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Sirach 20
Wycliffe Bible
Sirach 20
Wycliffe Bible
20 There is false reproving in the ire of a man full of despising; and there is doom which is not proved to be good; and there is a still man, and he is prudent. [There is lying correction in wrath of the wrongful; and there is doom that is not proved to be good; and there is a bearer (or a person being) still, and he is prudent.]
2 It is full good to reprove, more than to be wroth, and to forbid not a man acknowledging in prayer. [How good (it) is to reprove, than to wrath, and to not forbid the acknowledger in orison.]
3 The covetousness of a gelding hath defouled the maidenhood of a young woman, so (or is as) he that maketh wicked doom by violence. [The lust of the gelding deflowered the young woman, or (made her) bereft of her maidenhood, so he that doeth by force wicked doom.]
4 It is full good, that a man that is reproved, show openly penance; for so thou shalt escape willful sin. [How good (it) is, the chastised to show penance; so forsooth thou shalt flee away (from) willful sin.]
5 There is a still man, which is found wise; and he (that) is hateful, which is fool-hardy to speak. [There is a still man, that is found wise; and there is an hateful, that is greedy to speak.]
6 Soothly there is a still man, not having wit of speech; and there is a still man, knowing the season of covenable, (or of suitable, or of opportune) time. [There is forsooth a still man, not having wit of speech; and there is a still man, witting time of covenable time.]
7 A wise man shall be still till to (the right) time; but a jolly man and unprudent man shall not keep time. [A wise man shall be still unto time; the reckless, or wild, forsooth and the unprudent shall not keep time.]
8 He that useth many words, hurteth his soul; and he that taketh power to himself unjustly [or wrongfully], shall be hated.
9 There is going forth in evils to a man unlearned; and there is finding into (im)pairing. [There is going forth in evils to a man undisciplined; and there is finding into harm.]
10 There is a gift, which is not profitable; and there is a gift, whose yielding is double.
11 There is making less for glory; and there is a man, which shall raise the head from meekness.
12 There is a man, that again-buyeth many sins for (a) little price, and restoreth those in sevenfold. [There is, that many things again-buy for little price, and restoring them into sevenfold.]
13 A wise man in words maketh himself amiable; but the graces of fools shall be shed out. [A wise man in words maketh himself lovable; the graces forsooth of fools shall be poured out.]
14 The gift of an unwise man shall not be profitable to thee; for his eyes be sevenfold, that is, his intent is many-fold and diverse.
15 He shall give little things, and he shall upbraid many things; and the opening of his mouth is enflaming. Today a man lendeth, and tomorrow he asketh (for it again); and such a man is hateful. [Few things he shall give, and many things he shall upbraid; and the opening of the mouth of him is enflaming. Today lendeth a man, and tomorrow he asketh it by plea; and hateful is such a manner man.]
16 A friend shall not be to a fool [or To a fool shall not be a friend], and grace shall not be to his goods. For they that eat his bread, be of false tongue, that is, flatterers praising his follies;
17 how often, and how many men shall scorn him?(!) For he parteth [or he dealed] not by even wit that, that was worthy to be had; in like manner and that, that was not worthy to be had.
18 The falling of a false tongue is as he that falleth in (or on) the pavement; so the falls of evil men shall come hastily. [The sliding of the false tongue as he that is falling in (or on) the pavement; so the fallings of evil men hastily shall come.]
19 A man without grace is as a vain fable; and it shall be customable in the mouth of unlearned men. [An unkind man as a vain fable; and it shall be often in the mouth of the undisciplined.]
20 A parable, that is, a true sentence and great, shall be reproved (when it cometh out) of the mouth of a fool; for he saith not it in his (or its) time [or forsooth he saith it not in his (or its) time].
21 There is a man, that is forbidden to do sin, for (or because of) poverty; and he shall (not) be pricked in his rest. [There is, that is forbidden for mis-ease to sin; and in his rest shall be pricked.]
22 There is a man, that shall lose (or shall destroy) his (own) soul for shame; and for the unprudence of a person he shall lose it. Forsooth he shall lose (or shall destroy) himself for the taking (or the favouring) of a person. [And there is, that shall lose his soul for confusion; and of unprudence of person he shall lose it. Forsooth by exception, (or acceptance, or favouring) of person he shall lose himself.]
23 There is a man, that for shame promiseth to a friend; and he hath gotten him(self) (an) enemy without cause. [There is, that for confusion promiseth to a friend; and hath won him an enemy willfully.]
24 Leasing (or Lying) is a wicked shame in a man; and it shall be customably in the mouth of unlearned men. [Wicked reproof in a man (is) a leasing; and in the mouth of the undisciplined it shall be busily.]
