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#Post#: 13425--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:08 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 11 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Deceptiveness of Appearances
11 The wisdom of the humble lifts their heads high,
and seats them among the great.
2 Do not praise individuals for their good looks,
or loathe anyone because of appearance alone.
3 The bee is small among flying creatures,
but what it produces is the best of sweet things.
4 Do not boast about wearing fine clothes,
and do not exalt yourself when you are honored;
for the works of the Lord are wonderful,
and his works are concealed from humankind.
5 Many kings have had to sit on the ground,
but one who was never thought of has worn a crown.
6 Many rulers have been utterly disgraced,
and the honored have been handed over to others.
Deliberation and Caution
7 Do not find fault before you investigate;
examine first, and then criticize.
8 Do not answer before you listen,
and do not interrupt when another is speaking.
9 Do not argue about a matter that does not concern you,
and do not sit with sinners when they judge a case.
10 My child, do not busy yourself with many matters;
if you multiply activities, you will not be held blameless.
If you pursue, you will not overtake,
and by fleeing you will not escape.
11 There are those who work and struggle and hurry,
but are so much the more in want.
12 There are others who are slow and need help,
who lack strength and abound in poverty;
but the eyes of the Lord look kindly upon them;
he lifts them out of their lowly condition
13 and raises up their heads
to the amazement of the many.
14 Good things and bad, life and death,
poverty and wealth, come from the Lord.[a]
17 The Lord’s gift remains with the devout,
and his favor brings lasting success.
18 One becomes rich through diligence and self-denial,
and the reward allotted to him is this:
19 when he says, “I have found rest,
and now I shall feast on my goods!”
he does not know how long it will be
until he leaves them to others and dies.
20 Stand by your agreement and attend to it,
and grow old in your work.
21 Do not wonder at the works of a sinner,
but trust in the Lord and keep at your job;
for it is easy in the sight of the Lord
to make the poor rich suddenly, in an instant.
22 The blessing of the Lord is[b] the reward of the pious,
and quickly God causes his blessing to flourish.
23 Do not say, “What do I need,
and what further benefit can be mine?”
24 Do not say, “I have enough,
and what harm can come to me now?”
25 In the day of prosperity, adversity is forgotten,
and in the day of adversity, prosperity is not remembered.
26 For it is easy for the Lord on the day of death
to reward individuals according to their conduct.
27 An hour’s misery makes one forget past delights,
and at the close of one’s life one’s deeds are revealed.
28 Call no one happy before his death;
by how he ends, a person becomes known.[c]
Care in Choosing Friends
29 Do not invite everyone into your home,
for many are the tricks of the crafty.
30 Like a decoy partridge in a cage, so is the mind of the
proud,
and like spies they observe your weakness;[d]
31 for they lie in wait, turning good into evil,
and to worthy actions they attach blame.
32 From a spark many coals are kindled,
and a sinner lies in wait to shed blood.
33 Beware of scoundrels, for they devise evil,
and they may ruin your reputation forever.
34 Receive strangers into your home and they will stir up
trouble for you,
and will make you a stranger to your own family.
Footnotes:
Sirach 11:14 Other ancient authorities add as verses 15 and 16,
15 Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of the law come from the
Lord; affection and the ways of good works come from him. 16
Error and darkness were created with sinners; evil grows old
with those who take pride in malice.
Sirach 11:22 Heb: Gk is in
Sirach 11:28 Heb: Gk and through his children a person becomes
known
Sirach 11:30 Heb: Gk downfall
#Post#: 13426--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:09 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 12 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
12 If you do good, know to whom you do it,
and you will be thanked for your good deeds.
2 Do good to the devout, and you will be repaid—
if not by them, certainly by the Most High.
3 No good comes to one who persists in evil
or to one who does not give alms.
4 Give to the devout, but do not help the sinner.
5 Do good to the humble, but do not give to the ungodly;
hold back their bread, and do not give it to them,
for by means of it they might subdue you;
then you will receive twice as much evil
for all the good you have done to them.
6 For the Most High also hates sinners
and will inflict punishment on the ungodly.[a]
7 Give to the one who is good, but do not help the sinner.
8 A friend is not known[b] in prosperity,
nor is an enemy hidden in adversity.
9 One’s enemies are friendly[c] when one prospers,
but in adversity even one’s friend disappears.
