Sirach 4

Wycliffe Bible

4 Son, defraud thou not the alms-[deed(s)] of a poor man, and turn not over (or away) thine eyes from a poor man [or from the poor].

² Despise thou not an hungry man, and wrath thou not a poor man in his neediness. [The hungering soul not despise thou, and stir thou not out to wrath the poor in his mis-ease.]

³ Torment thou not the heart of a needy man, and tarry thou not the gift to a man that is set in anguish. [The heart of the helpless not torment thou, and draw thou not along (a) gift to the man put in straits.]

⁴ Cast thou not away the praying of a man set in tribulation, and turn not away thy face from a needy man. [The praying of the troubled not cast thou away, and turn thou not away thy face from the needy.]

⁵ Turn not away thine eyes from a poor man for ire, and give not occasion to men asking to curse thee (from) behind. [From the helpless not turn thou away thine eyes for wrath, and leave thou not, or give thou not cause, to men seeking to curse behind to thee.]

⁶ For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of soul, shall be heard; forsooth he that made him, shall hear him. [Forsooth of the man cursing to thee in bitterness of soul, full out heard shall be the prayer of him; forsooth he shall hear him, that made him.]

⁷ Make thee easy to speak to the congregation of poor men, and make meek thy soul to a priest, that is, do thou due reverence to an eld man, and make meek thine head to a great man.

⁸ Bow down without sorrow thine ear to a poor man [or to the poor], and yield thy debt, and answer thou peaceably in mildness (or with meekness).

⁹ Deliver thou him that suffereth wrong from the hand of a proud man, and bear thou not heavily in thy soul (when deeming).

¹⁰ In deeming be thou merciful as a father to fatherless children, and be thou for an husband to the mother of them; and thou shalt be as an obedient [or as an obeisant] son of the Highest, and he shall have mercy on thee more than a mother hath mercy on her child.

¹¹ Wisdom inspireth life to his sons, and receiveth men seeking him, and shall go before in the way of rightfulness; [Wisdom to his sons inbreathed life, and receiveth the men out seeking him, and he shall go before in the way of rightwiseness;]

¹² and he that loveth that wisdom, loveth life, and they that wake to it, shall embrace the peaceableness, either sweetness, thereof. [and he that loveth it, loveth life, and that wake to it, shall embrace (al)together the gladness, or peaceableness, of it.]

¹³ They that hold it, shall inherit life; and whither it shall enter, God shall bless.

¹⁴ They that serve it, shall be obeying to the Holy (One); and God loveth them, that love it [or them that love it, God loveth].

¹⁵ He that heareth it, deemeth folks; and he that beholdeth it, shall dwell trustily. [Who heareth it, deemeth folks of kind; and who beholdeth it, shall abide still trusting.]

¹⁶ If a man believeth to it, he shall dwell, and inherit it; and the creatures of them shall be in confirming, that is, the works of them shall be confirmed in good. [If he shall give faith to it, he shall abide still, and heritage it; and the creatures of them shall be in fastening together.]

¹⁷ For in temptation it goeth with him, and among the first it chooseth him. It shall bring in on him dread, and fear, and proving, and it shall torment him in the tribulation of his doctrine, till it tempt him in his thoughts, and (it) believe to (or in) his soul. [For in temptation it goeth with him, and in the first things it choose him. Dread, and fear, and proving it shall bring in upon him, and shall torment him in tribulation of his teaching, to the time that it tempt him in his thoughts, and he believe to his soul.]

¹⁸ And it shall make him steadfast, and shall bring (the) right way to him, and it shall make him glad; and shall make naked his privates to him (or shall make open his secrets to him), and shall treasure on him cunning (or knowing), and understanding of rightfulness. [And it shall fasten him, and a right even way bring to him, and gladden him; and nakened his hid things to him, and treasure upon him cunning, and understanding of rightwiseness.]

¹⁹ Forsooth if he erreth, God shall forsake him, and shall betake him into the hands of his enemy. [If forsooth he shall full out err, it shall forsake him, and it shall take him in the hand of his enemy.]

²⁰ Son, keep thou (the) time, and eschew thou from evil. Be thou not ashamed (even) for thy life to say (the) truth; [Son, wait (on the) time, and shun away from evil. For thy soul, or life, be thou not confounded to say (the) sooth;]

²¹ for why there is shame that bringeth sin, and there is shame that bringeth glory and grace.

²² Take thou not a face against thy face, that is, against thy soul, neither a leasing (or a lie) against thy soul.

²³ Shame thou not thy neighbour in his fall[ing], neither withhold thou a word in the time of health.

²⁴ Hide not thy wisdom in the fairness thereof; for why wisdom is known in (the) tongue, and wit, and cunning, (or knowing), and teaching in the word of a wise man; and steadfastness is in the works of rightfulness. [Hide thou not thy wisdom in the fairness of it; in the tongue forsooth wisdom is known, and wit, and cunning, and teaching, in the word of the well-feeling; and fastening in the works of rightwiseness.]

²⁵ Against-say thou not (or Say thou not against) the word of truth in any manner; and be thou ashamed of the leasing (or of the lies) of thy mis-learning.

²⁶ Be thou not ashamed to acknowledge thy sins; and make thee not subject to each man for sin.

²⁷ Do not thou stand against [or withstand] the face of the mighty, neither enforce (or endeavor) thou against the stroke of the flood (or of the river).

²⁸ For rightfulness fight thou for the health of thy soul, and till to the death strive thou for rightfulness; and God shall overcome thine enemies for thee. [For rightwiseness fight for thy soul, and unto death strive for rightwiseness; and God shall out-fight, or overcome, for thee thine enemies.]

²⁹ Do not thou be swift in (or with) thy tongue, and unprofitable and slack, [or sloth(ful)], in (or with) thy works.

³⁰ Do not thou be as a lion in thine house, turning upside-down thy menials, and oppressing them that be subject/s to thee.

³¹ Thine hand be not ready to take, and closed (al)together to give. [Be not thine hand put forth to take, and to give drawn (back) (al)together.]