Sirach 5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Precepts for Everyday Living
5 Do not rely on your wealth
or say, “I have enough.”(A)
2 Do not follow your inclination and strength
in pursuing the desires of your heart.(B)
3 Do not say, “Who can have power over me?”
for the Lord will surely punish you.(C)
4 Do not say, “I sinned, yet what has happened to me?”
for the Lord is slow to anger.(D)
5 Do not be so confident of forgiveness[a]
that you add sin to sins.(E)
6 Do not say, “His mercy is great;
he will forgive[b] the multitude of my sins,”
for both mercy and wrath are with him,
and his anger will rest on sinners.(F)
7 Do not delay to turn back to the Lord,
and do not postpone it from day to day,
for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come forth,
and at the time of punishment you will perish.(G)
8 Do not rely on dishonest wealth,
for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity.(H)
9 Do not winnow in every wind
or follow every path.[c]
10 Stand firm in what you know,
and let your speech be consistent.
11 Be quick to hear,
and utter a reply patiently.(I)
12 If you understand, answer your neighbor,
but if not, put your hand over your mouth.(J)
Sirach 5
Good News Translation
Don't Be Presumptuous
5 Don't rely on money to make you independent. 2 Don't think you have to have everything you want, and then spend your energy trying to get it. 3 Don't think that no one can exercise authority over you; if you do, the Lord is certain to punish you. 4 (A)Don't think that you can sin and get away with it; the Lord does not mind waiting to punish you. 5 Don't be so certain of the Lord's forgiveness that you go on committing one sin after another. 6 Don't think that his mercy is so great that he will forgive your sins no matter how many they are. He does show mercy, but he also shows his furious anger with sinners. 7 Come back to the Lord quickly. Don't think that you can keep putting it off. His anger can come upon you suddenly, and you will die under his punishment. 8 Don't rely on dishonest wealth; it will do you no good on that day of disaster.
Sincerity and Self-control
9-10 Be certain about what you believe and consistent in what you say. Don't try to please everyone or agree with everything people say.[a] 11 Always be ready to listen, but take your time in answering. 12 Answer only if you know what to say, and if you don't know what to say, keep quiet. 13 Speaking can bring you either honor or disgrace; what you say can ruin you.
14 Don't get a reputation for being a gossip, and don't tell tales that will hurt people. Just as robbers will suffer disgrace, so liars will suffer severe condemnation. 15 Do nothing destructive,[b] whether it seems insignificant or not,
Footnotes
- Sirach 5:9 Hebrew everything people say; Greek adds That is what double-tongued sinners do.
- Sirach 5:15 Hebrew Do nothing destructive; Greek Do not be ignorant in anything.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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