Sirach 27

27Many have sinned for the sake of gain;

And he that seeketh to multiply ⁽gain⁽ turneth away his eye.

A nail sticketh fast between the joinings of stones,

And sin will thrust itself in between buyer and seller.

My son, if thou hold not diligently to the fear of the Lord,

Thy house will soon be overthrown.

When a sieve is shaken, the refuse remaineth;

So ⁽it is with⁽ the filth of man in his reasoning.

The furnace proveth the potter’s vessels,

And the trying of a man ⁽is done⁽ by examining him.

Upon the cultivation of the tree dependeth the fruit;

So ⁽dependeth⁽ man’s thought upon his nature.

Praise no man before taking stock ⁽of him⁽,

For this ⁽is⁽ the ⁽way to make⁽ trial of men.

If thou follow after righteousness, thou wilt attain,

And put it on as a robe of glory.

Every bird dwelleth with its kind,

And truth returneth to them who practise her.

The lion lieth in wait for prey;

So do sins for those who work iniquity.

The discourse of the wise man continuethin wisdom,

But the fool changeth as the moon.

In the midst of fools watch closely the time,

But among the wise abide continually.

The discourse of fools is an annoyance,

And their laughter is sinful wantonness.

The oath of the godless maketh the hair stand upright;

Their strife maketh one stop his ears.

The strife of the proud is shedding of blood,

And their reviling is grievous hearing.

He who revealeth secrets loseth credit,

And he findeth no friend to his mind.

Prove a friend, and keep faith with him,

But if thou reveal his secrets, follow not after him;

For as a man that hath destroyed his inheritance,

So hast thou destroyed the friendship of thy neighbour.

And as a bird which thou hast loosed out of thy hand,

So hast thou let thy neighbour go, and thou wilt not catch him again.

Pursue him not, for he is gone far away,

And hath escaped like a gazelle out of a snare.

For a wound may be bound up, and for slander there is reconciliation,

But he that revealeth secrets hath no hope.

He that winketh with his eye planneth evil things,

And he that knoweth him keepeth far from him.

Before thy face he speaketh sweetly,

And will admire thy words;

But afterward he will alter his speech,

And with thy words will make a stumbling-block.

Many things I hate, but nothing like him,

And the Lord will hate him ⁽too⁽, and curse him.

He that casteth a stone on highcasteth it on his own head,

And a deceitful blow apportions wounds to the deceiver.

He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it;

And he that setteth a snare shall be taken therein.

He that doeth evil things, they shall roll upon him,

And he will not know whence they came to him.

Mockery and reproach ⁽are the lot⁽ of the proud,

And vengeance, like a lion, lieth in wait for them.

They that rejoice at the fall of the godly shall be taken in a snare,

And anguish shall consume them ere they die.

Wrath and anger, these also are abominations,

And a sinful man clingeth to them.