Sirach 10
Revised Standard Version
10 A wise magistrate will educate his people,
and the rule of an understanding man will be well ordered.
2 Like the magistrate of the people, so are his officials;
and like the ruler of the city, so are all its inhabitants.
3 An undisciplined king will ruin his people,
but a city will grow through the understanding of its rulers.
4 The government of the earth is in the hands of the Lord,
and over it he will raise up the right man for the time.
5 The success of a man is in the hands of the Lord,
and he confers his honor upon the person of the scribe.[a]
The Sin of Pride
6 Do not be angry with your neighbor for any injury,
and do not attempt anything by acts of insolence.
7 Arrogance is hateful before the Lord and before men,
and injustice is outrageous to both.
8 Sovereignty passes from nation to nation
on account of injustice and insolence and wealth.
9 How can he who is dust and ashes be proud?
for even in life his bowels decay.[b]
10 A long illness baffles the physician;[c]
the king of today will die tomorrow.
11 For when a man is dead,
he will inherit creeping things, and wild beasts, and worms.
12 The beginning of man’s pride is to depart from the Lord;
his heart has forsaken his Maker.
13 For the beginning of pride is sin,
and the man who clings to it pours out abominations.
Therefore the Lord brought upon them extraordinary afflictions,
and destroyed them utterly.
14 The Lord has cast down the thrones of rulers,
and has seated the lowly in their place.
15 The Lord has plucked up the roots of the nations,[d]
and has planted the humble in their place.
16 The Lord has overthrown the lands of the nations,
and has destroyed them to the foundations of the earth.
17 He has removed some of them and destroyed them,
and has extinguished the memory of them from the earth.
18 Pride was not created for men,
nor fierce anger for those born of women.
Persons Deserving Honor
19 What race is worthy of honor?
The human race.
What race is worthy of honor?
Those who fear the Lord.
What race is unworthy of honor?
The human race.
What race is unworthy of honor?
Those who transgress the commandments.
20 Among brothers their leader is worthy of honor,
and those who fear the Lord are worthy of honor in his eyes.[e]
22 The rich, and the eminent, and the poor—
their glory is the fear of the Lord.
23 It is not right to despise an intelligent poor man,
nor is it proper to honor a sinful man.
24 The nobleman, and the judge, and the ruler will be honored,
but none of them is greater than the man who fears the Lord.
25 Free men will be at the service of a wise servant,
and a man of understanding will not grumble.
Concerning Humility
26 Do not make a display of your wisdom when you do your work,
nor glorify yourself at a time when you are in want.
27 Better is a man who works and has an abundance of everything,
than one who goes about boasting, but lacks bread.
28 My son, glorify yourself with humility,
and ascribe to yourself honor according to your worth.
29 Who will justify the man that sins against himself?
And who will honor the man that dishonors his own life?
30 A poor man is honored for his knowledge,
while a rich man is honored for his wealth.
31 A man honored in poverty, how much more in wealth!
And a man dishonored in wealth, how much more in poverty!
Footnotes
- Sirach 10:5 Or the official
- Sirach 10:9 Heb: Gk is obscure
- Sirach 10:10 Heb Vg: Gk is uncertain
- Sirach 10:15 Some authorities read proud nations
- Sirach 10:20 Other authorities add as verse 21, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of acceptance; obduracy and pride are the beginning of rejection.
Sirach 12-18
Revised Standard Version
12 If you do a kindness, know to whom you do it,
and you will be thanked for your good deeds.
2 Do good to a godly man, and you will be repaid—
if not by him, certainly by the Most High.
3 No good will come to the man who persists in evil
or to him who does not give alms.
4 Give to the godly man, but do not help the sinner.
5 Do good to the humble, but do not give to the ungodly;
hold back his bread, and do not give it to him,
lest by means of it he subdue you;
for you will receive twice as much evil
for all the good which you do to him.