10 Never trust your enemy,
for like corrosion in copper, so is his wickedness.
11 Even if he humbles himself and walks bowed down,
take care to be on your guard against him.
Be to him like one who polishes a mirror,
to be sure it does not become completely tarnished.
12 Do not put him next to you,
or he may overthrow you and take your place.
Do not let him sit at your right hand,
or else he may try to take your own seat,
and at last you will realize the truth of my words,
and be stung by what I have said.
13 Who pities a snake charmer when he is bitten,
or all those who go near wild animals?
14 So no one pities a person who associates with a sinner
and becomes involved in the other’s sins.
15 He stands by you for a while,
but if you falter, he will not be there.
16 An enemy speaks sweetly with his lips,
but in his heart he plans to throw you into a pit;
an enemy may have tears in his eyes,
but if he finds an opportunity he will never have enough of
your blood.
17 If evil comes upon you, you will find him there ahead of you;
pretending to help, he will trip you up.
18 Then he will shake his head, and clap his hands,
and whisper much, and show his true face.
Footnotes:
Sirach 12:6 Other ancient authorities add and he is keeping them
for the day of their punishment
Sirach 12:8 Other ancient authorities read punished
Sirach 12:9 Heb: Gk grieved
#Post#: 13427--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:10 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 13 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Caution Regarding Associates
13 Whoever touches pitch gets dirty,
and whoever associates with a proud person becomes like him.
2 Do not lift a weight too heavy for you,
or associate with one mightier and richer than you.
How can the clay pot associate with the iron kettle?
The pot will strike against it and be smashed.
3 A rich person does wrong, and even adds insults;
a poor person suffers wrong, and must add apologies.
4 A rich person[a] will exploit you if you can be of use to him,
but if you are in need he will abandon you.
5 If you own something, he will live with you;
he will drain your resources without a qualm.
6 When he needs you he will deceive you,
and will smile at you and encourage you;
he will speak to you kindly and say, “What do you need?”
7 He will embarrass you with his delicacies,
until he has drained you two or three times,
and finally he will laugh at you.
Should he see you afterwards, he will pass you by
and shake his head at you.
8 Take care not to be led astray
and humiliated when you are enjoying yourself.[b]
9 When an influential person invites you, be reserved,
and he will invite you more insistently.
10 Do not be forward, or you may be rebuffed;
do not stand aloof, or you will be forgotten.
11 Do not try to treat him as an equal,
or trust his lengthy conversations;
for he will test you by prolonged talk,
and while he smiles he will be examining you.
12 Cruel are those who do not keep your secrets;
they will not spare you harm or imprisonment.
13 Be on your guard and very careful,
for you are walking about with your own downfall.[c]
15 Every creature loves its like,
and every person the neighbor.
16 All living beings associate with their own kind,
and people stick close to those like themselves.
17 What does a wolf have in common with a lamb?
No more has a sinner with the devout.
18 What peace is there between a hyena and a dog?
And what peace between the rich and the poor?
19 Wild asses in the wilderness are the prey of lions;
likewise the poor are feeding grounds for the rich.
20 Humility is an abomination to the proud;
likewise the poor are an abomination to the rich.
21 When the rich person totters, he is supported by friends,
but when the humble[d] falls, he is pushed away even by
friends.
22 If the rich person slips, many come to the rescue;
he speaks unseemly words, but they justify him.
If the humble person slips, they even criticize him;
he talks sense, but is not given a hearing.
23 The rich person speaks and all are silent;
they extol to the clouds what he says.
The poor person speaks and they say, “Who is this fellow?”
And should he stumble, they even push him down.
24 Riches are good if they are free from sin;
poverty is evil only in the opinion of the ungodly.
25 The heart changes the countenance,
either for good or for evil.[e]
26 The sign of a happy heart is a cheerful face,
but to devise proverbs requires painful thinking.
Footnotes:
Sirach 13:4 Gk He
Sirach 13:8 Other ancient authorities read in your folly
Sirach 13:13 Other ancient authorities add as verse 14, When you
hear these things in your sleep, wake up! During all your life
love the Lord, and call on him for your salvation.
Sirach 13:21 Other ancient authorities read poor
Sirach 13:25 Other ancient authorities add and a glad heart
makes a cheerful countenance
#Post#: 13428--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:11 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 14 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
14 Happy are those who do not blunder with their lips,
and need not suffer remorse for sin.
