Sirach 19:20-30

Good News Translation

Recognizing Real Wisdom

²⁰ Fear the Lord and keep his Law; that is what Wisdom is all about.^{[a] 22} You may know everything there is to know about wickedness, but that does not make you wise. It is not sensible to follow the advice of sinners. ²³ It is possible to use cleverness for wicked purposes, but some people act like fools because they don't know any better. ²⁴ A devout person, even if he is not very intelligent, is better off than the cleverest of sinners. ²⁵ It is possible to be marvelously clever and still be dishonest, or to get what you want by being absurdly polite.

²⁶ Then there are those wicked people who go about looking very solemn and mournful, but who are only trying to deceive you. ²⁷ They will turn their faces away and pretend not to hear you, but they'll take advantage of you when you least expect it. ²⁸ If for some reason they are unable to sin now, they'll get around to it at the first opportunity. ²⁹ You can know people by their appearance. The first time you look at them, you can tell if they have good sense. ³⁰ Their character shows in the way they dress, the way they laugh, and the way they walk.