6 For the Most High also hates sinners
and will inflict punishment on the ungodly.[a]
7 Give to the good man, but do not help the sinner.
8 A friend will not be known[b] in prosperity,
nor will an enemy be hidden in adversity.
9 A man’s enemies are grieved when he prospers,
and in his adversity even his friend will separate from him.
10 Never trust your enemy,
for like the rusting of copper, so is his wickedness.
11 Even if he humbles himself and goes about cringing,
watch yourself, and be on your guard against him;
and you will be to him like one who has polished a mirror,
and you will know that it was not hopelessly tarnished.
12 Do not put him next to you,
lest he overthrow you and take your place;
do not have him sit at your right,
lest he try to take your seat of honor,
and at last you will realize the truth of my words,
and be stung by what I have said.
13 Who will pity a snake charmer bitten by a serpent,
or any who go near wild beasts?
14 So no one will pity a man who associates with a sinner
and becomes involved in his sins.
15 He will stay with you for a time,
but if you falter, he will not stand by you.
16 An enemy will speak sweetly with his lips,
but in his mind he will plan to throw you into a pit;
an enemy will weep with his eyes,
but if he finds an opportunity his thirst for blood will be insatiable.
17 If calamity befalls you, you will find him there ahead of you;
and while pretending to help you, he will trip you by the heel;
18 he will shake his head, and clap his hands,
and whisper much, and change his expression.
Caution Regarding Associates
13 Whoever touches pitch will be defiled,
and whoever associates with a proud man will become like him.
2 Do not lift a weight beyond your strength,
nor associate with a man mightier and richer than you.
How can the clay pot associate with the iron kettle?
The pot will strike against it, and will itself be broken.
3 A rich man does wrong, and he even adds reproaches;
a poor man suffers wrong, and he must add apologies.
4 A rich man[c] will exploit you if you can be of use to him,
but if you are in need he will forsake you.
5 If you own something, he will live with you;
he will drain your resources and he will not care.
6 When he needs you he will deceive you,
he will smile at you and give you hope.
He will speak to you kindly and say, “What do you need?”
7 He will shame you with his foods,
until he has drained you two or three times;
and finally he will deride you.
Should he see you afterwards, he will forsake you,
and shake his head at you.
8 Take care not to be led astray,
and not to be humiliated in your feasting.[d]
9 When a powerful man invites you, be reserved;
and he will invite you the more often.
10 Do not push forward, lest you be repulsed;
and do not remain at a distance, lest you be forgotten.
11 Do not try to treat him as an equal,
nor trust his abundance of words;
for he will test you through much talk,
and while he smiles he will be examining you.
12 Cruel is he who does not keep words to himself;
he will not hesitate to injure or to imprison.
13 Keep words to yourself and be very watchful,
for you are walking about with your own downfall.[e]
15 Every creature loves its like,
and every person his neighbor;
16 all living beings associate by species,
and a man clings to one like himself.
17 What fellowship has a wolf with a lamb?
No more has a sinner with a godly man.
18 What peace is there between a hyena and a dog?
And what peace between a rich man and a poor man?
19 Wild asses in the wilderness are the prey of lions;
likewise the poor are pastures for the rich.
20 Humility is an abomination to a proud man;
likewise a poor man is an abomination to a rich one.
21 When a rich man totters, he is steadied by friends,
but when a humble man falls, he is even pushed away by friends.
22 If a rich man slips, his helpers are many;
he speaks unseemly words, and they justify him.
If a humble man slips, they even reproach him;
he speaks sensibly, and receives no attention.
23 When the rich man speaks all are silent,
and they extol to the clouds what he says.
When the poor man speaks 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,
and poverty is evil in the opinion of the ungodly.
25 A man’s heart changes his countenance,
either for good or for evil.[f]
26 The mark of a happy heart is a cheerful face,
but to devise proverbs requires painful thinking.
14 Blessed is the man who does not blunder with his lips
and need not suffer grief for sin.
2 Blessed is he whose heart does not condemn him,
and who has not given up his hope.
