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Ben Sira 5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Ben Sira 5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 5
Against Presumption[a]
1 Do not rely on your wealth,
or say, “I have the power.”(A)
2 Do not rely on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
3 Do not say, “Who can prevail against me?”
for the Lord will exact punishment.
4 Do not say, “I have sinned, yet what has happened to me?”
for the Lord is slow to anger!
5 Do not be so confident of forgiveness
that you add sin upon sin.
6 Do not say, “His mercy is great;
my many sins he will forgive.”
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
his wrath comes to rest on the wicked.
7 Do not delay turning back to the Lord,
do not put it off day after day.
For suddenly his wrath will come forth;
at the time of vengeance, you will perish.
8 Do not rely on deceitful wealth,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.(B)
Use and Abuse of the Tongue[b]
9 Do not winnow in every wind,
nor walk in every path.[c]
10 Be steadfast regarding your knowledge,
and let your speech be consistent.
11 Be swift to hear,
but slow to answer.(C)
12 If you can, answer your neighbor;
if not, place your hand over your mouth!
13 Honor and dishonor through speaking!
The tongue can be your downfall.
14 Do not be called double-tongued;
and with your tongue do not slander a neighbor.
For shame has been created for the thief,
and sore disgrace for the double-tongued.
15 In little or in much, do not act corruptly;
Footnotes
- 5:1–8 The vices of the rich are pride and independence (vv. 1–2), presumption (v. 3), false security (vv. 4–6), and impenitence (v. 7), which cannot escape the divine wrath (vv. 7–8). Cf. Prv 18:23; 19:1; 28:6.
- 5:9–6:1 Proper use of the tongue requires constancy in speech (v. 10), prudence (vv. 11–12), good judgment (v. 13), charity (5:15; 6:1); detraction, calumny (v. 14), and double-talk bring shame and disgrace (5:14; 6:1).
- 5:9 The metaphors indicate careless behavior.
Sirach 5
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Sirach 5
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Precepts for Everyday Living
5 Do not set your heart on your wealth,
nor say, “I have enough.”
2 Do not follow your inclination and strength,
walking according to the desires of your heart.
3 Do not say, “Who will have power over me?”
for the Lord will surely punish you.
4 Do not say, “I sinned, and what happened to me?”
for the Lord is slow to anger.
5 Do not be so confident of atonement
that you add sin to sin.
6 Do not say, “His mercy is great,
he will forgive[a] the multitude of my sins,”
for both mercy and wrath are with him,
and his anger rests on sinners.
7 Do not delay to turn to the Lord,
nor postpone it from day to day;
for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will go forth,
and at the time of punishment you will perish.
8 Do not depend on dishonest wealth,
for it will not benefit you in the day of calamity.
9 Do not winnow with every wind,
nor follow every path:
the double-tongued sinner does that.
10 Be steadfast in your understanding,
and let your speech be consistent.
11 Be quick to hear,
and be deliberate in answering.
12 If you have understanding, answer your neighbor;
but if not, put your hand on your mouth.
13 Glory and dishonor come from speaking,
and a man’s tongue is his downfall.
14 Do not be called a slanderer,
and do not lie in ambush with your tongue;
for shame comes to the thief,
and severe condemnation to the double-tongued.
15 In great and small matters do not act amiss,
and do not become an enemy instead of a friend;
Footnotes
- Sirach 5:6 Heb: Gk he (or it) will atone for
Sirach 5
Good News Translation
Sirach 5
Good News Translation
Don't Be Presumptuous
5 Don't rely on money to make you independent. 2 Don't think you have to have everything you want, and then spend your energy trying to get it. 3 Don't think that no one can exercise authority over you; if you do, the Lord is certain to punish you. 4 (A)Don't think that you can sin and get away with it; the Lord does not mind waiting to punish you. 5 Don't be so certain of the Lord's forgiveness that you go on committing one sin after another. 6 Don't think that his mercy is so great that he will forgive your sins no matter how many they are. He does show mercy, but he also shows his furious anger with sinners. 7 Come back to the Lord quickly. Don't think that you can keep putting it off. His anger can come upon you suddenly, and you will die under his punishment. 8 Don't rely on dishonest wealth; it will do you no good on that day of disaster.
Sincerity and Self-control
9-10 Be certain about what you believe and consistent in what you say. Don't try to please everyone or agree with everything people say.[a] 11 Always be ready to listen, but take your time in answering. 12 Answer only if you know what to say, and if you don't know what to say, keep quiet. 13 Speaking can bring you either honor or disgrace; what you say can ruin you.
14 Don't get a reputation for being a gossip, and don't tell tales that will hurt people. Just as robbers will suffer disgrace, so liars will suffer severe condemnation. 15 Do nothing destructive,[b] whether it seems insignificant or not,
Footnotes
- Sirach 5:9 Hebrew everything people say; Greek adds That is what double-tongued sinners do.
- Sirach 5:15 Hebrew Do nothing destructive; Greek Do not be ignorant in anything.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
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Good News Translation (GNT) 
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