2 Happy are those whose hearts do not condemn them,
and who have not given up their hope.
Responsible Use of Wealth
3 Riches are inappropriate for a small-minded person;
and of what use is wealth to a miser?
4 What he denies himself he collects for others;
and others will live in luxury on his goods.
5 If one is mean to himself, to whom will he be generous?
He will not enjoy his own riches.
6 No one is worse than one who is grudging to himself;
this is the punishment for his meanness.
7 If ever he does good, it is by mistake;
and in the end he reveals his meanness.
8 The miser is an evil person;
he turns away and disregards people.
9 The eye of the greedy person is not satisfied with his share;
greedy injustice withers the soul.
10 A miser begrudges bread,
and it is lacking at his table.
11 My child, treat yourself well, according to your means,
and present worthy offerings to the Lord.
12 Remember that death does not tarry,
and the decree[a] of Hades has not been shown to you.
13 Do good to friends before you die,
and reach out and give to them as much as you can.
14 Do not deprive yourself of a day’s enjoyment;
do not let your share of desired good pass by you.
15 Will you not leave the fruit of your labors to another,
and what you acquired by toil to be divided by lot?
16 Give, and take, and indulge yourself,
because in Hades one cannot look for luxury.
17 All living beings become old like a garment,
for the decree[b] from of old is, “You must die!”
18 Like abundant leaves on a spreading tree
that sheds some and puts forth others,
so are the generations of flesh and blood:
one dies and another is born.
19 Every work decays and ceases to exist,
and the one who made it will pass away with it.
The Happiness of Seeking Wisdom
20 Happy is the person who meditates on[c] wisdom
and reasons intelligently,
21 who[d] reflects in his heart on her ways
and ponders her secrets,
22 pursuing her like a hunter,
and lying in wait on her paths;
23 who peers through her windows
and listens at her doors;
24 who camps near her house
and fastens his tent peg to her walls;
25 who pitches his tent near her,
and so occupies an excellent lodging place;
26 who places his children under her shelter,
and lodges under her boughs;
27 who is sheltered by her from the heat,
and dwells in the midst of her glory.
Footnotes:
Sirach 14:12 Heb Syr: Gk covenant
Sirach 14:17 Heb: Gk covenant
Sirach 14:20 Other ancient authorities read dies in
Sirach 14:21 The structure adopted in verses 21–27 follows the
Heb
#Post#: 13429--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:12 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 15 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
15 Whoever fears the Lord will do this,
and whoever holds to the law will obtain wisdom.[a]
2 She will come to meet him like a mother,
and like a young bride she will welcome him.
3 She will feed him with the bread of learning,
and give him the water of wisdom to drink.
4 He will lean on her and not fall,
and he will rely on her and not be put to shame.
5 She will exalt him above his neighbors,
and will open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.
6 He will find gladness and a crown of rejoicing,
and will inherit an everlasting name.
7 The foolish will not obtain her,
and sinners will not see her.
8 She is far from arrogance,
and liars will never think of her.
9 Praise is unseemly on the lips of a sinner,
for it has not been sent from the Lord.
10 For in wisdom must praise be uttered,
and the Lord will make it prosper.
Freedom of Choice
11 Do not say, “It was the Lord’s doing that I fell away”;
for he does not do[b] what he hates.
12 Do not say, “It was he who led me astray”;
for he has no need of the sinful.
13 The Lord hates all abominations;
such things are not loved by those who fear him.
14 It was he who created humankind in the beginning,
and he left them in the power of their own free choice.
15 If you choose, you can keep the commandments,
and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
16 He has placed before you fire and water;
stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.
17 Before each person are life and death,
and whichever one chooses will be given.
18 For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power and sees everything;
19 his eyes are on those who fear him,
and he knows every human action.
20 He has not commanded anyone to be wicked,
and he has not given anyone permission to sin.
Footnotes:
Sirach 15:1 Gk her
Sirach 15:11 Heb: Gk you ought not to do
#Post#: 13430--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:13 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 16 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
God’s Punishment of Sinners
16 Do not desire a multitude of worthless[a] children,
and do not rejoice in ungodly offspring.
2 If they multiply, do not rejoice in them,
unless the fear of the Lord is in them.
