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Dreams Mean Nothing

34 A man of no understanding has vain and false hopes,
    and dreams give wings to fools.
As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind,
    so is he who gives heed to dreams.
The vision of dreams is this against that,
    the likeness of a face confronting a face.
From an unclean thing what will be made clean?
    And from something false what will be true?
Divinations and omens and dreams are folly,
    and like a woman in travail the mind has fancies.
Unless they are sent from the Most High as a visitation,
    do not give your mind to them.
For dreams have deceived many,
    and those who put their hope in them have failed.
Without such deceptions the law will be fulfilled,
    and wisdom is made perfect in truthful lips.

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Offering Sacrifices

18 If one sacrifices from what has been wrongfully obtained, the offering is blemished;[a]
    the gifts[b] of the lawless are not acceptable.
19 The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly;
    and he is not propitiated for sins by a multitude of sacrifices.
20 Like one who kills a son before his father’s eyes
    is the man who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor.
21 The bread of the needy is the life of the poor;
    whoever deprives them of it is a man of blood.
22 To take away a neighbor’s living is to murder him;
    to deprive an employee of his wages is to shed blood.

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Footnotes

  1. Sirach 34:18 Other authorities read is made in mockery
  2. Sirach 34:18 Other authorities read mockeries

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