Sirach 33

^aThere shall no evil happen unto him that feareth the Lord;

But ^bin temptation even again he will deliver him.

²A wise man hateth not the law;

But ^che that is a hypocrite therein is ^das a ship in a storm.

³A man of understanding trusteth in the law;

And the law is faithful unto him, as an oracle.

⁴Prepare what to say, and so thou shalt be heard:

And bind up instruction, and then make answer.

⁵The heart of the foolish is like ^da cartwheel;

And his thoughts are like ^da rolling axletree.

⁶A stallion horse is as a mocking friend,

He neigheth under every one that sitteth upon him.

⁷Why doth one day excel another,

When as all the light of every day in the year is of the sun?

⁸By the knowledge of the Lord they were distinguished:

And he ^ealtered seasons and feasts.

⁹Some of them hath he made high days, and ^fhallowed them,

And some of them hath he made ordinary days.

¹⁰And all men are from the ground,

And ^gAdam was created of earth.

¹¹In much knowledge the Lord hath divided them,

And ^emade their ways diverse.

¹²Some of them hath he blessed and exalted,

And some of them hath he sanctified, and set near himself:

But some of them hath he cursed and brought low,

And turned out of their places.

^13hAs the clay is in the potter’s hand,

To fashion it at his pleasure:

So man is in the hand of him that made him,

To render to them as liketh him best.

¹⁴Good is set against evil,

And life against death:

So is the godly against the sinner,

And the sinner against the godly.

¹⁵So look upon all the works of the most High;

And there are ⁱtwo and two, one against another.

¹⁶I awaked up ^klast of all,

^lAs one that gathereth after the grapegatherers:

By the blessing of the Lord I profited,

And filled my ^mwinepress like a gatherer of grapes.

¹⁷Consider ⁿthat I laboured not for myself only,

But for all them that seek learning.

¹⁸Hear me, O ye great men of the people,

And hearken with your ears, ye rulers of the congregation.

¹⁹Give not ^othy son and wife, thy brother and friend, power over thee while thou livest,

And give not thy goods to another:

Lest it repent thee, and thou intreat for the same again.

²⁰As long as thou livest and hast breath in thee,

Give not thyself over to any.

²¹For better it is that thy children should seek to thee,

Than that thou shouldest stand to their courtesy.

²²In all thy works keep to thyself the pre-eminence;

Leave not a stain in thine honour.

²³At the time when thou shalt end thy days,

And finish thy life, distribute thine inheritance.

²⁴Fodder, a wand, and burdens, are for the ass;

And bread, correction, and work, for a servant.

²⁵If thou ^pset thy servant to labour, thou shalt find rest:

But if thou let him go idle, he shall seek liberty.

²⁶A yoke and a collar do bow the neck:

^qSo are tortures and torments for an evil servant.

²⁷Send him to labour, that he be not idle;

For idleness teacheth much evil.

²⁸Set him to work, as is fit for him:

If he be not obedient, put on more heavy fetters.

²⁹But be not excessive toward any;

And ^rwithout discretion do nothing.

^30sIf thou have a servant, let him be unto thee as thyself,

Because thou hast bought him with a price.

³¹If thou have a servant, entreat him as a brother:

For thou hast need of him, as of thine own soul:

^rIf thou entreat him evil, and he run from thee,

Which way wilt thou go to seek him?

XXXIV.