3 Do not trust in their survival,
or rely on their numbers;[b]
for one can be better than a thousand,
and to die childless is better than to have ungodly
children.
4 For through one intelligent person a city can be filled with
people,
but through a clan of outlaws it becomes desolate.
5 Many such things my eye has seen,
and my ear has heard things more striking than these.
6 In an assembly of sinners a fire is kindled,
and in a disobedient nation wrath blazes up.
7 He did not forgive the ancient giants
who revolted in their might.
8 He did not spare the neighbors of Lot,
whom he loathed on account of their arrogance.
9 He showed no pity on the doomed nation,
on those dispossessed because of their sins;[c]
10 or on the six hundred thousand foot soldiers
who assembled in their stubbornness.[d]
11 Even if there were only one stiff-necked person,
it would be a wonder if he remained unpunished.
For mercy and wrath are with the Lord;[e]
he is mighty to forgive—but he also pours out wrath.
12 Great as is his mercy, so also is his chastisement;
he judges a person according to his or her deeds.
13 The sinner will not escape with plunder,
and the patience of the godly will not be frustrated.
14 He makes room for every act of mercy;
everyone receives in accordance with his or her deeds.[f]
17 Do not say, “I am hidden from the Lord,
and who from on high has me in mind?
Among so many people I am unknown,
for what am I in a boundless creation?
18 Lo, heaven and the highest heaven,
the abyss and the earth, tremble at his visitation![g]
19 The very mountains and the foundations of the earth
quiver and quake when he looks upon them.
20 But no human mind can grasp this,
and who can comprehend his ways?
21 Like a tempest that no one can see,
so most of his works are concealed.[h]
22 Who is to announce his acts of justice?
Or who can await them? For his decree[i] is far off.”[j]
23 Such are the thoughts of one devoid of understanding;
a senseless and misguided person thinks foolishly.
God’s Wisdom Seen in Creation
24 Listen to me, my child, and acquire knowledge,
and pay close attention to my words.
25 I will impart discipline precisely[k]
and declare knowledge accurately.
26 When the Lord created[l] his works from the beginning,
and, in making them, determined their boundaries,
27 he arranged his works in an eternal order,
and their dominion[m] for all generations.
They neither hunger nor grow weary,
and they do not abandon their tasks.
28 They do not crowd one another,
and they never disobey his word.
29 Then the Lord looked upon the earth,
and filled it with his good things.
30 With all kinds of living beings he covered its surface,
and into it they must return.
Footnotes:
Sirach 16:1 Heb: Gk unprofitable
Sirach 16:3 Other ancient authorities add For you will groan in
untimely mourning, and will know of their sudden end.
Sirach 16:9 Other ancient authorities add All these things he
did to the hard-hearted nations, and by the multitude of his
holy ones he was not appeased.
Sirach 16:10 Other ancient authorities add Chastising, showing
mercy, striking, healing, the Lord persisted in mercy and
discipline.
Sirach 16:11 Gk him
Sirach 16:14 Other ancient authorities add 15 The Lord hardened
Pharaoh so that he did not recognize him, in order that his
works might be known under heaven. 16 His mercy is manifest to
the whole of creation, and he divided his light and darkness
with a plumb line.
Sirach 16:18 Other ancient authorities add The whole world past
and present is in his will.
Sirach 16:21 Meaning of Gk uncertain: Heb Syr If I sin, no eye
can see me, and if I am disloyal all in secret, who is to know?
Sirach 16:22 Heb the decree: Gk the covenant
Sirach 16:22 Other ancient authorities add and a scrutiny for
all comes at the end
Sirach 16:25 Gk by weight
Sirach 16:26 Heb: Gk judged
Sirach 16:27 Or elements
#Post#: 13431--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:13 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 17 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
17 The Lord created human beings out of earth,
and makes them return to it again.
2 He gave them a fixed number of days,
but granted them authority over everything on the earth.[a]
3 He endowed them with strength like his own,[b]
and made them in his own image.
4 He put the fear of them[c] in all living beings,
and gave them dominion over beasts and birds.[d]
6 Discretion and tongue and eyes,
ears and a mind for thinking he gave them.
7 He filled them with knowledge and understanding,
and showed them good and evil.
