Sirach 27

Many ^ahave sinned for a small matter;

And he that ^bseeketh for abundance will turn his eyes away.

²As a ^cnail sticketh fast between the joinings of the stones;

So ^ddoth sin stick close between buying and selling.

³Unless a man hold himself diligently in the fear of the Lord,

His house shall soon be overthrown.

⁴As when one sifteth with a sieve, the refuse remaineth;

So the ^efilth of man in his ⁱtalk.

^5fThe furnace proveth the potter’s vessels;

So ^kthe trial of man is in his ^greasoning.

^6hThe fruit declareth if the tree have been dressed;

So is the utterance of a conceit in the heart of man.

⁷Praise no man before thou hearest him ⁱspeak;

For ^kthis is the trial of men.

⁸If thou followest ^lrighteousness, thou shalt obtain her,

And ^lput her on, ^mas a glorious long robe.

⁹The birds will ⁿresort unto their like;

So will truth return unto them that practise in her.

¹⁰As ^othe lion lieth in wait for the prey;

So sin for them that work iniquity.

¹¹The discourse of a godly man is always with wisdom;

But a fool changeth as the moon.

¹²If thou be among the undiscreet, ^pobserve the time;

But be continually among men of understanding.

¹³The discourse of fools is irksome,

And their sport is in the ^qwantonness of sin.

^14rThe talk of him that sweareth much maketh the hair stand upright;

And their brawls make one stop his ears.

¹⁵The strife of the proud is bloodshedding,

And their revilings are grievous to the ear.

^16sWhoso discovereth secrets loseth his credit;

And shall never find friend to his mind.

¹⁷Love thy friend, and be faithful unto him:

But ^sif thou ^tbewrayest his secrets, ^ufollow no more after him.

¹⁸For as a man hath destroyed his enemy;

So hast thou lost the love of thy neighbour.

^19xAs one that letteth a bird go out of his hand,

So hast thou let thy neighbour go, and shalt not get him again

^20uFollow after him no more, for he is too far off;

He is as a roe escaped out of the snare.

²¹As for a wound, it may be bound up;

And after reviling there may be ^yreconcilement:

But ^she that ^tbewrayeth secrets is without hope.

²²He that ^zwinketh with the eyes worketh evil:

And he that knoweth him will depart from him.

²³When thou art present, ^ahe will speak sweetly,

And will admire thy words:

But at the last he will writhe his mouth,

And slander thy sayings.

²⁴I have hated many things, but nothing like him;

For the Lord will hate him.

²⁵Whoso casteth a stone on high ^bcasteth it on his own head;

And a deceitful stroke shall make wounds.

^26cWhoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein:

And he that setteth ^da trap shall be taken therein.

²⁷He that worketh mischief, it shall fall upon him,

And he shall not know whence it cometh.

²⁸Mockery and reproach are from the proud;

But ^evengeance, as ^fa lion, shall lie in wait for them.

²⁹They that rejoice at the fall of the righteous shall be ^dtaken in the snare;

And anguish shall consume them before they die.

^30gMalice and wrath, even these are abominations;

And the sinful man shall have them both.

XXVIII.