Sirach 11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Deceptiveness of Appearances
11 The wisdom of the humble lifts their heads high
and seats them among the great.(A)
2 Do not praise individuals for their good looks
or loathe anyone because of appearance alone.(B)
3 The bee is small among flying creatures,
but what it produces is the origin of sweet things.(C)
4 Do not mock those wearing only a loincloth
or make fun of those whose day is bitter,[a]
for the works of the Lord are wonderful
and his works are concealed from humans.(D)
5 Many oppressed have sat upon a throne,[b]
and one whom no one expected has worn a crown.(E)
6 Many rulers have been utterly disgraced,
and the honored have been handed over to others.(F)
Deliberation and Caution
7 Do not find fault before you investigate;
examine first and then criticize.(G)
8 Do not answer before you listen,
and do not interrupt when another is speaking.(H)
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.(I)
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(J)
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.[c](K)
17 The Lord’s gift remains with the devout,
and his favor brings lasting success.
18 A person becomes rich through diligence and self-denial,
and the reward allotted to him is this:(L)
19 when he says, “I have found rest,
and now I shall feast on my goods!”
he does not realize how time passes by;
he will leave them to others and will die.(M)
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 person suddenly rich, in an instant.(N)
22 The blessing of the Lord is[d] the reward of the pious,
and quickly his blessing flourishes.
23 Do not say, “What do I need,
and what further benefit can be mine?”(O)
24 Do not say, “I have enough,
and what harm can come to me now?”(P)
25 In the day of prosperity, adversity is forgotten,
and in the day of adversity, prosperity is not remembered.(Q)
26 For it is easy for the Lord on the day of death
to reward individuals according to their conduct.(R)
27 An hour’s misery makes one forget delights,
and at the close of one’s life one’s deeds are revealed.(S)
28 Call no one happy before his death;
by how he ends, a person becomes known.[e]
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,[f](T)
31 for they lie in wait, turning good into evil,
and to worthy actions they attach blame.(U)
32 From a spark many coals are kindled,
and a sinner lies in wait to shed blood.(V)
33 Beware of scoundrels, for they devise evil,
and they may ruin your reputation forever.(W)
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
- 11.4 Heb: Gk Do not boast about wearing fine clothes, and do not exalt yourself when you are honored
- 11.5 Heb: Gk Many sovereigns have sat on the ground
- 11.14 Other ancient authorities add as 11.15–16:
Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of the law come from the Lord; affection and the ways of good works come from him. Error and darkness were created with sinners; evil grows old with those who take pride in malice. - 11.22 Heb: Gk is in
- 11.28 Heb: Gk and through his children a person becomes known
- 11.30 Heb: Gk downfall
Ben Sira 11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 11
1 The wisdom of the poor lifts their head high
and sets them among princes.
2 Do not praise anyone for good looks;
or despise anyone because of appearance.
3 The bee is least among winged creatures,
but it reaps the choicest of harvests.
4 Do not mock the one who wears only a loin-cloth,
or scoff at a person’s bitter day.
For strange are the deeds of the Lord,
hidden from mortals his work.[a]
5 Many are the oppressed who rise to the throne;
some that none would consider wear a crown.[b]
6 Many are the exalted who fall into utter disgrace,
many the honored who are given into the power of the few.
Moderation and Patience[c]
7 Before investigating, do not find fault;
examine first, then criticize.
8 Before listening, do not say a word,
interrupt no one in the midst of speaking.(A)
9 Do not dispute about what is not your concern;
in the quarrels of the arrogant do not take part.
10 My son, why increase your anxiety,
since whoever is greedy for wealth will not be blameless?
Even if you chase after it, you will never overtake it;
and by fleeing you will not escape.
11 One may work and struggle and drive,
and fall short all the same.(B)
12 Others go their way broken-down drifters,
with little strength and great misery—
Yet the eye of the Lord looks favorably upon them,
shaking them free of the stinking mire.
13 He lifts up their heads and exalts them
to the amazement of the many.
14 [d]Good and evil, life and death,(C)
poverty and riches—all are from the Lord.[e]
17 The Lord’s gift remains with the devout;
his favor brings lasting success.
18 Some become rich through a miser’s life,
and this is their allotted reward:
19 When they say: “I have found rest,(D)
now I will feast on my goods,”
They do not know how long it will be
till they die and leave them to others.[f]
20 My child, stand by your agreement and attend to it,
grow old while doing your work.
21 Do not marvel at the works of a sinner,
but trust in the Lord and wait for his light;
For it is easy in the eyes of the Lord
suddenly, in an instant, to make the poor rich.
22 God’s blessing is the lot of the righteous,
and in due time their hope bears fruit.
23 Do not say: “What do I need?
What further benefits can be mine?”
24 Do not say: “I am self-sufficient.
What harm can come to me now?”
25 The day of prosperity makes one forget adversity;
the day of adversity makes one forget prosperity.(E)
26 For it is easy for the Lord on the day of death[g]
to repay mortals according to their conduct.
27 A time of affliction brings forgetfulness of past delights;
at the end of life one’s deeds are revealed.
28 Call none happy before death,
for how they end, they are known.
Care in Choosing Friends
29 Not everyone should be brought into your house,
for many are the snares of the crafty.
30 Like a decoy partridge in a cage, so is the heart of the proud,
and like a spy they will pick out the weak spots.
31 For they lie in wait to turn good into evil,
and to praiseworthy deeds they attach blame.
32 One spark kindles many coals;
a sinner lies in wait for blood.
33 Beware of scoundrels, for they breed only evil,
and they may give you a lasting stain.
34 Admit strangers into your home, and they will stir up trouble
and make you a stranger to your own family.
Footnotes
- 11:4 The implication is similar to Eccl 7:13; 8:17: the mysterious work of God.
- 11:5 Cf. 1 Sm 2:8; Ps 75:8; 105:17–22; Lk 1:52.
- 11:7–28 Discretion should regulate conduct toward others (vv. 7–9); as regards personal interests, one should avoid solicitude for the passing external benefits of life and property (vv. 10–14, 18–19, 21, 23–25) and cultivate the lasting inward gifts of wisdom, virtue (vv. 20, 22), and patience (vv. 25–28).
- 11:14 In mysterious ways God ultimately governs the lives of men and women.
- 11:14
Other ancient texts read as vv. 15–16:
15Wisdom and understanding and knowledge of the Law,
love and virtuous paths, are from the Lord.
16Error and darkness were formed with sinners from their birth,
and evil grows old with those who exult in evil.
- 11:19 Cf. the parable of the rich man, Lk 12:16–21.
- 11:26–28 Ben Sira thought that divine retribution took place only in the present life, and even at the end of life; cf. 9:12; 14:16–17.
Sirach 11
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
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 honoured;
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 honoured 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 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 favour 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 for ever.
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
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