Responsible Use of Wealth
3 Riches are not seemly for a stingy man;
and of what use is property to an envious man?
4 Whoever accumulates by depriving himself, accumulates for others;
and others will live in luxury on his goods.
5 If a man is mean to himself, to whom will he be generous?
He will not enjoy his own riches.
6 No one is meaner than the man who is grudging to himself,
and this is the retribution for his baseness;
7 even if he does good, he does it unintentionally,
and betrays his baseness in the end.
8 Evil is the man with a grudging eye;
he averts his face and disregards people.
9 A greedy man’s eye is not satisfied with a portion,
and mean injustice withers the soul.
10 A stingy man’s eye begrudges bread,
and it is lacking at his table.
11 My son, treat yourself well, according to your means,
and present worthy offerings to the Lord.
12 Remember that death will not delay,
and the decree[g] of Hades has not been shown to you.
13 Do good to a friend before you die,
and reach out and give to him as much as you can.
14 Do not deprive yourself of a happy day;
let not 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 beguile yourself,
because in Hades one cannot look for luxury.
17 All living beings become old like a garment,
for the decree[h] from of old is, “You must surely die!”
18 Like flourishing leaves on a spreading tree
which sheds some and puts forth others,
so are the generations of flesh and blood:
one dies and another is born.
19 Every product decays and ceases to exist,
and the man who made it will pass away with it.
The Happiness of Seeking Wisdom
20 Blessed is the man who meditates on[i] wisdom
and who reasons intelligently.
21 He who reflects in his mind on her ways
will also ponder her secrets.
22 Pursue wisdom[j] like a hunter,
and lie in wait on her paths.
23 He who peers through her windows
will also listen at her doors;
24 he who encamps near her house
will also fasten his tent peg to her walls;
25 he will pitch his tent near her,
and will lodge in an excellent lodging place;
26 he will place his children under her shelter,
and will camp under her boughs;
27 he will be sheltered by her from the heat,
and will dwell in the midst of her glory.
15 The man who fears the Lord will do this,
and he who holds to the law will obtain wisdom.[k]
2 She will come to meet him like a mother,
and like the wife of his youth she will welcome him.
3 She will feed him with the bread of understanding,
and give him the water of wisdom to drink.
4 He will lean on her and will not fall,
and he will rely on her and will 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 acquire an everlasting name.
7 Foolish men will not obtain her,
and sinful men will not see her.
8 She is far from men of pride,
and liars will never think of her.
9 A hymn of praise is not fitting on the lips of a sinner,
for it has not been sent from the Lord.
10 For a hymn of praise should be uttered in wisdom,
and the Lord will prosper it.
Freedom of Choice
11 Do not say, “Because of the Lord I left the right way”;
for he[l] will not do what he hates.
12 Do not say, “It was he who led me astray”;
for he had no need of a sinful man.
13 The Lord hates all abominations,
and they are not loved by those who fear him.
14 It was he who created man in the beginning,
and he left him in the power of his own inclination.
15 If you will, 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 wish.
17 Before a man[m] are life and death,
and whichever he chooses will be given to him.
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 deed of man.
20 He has not commanded any one to be ungodly,
and he has not given any one permission to sin.
God’s Punishment of Sinners
16 Do not desire a multitude of useless children,
nor rejoice in ungodly sons.
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,
and do not rely on their multitude;
for one is better than a thousand,[n]
and to die childless is better than to have ungodly children.
4 For through one man of understanding a city will be filled with people,
but through a tribe of lawless men it will be made 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 will be kindled,
and in a disobedient nation wrath was kindled.
7 He was not propitiated for the ancient giants
who revolted in their might.
8 He did not spare the neighbors of Lot,
whom he loathed on account of their insolence.
9 He showed no pity for a nation devoted to destruction,
for those destroyed in their sins;
10 nor for the six hundred thousand men on foot,
who rebelliously assembled in their stubbornness.
