Sirach 30

Wycliffe Bible

30 He that loveth his son, giveth busily beatings to him, (so) that he be glad in his last thing, and (so) that the son touch not the doors of (the) neighbours. [Who loveth his son, busily giveth to him scourges, that he glad in his last, and that he grope not the doors of neighbours.]

² He that teacheth his son, shall be praised in (or for) him; and shall have glory in him in the midst of (his) menials.

³ He that teacheth his son, sendeth the enemy into envy; and in the midst of friends he shall have glory in that son. [Who teacheth his son, into envy sendeth the enemy; and in the middle of friends he shall glory in him.]

⁴ (And though) The father of him is dead, and (yet) he is as not dead; for he hath left after him a son like him. [Dead is the father of him, and he is as not dead; like forsooth to him he hath left after him.]

⁵ He saw in his life, and was glad in (or over) him; and in his death he was not sorry, neither was ashamed before (his) enemies. [In his life he saw, and gladded in him; and in his death he sorrowed not, nor is confounded before the enemies.]

⁶ For he left a defender of the house against (his) enemies; and (one) yielding grace to (his) friends. [Forsooth he hath left the defender of the house against the enemies; and to friends the yielding of grace.]

⁷ For defending the souls (or the lives) of his sons, he shall bind together his wounds; and his entrails [or the bowels of him] shall be disturbed (or troubled) on each voice.

⁸ An horse untamed, either unchastised, shall escape hard, and a son unchastised shall escape heady (or become headstrong).

⁹ Flatter thou the son, and he shall make thee dreading; play thou with him, and he shall make thee sorry. [Flatter the son, and he shall make thee dreading; play with him, and he shall sorrow thee.]

¹⁰ Laugh thou not with him of (or about) his follies, lest thou have sorrow together, and at the last thy teeth shall be astonied (or astonished) [or and in the last thy teeth shall wax astonied].

¹¹ Give thou not power to him in youth, and despise thou not his thoughts.

¹² Bow thou (down) his neck in youth, and beat thou his sides, while he is a young child; lest peradventure he wax hard, and believe not to thee, and he shall be (a) sorrow of (or to) (thy) soul to thee. [Crook the noll of him in youth, and beat the sides of him, while he is an infant; lest peradventure he inwardly harden, and believe not to thee, and he shall be to thee sorrow of soul.]

¹³ Teach thy son, and work in him; lest thou offend into the filth of him (or lest his filthy behaviour offend thee).

¹⁴ Better is a poor man whole, and strong in mights [or in strengths], than a rich man feeble, and beaten [or scourged] with malice.

¹⁵ The health of (the) soul (or of the body) is in the holiness of rightfulness, and it is better than any gold and silver; and a strong body is better than full much chattel. [Health of soul in holiness of rightwiseness, and better is than all gold and silver; and a strong body than money without measure.]

¹⁶ No chattel is above the chattel of (the) health of (the) body; and no liking is above the joy of (the) heart. [There is not money over the money of the health of (the) body; and there is not liking over the joy of (the) heart.]

¹⁷ Better is death than bitter life, and everlasting rest is better than sickness dwelling continually. [Better is death than bitter life, and everlasting rest than (en)during sickness.]

¹⁸ Goods hid in a closed mouth be as settings forth of meats set about a sepulchre. [Goods hid in a mouth closed, as layings-to of plenteous meats, set about to a sepulchre.]

¹⁹ What shall sacrifice profit to an idol? [or What shall profit sacrifice to the maumet?] for why it shall not eat, neither shall smell. So he that is driven away from the Lord,

²⁰ and beareth the meeds (or the rewards) of wickedness, [or of shrewdness, (or of depravity)], seeing with eyes, and wailing inwardly, as a gelding embracing a virgin [or a maiden], and sighing.

²¹ Give thou not sorrow to thy soul, that is, unreasonable sorrow, that annoyeth (or harmeth) both body and soul, and torment not thyself in (or with) thy (own) counsel, as they do that despair through sorrow, and then slay themselves. [Sorrowy idleness give thou not to thy soul, nor torment thou thyself in thy counsel.]

²² Mirth of heart, this is the life of man, and is (a) treasure of holiness without failing; and full out joying of a man is long life [or long living].

²³ Have thou mercy on thy soul, and please thou God; and hold together and gather together thine heart in the holiness of him, and put far away sorrow from thee. For why sorrow hath slain many men; and none health is therein [or and there is not profit in it].

²⁴ Envy and wrathfulness shall make (for) less days; and thoughts shall bring eldness before the time. [Envy and wrath shall lessen days; and before time thinking shall bring to eld (age).]

²⁵ A shining heart is good in meats (or for meals, or for digestion); for why meats thereof be made diligently. [A bright heart good in meatships; the meatships forsooth of him diligently be made.]