8 He put the fear of him into[e] their hearts
to show them the majesty of his works.[f]
10 And they will praise his holy name,
9 to proclaim the grandeur of his works.
11 He bestowed knowledge upon them,
and allotted to them the law of life.[g]
12 He established with them an eternal covenant,
and revealed to them his decrees.
13 Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,
and their ears heard the glory of his voice.
14 He said to them, “Beware of all evil.”
And he gave commandment to each of them concerning the
neighbor.
15 Their ways are always known to him;
they will not be hid from his eyes.[h]
17 He appointed a ruler for every nation,
but Israel is the Lord’s own portion.[i]
19 All their works are as clear as the sun before him,
and his eyes are ever upon their ways.
20 Their iniquities are not hidden from him,
and all their sins are before the Lord.[j]
22 One’s almsgiving is like a signet ring with the Lord,[k]
and he will keep a person’s kindness like the apple of his
eye.[l]
23 Afterward he will rise up and repay them,
and he will bring their recompense on their heads.
24 Yet to those who repent he grants a return,
and he encourages those who are losing hope.
A Call to Repentance
25 Turn back to the Lord and forsake your sins;
pray in his presence and lessen your offense.
26 Return to the Most High and turn away from iniquity,[m]
and hate intensely what he abhors.
27 Who will sing praises to the Most High in Hades
in place of the living who give thanks?
28 From the dead, as from one who does not exist, thanksgiving
has ceased;
those who are alive and well sing the Lord’s praises.
29 How great is the mercy of the Lord,
and his forgiveness for those who return to him!
30 For not everything is within human capability,
since human beings are not immortal.
31 What is brighter than the sun? Yet it can be eclipsed.
So flesh and blood devise evil.
32 He marshals the host of the height of heaven;
but all human beings are dust and ashes.
Footnotes:
Sirach 17:2 Lat: Gk it
Sirach 17:3 Lat: Gk proper to them
Sirach 17:4 Syr: Gk him
Sirach 17:4 Other ancient authorities add as verse 5, They
obtained the use of the five faculties of the Lord; as sixth he
distributed to them the gift of mind, and as seventh, reason,
the interpreter of one’s faculties.
Sirach 17:8 Other ancient authorities read He set his eye upon
Sirach 17:8 Other ancient authorities add and he gave them to
boast of his marvels forever
Sirach 17:11 Other ancient authorities add so that they may know
that they who are alive now are mortal
Sirach 17:15 Other ancient authorities add 16 Their ways from
youth tend toward evil, and they are unable to make for
themselves hearts of flesh in place of their stony hearts. 17
For in the division of the nations of the whole earth, he
appointed
Sirach 17:17 Other ancient authorities add as verse 18, whom,
being his firstborn, he brings up with discipline, and allotting
to him the light of his love, he does not neglect him.
Sirach 17:20 Other ancient authorities add as verse 21, But the
Lord, who is gracious and knows how they are formed, has neither
left them nor abandoned them, but has spared them.
Sirach 17:22 Gk him
Sirach 17:22 Other ancient authorities add apportioning
repentance to his sons and daughters
Sirach 17:26 Other ancient authorities add for he will lead you
out of darkness to the light of health.
#Post#: 13432--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:14 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 18 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Majesty of God
18 He who lives forever created the whole universe;
2 the Lord alone is just.[a]
4 To none has he given power to proclaim his works;
and who can search out his mighty deeds?
5 Who can measure his majestic power?
And who can fully recount his mercies?
6 It is not possible to diminish or increase them,
nor is it possible to fathom the wonders of the Lord.
7 When human beings have finished, they are just beginning,
and when they stop, they are still perplexed.
8 What are human beings, and of what use are they?
What is good in them, and what is evil?
9 The number of days in their life is great if they reach one
hundred years.[b]
10 Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand,
so are a few years among the days of eternity.
11 That is why the Lord is patient with them
and pours out his mercy upon them.
12 He sees and recognizes that their end is miserable;
therefore he grants them forgiveness all the more.
13 The compassion of human beings is for their neighbors,
but the compassion of the Lord is for every living thing.
He rebukes and trains and teaches them,
and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock.
14 He has compassion on those who accept his discipline
and who are eager for his precepts.
The Right Spirit in Giving Alms
15 My child, do not mix reproach with your good deeds,
or spoil your gift by harsh words.
