Sirach 14

^aBlessed is the man that hath not ^abslipt with his mouth,

And is not ^cpricked with the multitude of sins.

^2dBlessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him,

And who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord.

³Riches are not comely for a niggard:

And what should an envious man do with money?

⁴He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul ^egathereth for others,

That shall spend his goods riotously.

⁵He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good?

He shall not take pleasure in his goods.

⁶There is none worse than he that envieth himself;

And this is a recompence of his wickedness.

⁷And if he doeth good, he doeth it unwillingly;

And ^fat the last he will declare his wickedness.

⁸The envious man hath a wicked eye;

He turneth away his face, and despiseth men.

⁹A covetous man’s eye ^gis not satisfied with his ^pportion;

And the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his soul.

^10hA wicked eye ⁱenvieth his bread,

And he is a niggard at his table.

¹¹My son, according to thy ability do good to thyself,

And ^kgive the Lord his due offering.

¹²Remember that death will not be long in coming,

And that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee.

^13lDo good unto thy friend before thou die,

And according to thy ^mability stretch out ⁿthy hand and give to him.

^14oDefraud not thyself of the good day,

And let not the ^ppart of a good desire overpass thee.

^15eShalt thou not leave thy travails unto another?

And thy labours to be divided by lot?

¹⁶Give, and take, and sanctify thy soul;

For there is no seeking of dainties in the grave.

¹⁷All flesh ^qwaxeth old as a garment:

For the covenant from the beginning is, ^rThou shalt die the death.

¹⁸As of the green leaves on a thick tree,

Some fall, and some grow;

So is the generation of ^sflesh and blood,

^tOne cometh to an end, and another is born.

¹⁹Every work rotteth and consumeth away,

And the worker thereof shall go withal.

^20uBlessed is the man that doth meditate good things in wisdom,

And that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding.

^21xHe that considereth her ways in his heart

Shall also have understanding in her secrets.

²²Go after her as one that traceth,

And lie in wait in her ways.

²³He that ^yprieth in at her windows

^zShall also hearken at her doors.

²⁴He that doth lodge near her house

Shall also fasten a ^apin in her walls.

²⁵He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her,

And ^bshall lodge in a lodging where good things are.

²⁶He shall set his children under her shelter,

And shall lodge under her branches.

²⁷By her he shall be ^ccovered from heat,

And in her glory shall he dwell.

XV.