25 Better, or less evil, is a thief than the customableness of a man, a leasing-monger, (that is, a man accustomed to lying); forsooth both they (or both of them) shall inherit perdition. [Better is a thief than the busyness of a man liar; forsooth both shall heritage perdition.]
26 The manners of men leasing-mongers [or liars] be without honour; and their shame is with them without ceasing.
27 A wise man in words shall bring forth himself; and a prudent man shall please great men.
28 He that worketh his land, shall make high the heap of fruits; and he that worketh rightfulness, shall be enhanced (or exalted) [or and who worketh rightwiseness, he shall much be enhanced]. Soothly he that pleaseth great men, shall escape wickedness.
29 Presents and gifts blind the eyes of judges; and as (one) dumb in the mouth it turneth away the chastisings of them. [Presents and gifts full out blind the eyes of doomsmen; and as a dumb in the mouth he turneth away the chastisings of them.]
30 Wisdom hid, and treasure unseen, what profit is in ever either?
31 He is better, that hideth his unwisdom, than a man that hideth his wisdom. [Better is, that covereth his unwisdom, than a man that hideth his wisdom.]
32 (This verse is omitted in the original text.)
Ben Sira 20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Ben Sira 20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 20
Conduct of the Wise and the Foolish
1 There is an admonition that is untimely,[a]
but the silent person is the wise one.
2 It is much better to admonish than to lose one’s temper;
3 one who admits a fault will be kept from disgrace.
4 Like a eunuch lusting to violate a young woman
is the one who does right under compulsion.[b]
5 One is silent and is thought wise;
another, for being talkative, is disliked.
6 One is silent, having nothing to say;
another is silent, biding his time.(A)
7 The wise remain silent till the right time comes,
but a boasting fool misses the proper time.
8 Whoever talks too much is detested;
whoever pretends to authority is hated.
9 There is the misfortune that brings success;[c]
and there is the gain that turns into loss.
10 There is the gift that profits you nothing,
and there is the gift that must be paid back double.
11 There is the loss for the sake of glory,
and there is the one who rises above humble circumstances.
12 There is one who buys much for little,
but pays for it seven times over.
13 The wise make themselves beloved by a few words,
but the courtesies of fools are wasted.
14 A gift from a fool will do you no good,
for in his eyes this one gift is equal to many.
15 He gives little, criticizes often,
and opens his mouth like a town crier.
He lends today and asks for it tomorrow;
such a person is hateful.
16 A fool says, “I have no friends
nor thanks for my generosity.”
Those who eat his bread have a mocking tongue.
17 How many will ridicule him, and how often!
18 A slip on the floor is better than a slip of the tongue;[d]
in like manner the downfall of the wicked comes quickly.
19 A coarse person, an untimely story;
the ignorant are always ready to offer it.
20 A proverb spoken by a fool is unwelcome,
for he does not tell it at the proper time.
21 There is a person whose poverty prevents him from sinning,
but when he takes his rest he has no regrets.
22 There is a person who is destroyed through shame,
and ruined by foolish posturing.
23 There is one who promises a friend out of shame,
and so makes an enemy needlessly.
24 A lie is a foul blot in a person,
yet it is always on the lips of the ignorant.
25 A thief is better than an inveterate liar,
yet both will suffer ruin.
26 A liar’s way leads to dishonor,
and his shame remains ever with him.
27 The wise gain promotion with few words,[e]
the prudent please the great.
28 Those who work the land have abundant crops,
and those who please the great are pardoned their faults.
29 Favors and gifts blind the eyes;
like a muzzle over the mouth they silence reproofs.(B)
30 Hidden wisdom and unseen treasure—
what value has either?
31 Better are those who hide their folly
than those who hide their wisdom.[f]
Footnotes
- 20:1–8 The wise know the proper times for speech and silence, that is, the occasions when the most benefit can be gained from them. On the ambiguity of silences, see Prv 17:27–28.
- 20:4 Force can prevent an external act of sin or compel a good deed, but it does not eliminate the internal sin or desire of wrongdoing.
- 20:9–17 In a series of paradoxes the author indicates how much true and lasting values differ from apparent ones.
- 20:18–26 The ill-timed speech brings disaster (vv. 18–20); human respect may lead to rash promises and enmity (vv. 22–23); lies bring dishonor and lasting disgrace (vv. 24–26).
- 20:27–31 Through prudent speech the wise gain honor and esteem among the great (vv. 27–28). They must beware, however, of accepting bribes, lest they share in evil through silence when they should reprove (vv. 29–31).
- 20:31
Other ancient texts read as v. 32:
It is better to await the inevitable while serving the Lord
than to be the ungoverned helmsman for the careening of one’s life.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
2001 by Terence P. Noble
New English Translation (NET)
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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