Sirach 19–20

Chapter 19

A workman that is a drunkard shall not be rich: and he that contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little.

²Wine and women make wise men fall off, and shall rebuke the prudent:

³And he that joineth himself to harlots, will be wicked. Rottenness and worms shall inherit him, and he shall be lifted up for a greater example, and his soul shall be taken away out of the number.

⁴He that is hasty to give credit, is light of heart, and shall be lessened: and he that sinneth against his own soul, shall be despised.

⁵He that rejoiceth in iniquity, shall be censured, and he that hateth chastisement, shall have less life: and he that hateth babbling, extinguisheth evil.

⁶He that sinneth against his own soul, shall repent: and he that is delighted with wickedness, shall be condemned.

⁷Rehearse not again a wicked and harsh word, and thou shalt not fare the worse.

⁸Tell not thy mind to friend or foe: and if there be a sin with thee, disclose it not.

⁹For he will hearken to thee, and will watch thee, and as it were defending thy sin he will hate thee, and so will he be with thee always.

¹⁰Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbour? let it die within thee, trusting that it will not burst thee.

¹¹At the hearing of a word the fool is in travail, as a woman groaning in the bringing forth a child.

¹²As an arrow that sticketh in a man’s thigh: so is a word in the heart of a fool.

¹³Reprove a friend, lest he may not have understood, and say: I did it not: or if he did it, that he may do it no more.

¹⁴Reprove thy neighbour, for it may be he hath not said it: and if he hath said it, that he may not say it again.

¹⁵Admonish thy friend: for there is often a fault committed.

¹⁶And believe not every word. There is one, that slippeth with the tongue, but not from his heart.

¹⁷For who is there that hath not offended with his tongue? Admonish thy neighbour before thou threaten him.

¹⁸And give place to the fear of the most High: for the fear of God is all wisdom, and therein is to fear God, and the disposition of the law is in all wisdom.

¹⁹But the learning of wickedness is not wisdom: and the device of sinners is not prudence.

²⁰There is a subtle wickedness, and the same is detestable: and there is a man that is foolish, wanting in wisdom.

²¹Better is a man that hath less wisdom, and wanteth understanding, with the fear of God, than he that aboundeth in understanding, and transgresseth the law of the most High.

²²There is an exquisite subtilty, and the same is unjust.

²³And there is one that uttereth an exact word telling the truth. There is one that humbleth himself wickedly, and his interior is full of deceit:

²⁴And there is one that submitteth himself exceedingly with a great lowliness: and there is one that casteth down his countenance, and maketh as if he did not see that which is unknown:

²⁵And if he be hindered from sinning for want of power, if he shall find opportunity to do evil, he will do it.

²⁶A man is known by his look, and a wise man, when thou meetest him, is known by his countenance.

²⁷The attire of the body, and the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of the man, shew what he is.

²⁸There is a lying rebuke in the anger of an injurious man: and there is a judgment that is not allowed to be good: and there is one that holdeth his peace, he is wise.

Chapter 20

How much better is it to reprove, than to be angry, and not to hinder him that confesseth in prayer.

²The lust of an eunuch shall deflour a young maiden:

³So is he that by violence executeth of the unwise.

⁴How good is it, when thou art reproved, to shew repentance! for so thou shalt escape wilful sin.

⁵There is one that holdeth his peace, that is found wise: and there is another that is hateful, that is bold in speech.

⁶There is one that holdeth his peace, because he knoweth not what to say: and there is another that holdeth his peace, knowing the proper time.

⁷A wise man will hold his peace till he see opportunity: but a babbler, and a fool, will regard no time.

⁸He that useth many words shall hurt his own soul: and he that taketh authority to himself unjustly shall be hated.

⁹There is success in evil things to a man without discipline, and there is a finding that turneth to loss.

¹⁰There is a gift that is not profitable: and there is a gift, the recompense of which is double.

¹¹There is an abasement because of glory: and there is one that shall lift up his head from a low estate.

¹²There is that buyeth much for a small price, and restoreth the same sevenfold.

¹³A man wise in words shall make himself beloved: but the graces of fools shall be poured out.

¹⁴The gift of the fool shall do thee no good: for his eyes are sevenfold.

¹⁵He will give a few things, and upbraid much: and the opening of his mouth is the kindling of a fire.

¹⁶To day a man lendeth, and to morrow he asketh it again: such a man as this is hateful.

¹⁷A fool shall have no friend, and there shall be no thanks for his good deeds.

¹⁸For they that eat his bread, are of a false tongue. How often, and how many will laugh him to scorn!

¹⁹For he doth not distribute with right understanding that which was to be had: in like manner also that which was not to be had.

²⁰The slipping of a false tongue is as one that falleth on the pavement: so the fall of the wicked shall come speedily.

²¹A man without grace is as a vain fable, it shall be continually in the mouth of the unwise.

²²A parable coming out of a fool’s mouth shall be rejected: for he doth not speak it in due season.

²³There is that is hindered from sinning through want, and in his rest he shall be pricked.

²⁴There is that will destroy his own soul through shamefacedness, and by occasion of an unwise person he will destroy it: and by respect of person he will destroy himself.

²⁵There is that for bashfulness promiseth to his friend, and maketh him his enemy for nothing.

²⁶A lie is a foul blot in a man, and yet it will be continually in the mouth of men without discipline.

²⁷A thief is better than a man that is always lying: but both of them shall inherit destruction.

²⁸The manners of lying men are without honour: and their confusion is with them without ceasing.

²⁹A wise man shall advance himself with his words, and a prudent man shall please the great ones.

³⁰He that tilleth his land shall make a high heap of corn: and he that worketh justice shall be exalted: and he that pleaseth great men shall escape iniquity.

³¹Presents and gifts blind the eyes of judges, and make them dumb in the mouth, so that they cannot correct.

³²O Wisdom that is hid, and treasure that is not seen: what profit is there in them both?

³³Better is he that hideth his folly, than the man that hideth his wisdom.