16 Does not the dew give relief from the scorching heat?
So a word is better than a gift.
17 Indeed, does not a word surpass a good gift?
Both are to be found in a gracious person.
18 A fool is ungracious and abusive,
and the gift of a grudging giver makes the eyes dim.
The Need of Reflection and Self-control
19 Before you speak, learn;
and before you fall ill, take care of your health.
20 Before judgment comes, examine yourself;
and at the time of scrutiny you will find forgiveness.
21 Before falling ill, humble yourself;
and when you have sinned, repent.
22 Let nothing hinder you from paying a vow promptly,
and do not wait until death to be released from it.
23 Before making a vow, prepare yourself;
do not be like one who puts the Lord to the test.
24 Think of his wrath on the day of death,
and of the moment of vengeance when he turns away his face.
25 In the time of plenty think of the time of hunger;
in days of wealth think of poverty and need.
26 From morning to evening conditions change;
all things move swiftly before the Lord.
27 One who is wise is cautious in everything;
when sin is all around, one guards against wrongdoing.
28 Every intelligent person knows wisdom,
and praises the one who finds her.
29 Those who are skilled in words become wise themselves,
and pour forth apt proverbs.[c]
Self-Control[d]
30 Do not follow your base desires,
but restrain your appetites.
31 If you allow your soul to take pleasure in base desire,
it will make you the laughingstock of your enemies.
32 Do not revel in great luxury,
or you may become impoverished by its expense.
33 Do not become a beggar by feasting with borrowed money,
when you have nothing in your purse.[e]
Footnotes:
Sirach 18:2 Other ancient authorities add and there is no other
beside him; 3 he steers the world with the span of his hand, and
all things obey his will; for he is king of all things by his
power, separating among them the holy things from the profane.
Sirach 18:9 Other ancient authorities add but the death of each
one is beyond the calculation of all
Sirach 18:29 Other ancient authorities add Better is confidence
in the one Lord than clinging with a dead heart to a dead one.
Sirach 18:30 This heading is included in the Gk text.
Sirach 18:33 Other ancient authorities add for you will be
plotting against your own life
#Post#: 13433--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:15 am
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Sirach 19 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
19 The one who does this[a] will not become rich;
one who despises small things will fail little by little.
2 Wine and women lead intelligent men astray,
and the man who consorts with prostitutes is reckless.
3 Decay and worms will take possession of him,
and the reckless person will be snatched away.
Against Loose Talk
4 One who trusts others too quickly has a shallow mind,
and one who sins does wrong to himself.
5 One who rejoices in wickedness[b] will be condemned,[c]
6 but one who hates gossip has less evil.
7 Never repeat a conversation,
and you will lose nothing at all.
8 With friend or foe do not report it,
and unless it would be a sin for you, do not reveal it;
9 for someone may have heard you and watched you,
and in time will hate you.
10 Have you heard something? Let it die with you.
Be brave, it will not make you burst!
11 Having heard something, the fool suffers birth pangs
like a woman in labor with a child.
12 Like an arrow stuck in a person’s thigh,
so is gossip inside a fool.
13 Question a friend; perhaps he did not do it;
or if he did, so that he may not do it again.
14 Question a neighbor; perhaps he did not say it;
or if he said it, so that he may not repeat it.
15 Question a friend, for often it is slander;
so do not believe everything you hear.
16 A person may make a slip without intending it.
Who has not sinned with his tongue?
17 Question your neighbor before you threaten him;
and let the law of the Most High take its course.[d]
True and False Wisdom
20 The whole of wisdom is fear of the Lord,
and in all wisdom there is the fulfillment of the law.[e]
22 The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom,
nor is there prudence in the counsel of sinners.
23 There is a cleverness that is detestable,
and there is a fool who merely lacks wisdom.
24 Better are the God-fearing who lack understanding
than the highly intelligent who transgress the law.
25 There is a cleverness that is exact but unjust,
and there are people who abuse favors to gain a verdict.
26 There is the villain bowed down in mourning,
but inwardly he is full of deceit.
27 He hides his face and pretends not to hear,
but when no one notices, he will take advantage of you.
28 Even if lack of strength keeps him from sinning,
he will nevertheless do evil when he finds the opportunity.
29 A person is known by his appearance,
and a sensible person is known when first met, face to face.
