Sirach 37

Every friend saith, I am his friend also:

But there is a friend, which is only a friend in name.

²Is it not a grief unto death,

When a companion and friend is turned to an enemy?

³O wicked imagination, whence camest thou in

To cover the earth with deceit?

^4aThere is a companion, which rejoiceth in the prosperity of a friend,

But in the time of trouble will be against him.

⁵There is a companion, which helpeth his friend for the belly,

And taketh up the buckler against the enemy.

⁶Forget not thy friend in thy mind,

And be not unmindful of him ^bin thy riches.

⁷Every counseller extolleth counsel;

But there is some that counselleth for himself.

⁸Beware of a counseller,

And know before what need he hath;

(For he will counsel for himself)

Lest he ^ccast the lot upon thee,

⁹And say unto thee, Thy way is good:

And afterward he stand on the other side, to see what shall befall thee.

¹⁰Consult not with one that suspecteth thee:

And hide thy counsel from such as envy thee.

¹¹Neither consult with ^da woman touching her of whom she is jealous;

Neither with a coward in matters of war;

Nor ^ewith a merchant concerning exchange;

Nor with a buyer of selling;

Nor with an envious man of thankfulness;

Nor with an unmerciful man touching kindness;

Nor with the slothful for any work;

Nor with a hireling for a year, of finishing work;

Nor with an idle servant of much business:

^fHearken not unto these in any matter of counsel.

¹²But be continually with a godly man,

Whom thou knowest to keep the commandments of the Lord,

Whose mind is ^gaccording to thy mind,

And ^hwill sorrow with thee, if thou shalt miscarry.

¹³And let the counsel of thine own heart stand:

For there is no man more faithful unto thee than it.

¹⁴For a man’s mind is sometime wont to tell him more

Than ⁱseven ^kwatchmen, that sit above in a high tower.

¹⁵And above all this pray to the most High,

That he will direct thy way in truth.

¹⁶Let reason go before every enterprise,

And counsel before every action.

¹⁷The countenance is a sign of changing of the heart.

^18lFour manner of things appear: good and evil, life and death:

But ^mthe tongue ruleth over them continually.

¹⁹There is one that is ⁿwise and teacheth many,

And ^oyet is ^punprofitable to himself.

²⁰There is one that sheweth wisdom in words, and is hated:

He shall be destitute of all food.

²¹For grace is not given him from the Lord;

Because he is deprived of all wisdom.

^22pAnother is wise to himself;

And the fruits of understanding are commendable in his mouth.

²³A wise man instructeth his people;

And the fruits of his understanding fail not.

²⁴A wise man shall be filled with blessing;

And all they that see him ^qshall count him happy.

²⁵The days of the life of man may be numbered:

But the days of Israel are innumerable.

²⁶A wise man ^rshall inherit ^sglory among his people,

And his name shall be perpetual.

²⁷My son, prove thy soul in thy life,

And see what is evil for it,

And give not that unto it.

²⁸For ^tall things are not profitable for all men,

Neither hath every soul pleasure in every thing.

^29uBe not unsatiable in any dainty thing,

Nor too greedy upon meats:

³⁰For excess of meats bringeth ^xsickness,

And ^xsurfeiting will turn into choler.

³¹By surfeiting have many perished;

But he that taketh heed prolongeth his life.

XXXVIII.