Sirach 6

Wycliffe Bible

6 Do not thou for a friend (or instead of a friend) be made (an) enemy to thy neighbour; for why an evil man shall inherit upbraiding and despising, and each sinner envious and double-tongued. [Do thou not be made for a friend (an) enemy to thy neighbour; reproof forsooth and strife the evil man shall heritage, and each sinner envious and twisel-tongued.]

² Enhance thee not in the thought of thy soul, as a bull doeth; lest thy virtue be hurtled down by folly, [Not enhance thou thee in the thinking of thy soul, as a bull; lest peradventure be hurtled away thy strength by folly,]

³ and it eat thy leaves, and lose (or destroy) thy fruits, and thou be left as a dry tree in (the) desert. [and thy leaves it eat, and thy fruits it lose, and thou be left as a dry tree in wilderness.]

⁴ Forsooth a wicked soul shall lose him that hath it, and it giveth him into the joy of the enemy, and it shall lead forth into the part of wicked men. [A shrewd (or depraved) forsooth soul shall destroy him that hath it, and into joy of his enemy it giveth him, and shall bring down into the lot of unpious men.]

⁵ A sweet word multiplieth friends, and assuageth enemies; and a tongue well gracious shall be plenteous in a good man. [A sweet word multiplieth friends, and assuageth enemies; and a gracious tongue in a good man shall abound.]

⁶ Many peaceable men be to thee, and (or but) one (out) of a thousand be a counsellor to thee. [Many peaceable be to thee, and counsellor be to thee one of a thousand.]

⁷ If thou hast a friend, have him in temptation, that is, prove thou him in thine adversity, and betake not lightly thyself to him. [if thou wieldest a friend, in temptation wield him, and not lightly open, or trust, thou thyself to him.]

⁸ For there is a friend by (or for) his (own) time, and he shall not dwell in the day of tribulation. [There is forsooth a friend after his time, and shall not abide still in the day of tribulation.]

⁹ And there is a friend which is turned to enmity; and there is a friend, that shall show openly hatred, and chiding, and despisings. [And there is a friend that is turned to enmity; and there is a friend, that hate, and strife, and reproofs shall discover.]

¹⁰ Forsooth there is a friend, (a) fellow of (the) table, and (he) dwelleth not in the day of need. [There is forsooth a friend, fellow of the board, and abideth not still in the day of need.]

¹¹ If a friend dwelleth steadfast, he shall be as a man even with thee, and he shall do trustily in thy menial [or homely] things.

¹² If he meeketh himself before thee, and hideth him(self) from thy face, thou shalt have good friendship of one accord [or of one will].

¹³ Be thou parted from thine enemies, and take heed of thy friends.

¹⁴ A faithful friend is a strong defending [or a strong protection]; forsooth he that findeth him, findeth treasure.

¹⁵ No comparison is to a faithful friend; weighing of gold and of silver is not worthy against the goodness of his faithfulness. [To a faithful friend is no comparison; there is not worthy peising of gold and of silver against the goodness of the faith of him.]

¹⁶ A faithful friend is (the) medicine of life, and of undeadliness (or of immortality); and they that dread the Lord, shall find him.

¹⁷ He that dreadeth the Lord, shall have evenly good friendship [or Who dreadeth the Lord, evenly shall have good friendship]; for why his friend shall be at the likeness of him.

¹⁸ Son, from thy youth take thou doctrine, and till to [thine] hoar hairs thou shalt find wisdom.

¹⁹ As he that erreth (or that ploweth), and that soweth, nigh (or approach) thou to it, and abide thou (for) the good fruits thereof. For thou shalt travail a little in the work thereof, and thou shalt eat soon of the generations thereof. [As he that erreth, and that soweth, nigh thou to it, and sustain the good fruits of it. In the work forsooth of it a little thou shalt travail, and soon thou shalt eat of the gettings of it.]

²⁰ Wisdom is over-sharp or is full-sharp to untaught men, and an heartless man shall not dwell therein. [How sharp full much is wisdom to unwise men, and there shall not abide still in it the heartless.]

²¹ As the virtue (or the strength) of a stone, proving shall be in them; and they shall not tarry to cast away it [or to throw it afar].

²² Forsooth the wisdom of teaching is by the name thereof, and it is not open to many men; but it dwelleth with them, of whom it is known, till to the sight of God. [The wisdom forsooth of doctrine is after the name of it, and not to many it is opened; to whom forsooth it is known, it abideth still, unto the sight of God.]

²³ Son, hear thou [or Hear, son], and take the counsel of understanding, and cast thou not away my counsel.

²⁴ Set in thy foot into the stocks thereof, and thy neck into the bies, (or the bands), thereof. [Throw in thy feet into the gives of it, and into the collars of it thy neck.]

²⁵ Make subject thy shoulder, and bear it, and be thou not annoyed (or harmed) in the bonds thereof. [Underlay thy shoulder, and bear it, and not bear thou heavysomely in the bonds of it.]

²⁶ In all thy will go to it, and in all thy virtue keep the ways thereof [or the ways of it].

²⁷ Inquire thou (of or about) it [or Ensearch it], and it shall be made open to thee; and thou made holding wisdom forsake not it.

²⁸ For in the last things thou shalt find rest therein, and it shall turn to thee into delighting. [In the last things forsooth thou shalt find rest in it, and it shall be turned to thee into liking.]

²⁹ And the stocks thereof shall be to thee in defence of strength, and the foundaments of virtue, and the bie(s), (or the bands), thereof, in(to) a stole of glory. [And the gives of it shall be to thee into protection of strength, and the feet of virtue, and the collars of it in(to) a stole of glory.]

³⁰ For why the fairness of life is in wisdom, and the bonds thereof be healful or healthful binding. [The fairness forsooth of life is in it, and the bonds of it wholesome binding.]

³¹ Thou shalt wear it as a stole of glory, and thou shalt set [or thou shalt put] on thee a crown of thanking.

³² Son, if thou takest heed to me, thou shalt learn wisdom; and if thou givest thy will, thou shalt be wise. [Son, if thou shalt take heed to me, thou shalt learn it; and if thou leanest to, or (ad)dressest, (or directest) thine inwit, thou shalt be wise.]

³³ If thou bowest down thine ear, thou shalt take (or receive) teaching; and if thou lovest for to hear, thou shalt be wise. [If thou bowest in thine ear, thou shalt take doctrine; and if thou love to hear, thou shalt be wise.]

³⁴ Stand thou in the multitude of prudent priests, and be thou joined of (or in) heart to the wisdom of them;

³⁵ (so) that thou mayest hear each telling of God, and the proverbs of praising fly not away from thee. [that all the telling of God thou be able to hear, and the proverbs of praising escape not from thee.]

³⁶ And if thou seest a wise man, wake thou to him, and thy foot [often] tread on the grees (or on the steps) of his doors.

³⁷ Have thou thought in (or on) the commandments of God, and be thou most busy in his behests; and he shall give to thee (an) heart, and covetousness of wisdom shall be given to thee. [Thinking have thou in the behests of God, and in the commandments of him most busy be thou; and he shall give to thee an heart, and coveting of wisdom shall be given to thee.]