Sirach 11

11The wisdom of the poor man lifteth up his head,

And causeth him to sit among princes.

Praise no man for his beauty,

And abhor no man for his appearance.

Of no account among flying things is the bee,

But her fruit is supreme among products.

Mock not the dress of the wretched,

And scoff notat those whose day is bitter:

For wondrous are the works of Jahveh,

And His operation is hid from man.

Many downtrodden have sat upon a throne,

And those who were never thought of have worn a crown.

Many exalted have suffered great abasement,

And also honourable been delivered up.

Before thou hast examined blame not;

Investigate first, and afterwards rebuke.

Answer not a word before thou hear,

And in the midst of a discourse speak not.

In a matter where thou art not affected, enter not into strife,

And with the quarrels of the arrogant meddle not.

My son, why multiply thy business ⁽unduly⁽?

But if thou so doest thou shalt not go unpunished.

If thou runnest thou shalt not attain,

And if thou seekest thou shalt not find.

There is one that toileth and laboureth and runneth,

And is so much the more behind.

There is ⁽another⁽ that is weak and wandering in misery,

Lacking in strength and abounding in frailty;

And the eye of Jahveh watcheth him for good,

And He shaketh him up out of the stinking dust.

He lifteth up his head and exalteth him,

So that many may marvel at him.

Good and evil, life and death,

Poverty and wealth come from Jahveh.

^[Wisdom and insight and discernment ‘of the Law’

Come from Jahveh:

Love and upright ways

Come from Jahveh.

Folly and darkness have been formed for sinners;

And as for evil-doers—evil abideth with them.^[

The gift of Jahveh abideth for the righteous,

And His good pleasure is ever successful.

There is that waxeth rich from self-denial,

And this is his allotted reward:

What time he saith: ‘I have found rest,

And now I will enjoy my goods’—

He knoweth not what lot shall befall;

He shall leave ⁽them⁽ to others and die.

My son, be steadfast in thy task and think thereon,

And grow old in thy work.

Marvel not at the doers of iniquity—

Trust in Jahveh and wait for His light;

For it is easy in Jahveh’s sight

Suddenly—in a moment—to make a poor man rich.

The blessing of God is the portion of the righteous,

And at the right timehis hope shall flourish.

Say not: ‘What is ⁽yet⁽ my desire?

And what henceforth is left unto me?’

Say not: ‘I have enough,

And what mischief can befall me?’

A day’s happiness maketh misfortune to be forgotten,

And a day’s misfortune maketh happiness to be forgotten.

For it is easy in Jahveh’s sight

At the end to requite a man according to his deeds.

An evil time causeth forgetfulness of delights,

And the last end of a man will tell of him.

Pronounce no man happy before his death;

For by his latter end a man shall be known.

Not every one is to be brought into the house—

And how many are the wounds of a slanderer!

As a decoy partridge in a cage, so is the heart of the insolent ⁽sinner⁽,

And as a spy that seeth the nakedness.

The backbiter turneth good into evil,

And in thy loveliest qualities he putteth a stain.

From a spark cometh much coal,

And a villain lieth in wait for blood.

Shrink from an evil man, for he begetteth evil—

Why shouldst thou incur a lasting blemish?

Let a stranger dwell with thee and he will estrange thy way of life,

And alienate thee from thine own house.