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God’s Punishment of Sinners

16 Do not desire a multitude of useless children,
    nor rejoice in ungodly sons.
If they multiply, do not rejoice in them,
    unless the fear of the Lord is in them.
Do not trust in their survival,
    and do not rely on their multitude;
for one is better than a thousand,[a]
    and to die childless is better than to have ungodly children.

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Footnotes

  1. Sirach 16:3 The text of this line is uncertain

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