Sirach 32

Wycliffe Bible

32 They have set thee a governor, do not thou be enhanced (or exalted); be thou among them as one of them. Have thou (the) care of them, and so behold thou; and when all thy care is filled, sit thou to meat [or (to) rest].

² That thou be glad for them, and take the ornament of grace; and get (a) crown, and (the) dignity of (the) congregation.

³ Speak thou, the greater man in birth; for why the word of him that loveth cunning (or knowing) become thee first; and hinder thou not (the) music. [Speak thou (the) more-through-birth; forsooth there seemeth thee first the word of loving cunning; and let (or hinder) thou not music.]

⁴ Where hearing is not, shed thou not out a word; and do not thou be enhanced uncovenably (or inopportunely) in thy wisdom. [Where is not hearing, pour thou not out a sermon; and uncovenably do thou not be enhanced in thy wisdom.]

⁵ A gem of carbuncle in the ornament of gold; and comparison of musics in the feast of wine.

⁶ As in the making [or (the) forging] of gold is a signet of smaragdus (or of emerald), so the number of musics is in merry and measurable [or temperate] wine.

⁷ Hear thou (while being) still, and good grace shall come to thee for reverence. Young man, speak thou scarcely in (or for) thy cause, (only) when need is. If thou art asked twice, the head have thine answer. [Hear thou (while) being still, and for reverence shall fall to thee good grace. Thou a young full waxen man, speak in thine own cause scarcely, (only) when need shall be. If twice thou were asked, have the head thine answer.]

⁸ In many things be thou as uncunning (or as unknowing), and hear thou (while being) still (al)together, and asking. [In many things be thou as uncunning, and hear thou being still (al)together and seeking.]

⁹ And presume thou not to speak in the midst of great men; and where eld men be, speak thou not much. [To speak in the middle of great men not before take thou; and where be old men, not much speak thou.]

¹⁰ Lightning shall go before hail, and grace shall go before shamefastness, and good grace shall come to thee for reverence. [Before hail shall go lightning, and before shamefastness shall go grace, and for reverence shall fall to thee good grace.]

¹¹ And in the hour of rising, trifle thee not, that is, make thee no tarrying in arraying, either trifling of hairs, as women do; forsooth run thou before first into thine house, and there call thou thee to answer [or and there be thou called to], and there play thou.

¹² And do thy conceits [or thy conceivings], that is, perform thy good purpose conceived there, and not in sins, and in a proud word.

¹³ On all these things, bless thou the Lord, that made thee, and filling thee greatly of (or with) all his goods.

¹⁴ He that dreadeth God, shall take his teaching; and they that wake to him, shall find blessing. [Who dreadeth God, shall take the doctrine of him; and who shall wake to him, shall find blessing.]

¹⁵ He that seeketh the law, shall be filled thereof; and he that doeth traitorously, shall be caused to stumble therein.

¹⁶ They that dread God, shall find just doom; and shall kindle rightfulness as (a) light.

¹⁷ A sinful man, that is, obstinate in sin, shall eschew blaming [or shall shun correction]; and after his will (or according to his desire), he shall find comparison.

¹⁸ A man of counsel shall not lose understanding; (but) a man alien and proud shall not dread dreading. Yea, after that he hath done with that dread without counsel, and he shall be reproved by his (pur)suings. [A man of counsel shall not destroy understanding; and an alien and a proud shall not full(y) dread dread. Also after that he did with him without counsel, and in his followings he shall be reproved.]

¹⁹ Son, do thou nothing without counsel; and after the deed thou shalt not repent.

²⁰ Go thou not in the way of falling, and offend (or stumble) thou not against (the) stones. [In the way of falling go thou not, and thou shalt not offend (or stumble) against stones.]

²¹ Betake thou not thee to a travailous way, lest thou set slander to thy soul (or thou cause thy soul to stumble);

²² and be thou ware of thy sons, and perceive thou [or take heed] of thy menials.

²³ In all thy work believe thou by (or in) (the) faith of thy soul; for why this is the keeping of (the) commandments. [In all thy work believe of (or in) the faith of thy soul; this is forsooth the keeping of the behests.]

²⁴ He that believeth to (or in) God, taketh heed to the commandments; and he that trusteth in him, shall not be made less, either deceived.