corda probat Dominus
- Corda probat Dominus

[Allen Choong]

Thanks for your explanation. So, "corda" means "heart". Is it?

[Jonathan Aquino]

Yep, that's correct:
ita = so
corda = heart
probat = tries
Dominus = the Lord

[Jeremy S.]

My "motto" is not from the bible and I used a free online translator to get it to Latin a couple of years ago, so it might not even be right:
In Commissum Quo Deus
On a mission from God...

A little spin off from the Blues Brothers Movies I guess. My thinking is that God put me here for a reason and that is my mission, so my life is essentially just a mission from God. Its not as deep as others I've heard, but it helps me keep motivated.

[Jonathan Aquino]

In Commissum Quo Deus - Nice one Jeremy!

[Joseph M. Suarez]

As a programmer, I would probably pick 1 Timothy 6:18:

Bene agere divites fieri in operibus bonis facile tribuere communicare.
"To do good, to be rich in good work, to give easily, to communicate to others."

I have also always been partial to Matthew 10:16:

Estote ergo prudentes sicut serpentes et simplices sicut columbae
"Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves."

It's hard to narrow it down. I'd probably have a "motto of the month."

[Jonathan Aquino]

Nice ones! And works for Python programmers!