11 Even if there is only one stiff-necked person,
it will be a wonder if he remains unpunished.
For mercy and wrath are with the Lord;[o]
he is mighty to forgive, and he pours out wrath.
12 As great as his mercy, so great is also his reproof;
he judges a man according to his deeds.
13 The sinner will not escape with his plunder,
and the patience of the godly will not be frustrated.
14 He will make room for every act of mercy;
every one will receive in accordance with his deeds.[p]
17 Do not say, “I shall be hidden from the Lord,
and who from on high will remember me?
Among so many people I shall not be known,
for what is my soul in the boundless creation?
18 Behold, heaven and the highest heaven,
the abyss and the earth, will tremble at his visitation.
19 The mountains also and the foundations of the earth
shake with trembling when he looks upon them.
20 And no mind will reflect on this.
Who will ponder his ways?
21 Like a tempest which no man can see,
so most of his works are concealed.
22 Who will announce his acts of justice?
Or who will await them? For the covenant is far off.”
23 This is what one devoid of understanding thinks;
a senseless and misguided man thinks foolishly.
God’s Wisdom Seen in Creation
24 Listen to me, my son, and acquire knowledge,
and pay close attention to my words.
25 I will impart instruction by weight,
and declare knowledge accurately.
26 The works of the Lord have existed from the beginning by his creation,[q]
and when he made them, he determined their divisions.
27 He arranged his works in an eternal order,
and their dominion[r] for all[s] generations;
they neither hunger nor grow weary,
and they do not cease from their labors.
28 They do not crowd one another aside,
and they will never disobey his word.
29 After this 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 to it they return.
17 The Lord created man out of earth,
and turned him back to it again.
2 He gave to men[t] few days, a limited time,
but granted them authority over the things upon the earth.[u]
3 He endowed them with strength like his own,[v]
and made them in his own image.
4 He placed the fear of them[w] in all living beings,
and granted them dominion over beasts and birds.[x]
6 He made for them[y] tongue and eyes;
he gave them ears and a mind for thinking.
7 He filled them with knowledge and understanding,
and showed them good and evil.
8 He set his eye upon their hearts
to show them the majesty of his works.[z]
10 And they will praise his holy name,
to proclaim the grandeur of his works.
11 He bestowed knowledge upon them,
and allotted to them the law of life.
12 He established with them an eternal covenant,
and showed them his judgments.
13 Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,
and their ears heard the glory of his voice.
14 And he said to them, “Beware of all unrighteousness.”[aa]
And he gave commandment to each of them concerning his neighbor.
15 Their ways are always before him,
they will not be hid from his eyes.[ab]
17 He appointed a ruler for every nation,
but Israel is the Lord’s own portion.[ac]
19 All their works are as the sun before him,
and his eyes are continually upon their ways.
20 Their iniquities are not hidden from him,
and all their sins are before the Lord.[ad]
22 A man’s almsgiving is like a signet with the Lord,[ae]
and he will keep a person’s kindness like the apple of his eye.
23 Afterward he will arise and requite them,
and he will bring their recompense on their heads.
24 Yet to those who repent he grants a return,
and he encourages those whose endurance is failing.
A Call to Repentance
25 Turn to the Lord and forsake your sins;
pray in his presence and lessen your offenses.
26 Return to the Most High and turn away from iniquity,[af]
and hate abominations intensely.
27 Who will sing praises to the Most High in Hades,
as do those who are alive and give thanks?
28 From the dead, as from one who does not exist, thanksgiving has ceased;
he who is alive and well sings the Lord’s praises.
29 How great is the mercy of the Lord,
and his forgiveness for those who turn to him!
30 For all things cannot be in men,[ag]
since a son of man is not immortal.
31 What is brighter than the sun? Yet its light fails.[ah]
So flesh and blood devise evil.
32 He marshals the host of the height of heaven;
but all men are dust and ashes.