30 A person’s attire and hearty laughter,
and the way he walks, show what he is.
Footnotes:
Sirach 19:1 Heb: Gk A worker who is a drunkard
Sirach 19:5 Other ancient authorities read heart
Sirach 19:5 Other ancient authorities add but one who withstands
pleasures crowns his life. 6 One who controls the tongue will
live without strife,
Sirach 19:17 Other ancient authorities add and do not be angry.
18 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of acceptance, and
wisdom obtains his love. 19 The knowledge of the Lord’s
commandments is life-giving discipline; and those who do what is
pleasing to him enjoy the fruit of the tree of immortality.
Sirach 19:20 Other ancient authorities add and the knowledge of
his omnipotence. 21 When a slave says to his master, “I will not
act as you wish,” even if later he does it, he angers the one
who supports him.
#Post#: 13434--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:16 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 20 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Silence and Speech
20 There is a rebuke that is untimely,
and there is the person who is wise enough to keep silent.
2 How much better it is to rebuke than to fume!
3 And the one who admits his fault will be kept from failure.
4 Like a eunuch lusting to violate a girl
is the person who does right under compulsion.
5 Some people keep silent and are thought to be wise,
while others are detested for being talkative.
6 Some people keep silent because they have nothing to say,
while others keep silent because they know when to speak.
7 The wise remain silent until the right moment,
but a boasting fool misses the right moment.
8 Whoever talks too much is detested,
and whoever pretends to authority is hated.[a]
Paradoxes
9 There may be good fortune for a person in adversity,
and a windfall may result in a loss.
10 There is the gift that profits you nothing,
and the gift to be paid back double.
11 There are losses for the sake of glory,
and there are some who have raised their heads from humble
circumstances.
12 Some buy much for little,
but pay for it seven times over.
13 The wise make themselves beloved by only few words,[b]
but the courtesies of fools are wasted.
14 A fool’s gift will profit you nothing,[c]
for he looks for recompense sevenfold.[d]
15 He gives little and upbraids much;
he opens his mouth like a town crier.
Today he lends and tomorrow he asks it back;
such a one is hateful to God and humans.[e]
16 The fool says, “I have no friends,
and I get no thanks for my good deeds.
Those who eat my bread are evil-tongued.”
17 How many will ridicule him, and how often![f]
Inappropriate Speech
18 A slip on the pavement is better than a slip of the tongue;
the downfall of the wicked will occur just as speedily.
19 A coarse person is like an inappropriate story,
continually on the lips of the ignorant.
20 A proverb from a fool’s lips will be rejected,
for he does not tell it at the proper time.
21 One may be prevented from sinning by poverty;
so when he rests he feels no remorse.
22 One may lose his life through shame,
or lose it because of human respect.[g]
23 Another out of shame makes promises to a friend,
and so makes an enemy for nothing.
Lying
24 A lie is an ugly blot on a person;
it is continually on the lips of the ignorant.
25 A thief is preferable to a habitual liar,
but the lot of both is ruin.
26 A liar’s way leads to disgrace,
and his shame is ever with him.
Proverbial Sayings[h]
27 The wise person advances himself by his words,
and one who is sensible pleases the great.
28 Those who cultivate the soil heap up their harvest,
and those who please the great atone for injustice.
29 Favors and gifts blind the eyes of the wise;
like a muzzle on the mouth they stop reproofs.
30 Hidden wisdom and unseen treasure,
of what value is either?
31 Better are those who hide their folly
than those who hide their wisdom.[i]
Footnotes:
Sirach 20:8 Other ancient authorities add How good it is to show
repentance when you are reproved, for so you will escape
deliberate sin!
Sirach 20:13 Heb: Gk by words
Sirach 20:14 Other ancient authorities add so it is with the
envious who give under compulsion
Sirach 20:14 Syr: Gk he has many eyes instead of one
Sirach 20:15 Other ancient authorities lack to God and humans
Sirach 20:17 Other ancient authorities add for he has not
honestly received what he has, and what he does not have is
unimportant to him
Sirach 20:22 Other ancient authorities read his foolish look
Sirach 20:27 This heading is included in the Gk text.
Sirach 20:31 Other ancient authorities add 32 Unwearied
endurance in seeking the Lord is better than a masterless
charioteer of one’s own life.
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