Sirach 11

Revised Standard Version

² Do not praise a man for his good looks,
    nor loathe a man because of his appearance.
³ The bee is small among flying creatures,
    but her product is the best of sweet things.
⁴ Do not boast about wearing fine clothes,
    nor exalt yourself in the day that you are honored;
for the works of the Lord are wonderful,
    and his works are concealed from men.
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 greatly disgraced,
    and illustrious men have been handed over to others.

¹⁰ My son, do not busy yourself with many matters;
    if you multiply activities you will not go unpunished,
and if you pursue you will not overtake,
    and by fleeing you will not escape.
¹¹ There is a man who works, and toils, and presses on,
    but is so much the more in want.
¹² There is another who is slow and needs help,
    who lacks strength and abounds in poverty;
but the eyes of the Lord look upon him for his good;
    he lifts him out of his low estate
¹³ and raises up his head,
    so that many are amazed at him.

¹⁴ Good things and bad, life and death,
    poverty and wealth, come from the Lord.^[a]
17 The gift of the Lord endures for those who are godly,
    and what he approves will have lasting success.
¹⁸ There is a man who is rich through his diligence and self-denial,
    and this is the reward allotted to him:
¹⁹ when he says, “I have found rest,
    and now I shall enjoy^[b] my goods!”
he does not know how much time will pass
    until he leaves them to others and dies.
²⁰ Stand by your covenant^[c] 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 toil;
for it is easy in the sight of the Lord
    to enrich a poor man quickly and suddenly.
²² The blessing of the Lord is^[d] the reward of the godly,
    and quickly God causes his blessing to flourish.
²³ Do not say, “What do I need,
    and what prosperity could be mine in the future?”
²⁴ Do not say, “I have enough,
    and what calamity could happen to me in the future?”
²⁵ In the day of prosperity, adversity is forgotten,
    and in the day of adversity, prosperity is not remembered.
²⁶ For it is easy in the sight of the Lord
    to reward a man on the day of death according to his conduct.
²⁷ The misery of an hour makes one forget luxury,
    and at the close of a man’s life his deeds will be revealed.
²⁸ Call no one happy before his death;
    a man will be known through his children.