The Majesty of God
18 He who lives for ever created the whole universe;
2 the Lord alone will be declared righteous.[ai]
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 trace the wonders of the Lord.
7 When a man has finished, he is just beginning,
and when he stops, he will be at a loss.
8 What is man, and of what use is he?
What is his good and what is his evil?
9 The number of a man’s days is great if he reaches a hundred years.
10 Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain[aj] of sand
so are a few years in the day of eternity.
11 Therefore the Lord is patient with them
and pours out his mercy upon them.
12 He sees and recognizes that their end will be evil;
therefore he grants them forgiveness in abundance.
13 The compassion of man is for his neighbor,
but the compassion of the Lord is for all living beings.
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 judgments.
The Right Spirit in Giving Alms
15 My son, do not mix reproach with your good deeds,
nor cause grief by your words when you present a gift.
16 Does not the dew assuage 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 man.
18 A fool is ungracious and abusive,
and the gift of a grudging man 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, examine yourself,
and in the hour of visitation you will find forgiveness.
21 Before falling ill, humble yourself,
and when you are on the point of sinning, turn back.
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,[ak] prepare yourself;
and do not be like a man who tempts the Lord.
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 the days of wealth think of poverty and need.
26 From morning to evening conditions change,
and all things move swiftly before the Lord.
27 A wise man is cautious in everything,
and in days of sin he guards against wrongdoing.
28 Every intelligent man knows wisdom,
and he praises the one who finds her.
29 Those who understand sayings become skilled themselves,
and pour forth apt proverbs.
Self-Control
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,
lest you become impoverished by its expense.
33 Do not become a beggar by feasting with borrowed money,
when you have nothing in your purse.
Footnotes
- Sirach 12:6 Other authorities add and he is keeping them for the mighty day of their punishment
- Sirach 12:8 Other authorities read punished
- Sirach 13:4 Gk He
- Sirach 13:8 Other authorities read folly
- Sirach 13:13 Other authorities add When you hear these things in your sleep, wake up! 14 During all your life love the Lord, and call on him for your salvation.
- Sirach 13:25 Other authorities add and a glad heart makes a cheerful countenance
- Sirach 14:12 Gk covenant
- Sirach 14:17 Gk covenant
- Sirach 14:20 Other authorities read dies in
- Sirach 14:22 Gk her
- Sirach 15:1 Gk her
- Sirach 15:11 Heb: Gk you
- Sirach 15:17 Gk men
- Sirach 16:3 The text of this line is uncertain
- Sirach 16:11 Gk him
- Sirach 16:14 Other authorities add 15 The Lord hardened Pharaoh so that he did not know 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 16:26 Heb: Gk judgment
- Sirach 16:27 Or elements
- Sirach 16:27 Gk their
- Sirach 17:2 Gk them
- Sirach 17:2 Gk it
- Sirach 17:3 Cn: Gk proper to them
- Sirach 17:4 Syr: Gk him
- Sirach 17:4 Other authorities add 5 They obtained the use of the five operations of the Lord; as sixth he distributed to them the gift of mind, and as seventh reason, the interpreter of his operations.
- Sirach 17:6 Syr: Gk Inclination and
- Sirach 17:8 Other authorities add 9 and he gave them to boast of his marvels for ever
- Sirach 17:14 Or every unrighteous man
- Sirach 17:15 Other 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
- Sirach 17:17 Other authorities add 18 whom, being his first-born, he brings up with discipline, and allotting to him the light of his love, he does not neglect him.
- Sirach 17:20 Other authorities add 21 But the Lord, who is gracious and knows his creatures, has neither left nor abandoned them, but spared them.
- Sirach 17:22 Gk him
- Sirach 17:26 Other authorities add for he will lead you out of darkness to the light of health
- Sirach 17:30 The Greek text of this line is uncertain
- Sirach 17:31 Or suffers eclipse
- Sirach 18:2 Other 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 18:10 Gk pebble
- Sirach 18:23 Or offering a prayer
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Bible Gateway Recommends
