Sirach 22
Wycliffe Bible
22 A slow man is stoned in (or is compared to) a stone of clay; and all men shall speak on the (great) despising of him [or and all shall speak of the great despising of him].
2 A slow man is stoned of (or is compared to) the dung of oxes [or the drit of oxen]; and each man that toucheth him, shall shake the hands.
3 The shame of a father is of a son unlearned; but a fond daughter shall be in decreasing of the honour of father and mother. [The confusion of the father is of the undisciplined son; forsooth a fool(ish) daughter in great diminishing shall be.]
4 A prudent daughter is heritage to her husband; for she that shameth her husband, is in despising [or in reproof] of (or by) the father.
5 A bold woman, that is, shameless, shameth the father and husband, and shall not be made less than unfaithful men; forsooth she shall not be honoured of (or by) ever either.
6 Melody in mourning is uncovenable (or is unsuitable) telling; beatings and teaching, [or scourges and doctrine], (be) in all time with wisdom.
7 He that teacheth a fool, (is) as he that glueth together a tilestone. He that telleth a word to him that heareth not, is as he that raiseth a man sleeping from a grievous sleep. [Who teacheth a fool, as that glueth together a sherd (or a shard). He that telleth a word to the not hearing, as that reareth a sleeping man from an heavy sleep.]
8 He that telleth wisdom to a fool, speaketh with a man sleeping; and in the end of the telling he shall say, Who is this?
9 (This verse is omitted in the original text.)
10 (This verse is omitted in the original text.)
11 Weep thou on (or for) a dead man, for why his light failed [or forsooth the light of him failed]; and weep thou on (or for) a fool, for he failed of wit. Weep thou a little on (or for) a dead man, for he hath rested. Forsooth the life of a full wicked man is full wicked, more than the death of a fool.
12 The mourning of (or for) a dead man is seven days; but the mourning of (or for) a fool and of (or for) a wicked [or (an) unpious] man is all the days of their life.
13 Speak thou not much with a fool, and go thou not with an unwise man. Keep thee from him, (so) that thou have not dis-ease [or grief]; and thou shalt not be defouled in the sin of him. Bow thou away from him, and thou shalt find rest; and be thou not annoyed by his folly.
14 What shall be made heavier than lead? and what other name than a fool is to it? [Over (or More than) lead what shall be heavy? and what other name to him than a fool?]
15 It is lighter (or easier) to bear gravel, and salt, and a gobbet of iron, than a man unprudent, and a fool, and unfaithful. [Lighter (it) is to bear gravel, and salt, and a gobbet of iron, than an imprudent man, and a fool, and unpious.]
16 As an heap of trees, bound together in the foundament of the building, shall not be unbound, so and an heart confirmed in the thought of counsel. [As joining of trees, bound together to the foundament of the building, shall not be unloosed, so and the heart fastened together in the thinking of counsel.]
17 The thought of a wise man shall not be made shrewd (or depraved) in any time, neither dreaded.
18 As chaffs in high places, and sand without meddling of him [or and mortar without due cost], set against the face of the wind, shall not dwell; so and a dreadful heart in the thought [or in the thinking] of a fool against-standeth not against the fierceness of dread. As adorning, either pargeting, full of gravel in a clear wall, so and a fearedful heart in the thought of a fool [or so and the trembling heart in the thinking of a fool] shall not dread in any time; so and he that dwelleth (for)ever[more] in the behests (or the commands) of God.
19 He that pricketh the eye, shall lead out tears; and he that pricketh the heart, bringeth forth wit.
20 He that casteth a stone to (or at) birds, shall cast down those; so and he that doeth wrong to a friend, departeth friendship. [Throwing a stone into fowls, throweth them down; so and that putteth reproof to a friend, loseth friendship.]
21 Though thou bringest forth a sword to a friend, despair thou not; for there is going again to the friend.
22 If he openeth a sorrowful [or a dreary] mouth, dread thou not; for why there is according, except (for) despising, and shame, and pride, and showing [or opening] of private(s) (or of secrets), and a treacherous wound; in all these things a friend shall fly away [or shall flee away].
23 Have thou faith with a friend in his poverty, (so) that thou be glad also in his goods. In the time of his tribulations, dwell thou faithful to him [or abide still to him faithful], (so) that also thou be ever-heir in the heritage of him.
24 Heat and smoke of fire is made high before the fire of a chimney; so and cursings, and despisings, and menaces, come before blood. [Before fire of the chimney, moist issue, and the smoke of fire, is enhanced; so and before blood curses, and wrongs, and threats.]
25 I shall not be ashamed for to greet [or to salute] a friend, and I shall not hide me from his face;
26 though evils come to me by him, I shall suffer. Each man that shall hear, shall keep warily himself from him. [and if evils shall come to me by him, I shall suffer. Each that shall hear, shall shun himself from him.]
27 Who shall give keeping to my mouth, and a certain sealing on my lips, (so) that I fall not by those, and that my tongue lose (or destroy) not me? [Who shall give to my mouth ward, and upon my lips a certain mark, that I fall not from them, and my tongue lose me?]
Ben Sira 22
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 22
On Laziness and Foolishness
1 [a]The sluggard is like a filthy stone;[b]
everyone hisses at his disgrace.
2 The sluggard is like a lump of dung;
whoever touches it shakes it off the hands.
3 An undisciplined child is a disgrace to its father;
if it be a daughter, she brings him to poverty.(A)
4 A thoughtful daughter obtains a husband of her own;
a shameless one is her father’s grief.
5 A hussy shames her father and her husband;
she is despised by both.
6 Like music at the time of mourning is ill-timed talk,[c]
but lashes and discipline are at all times wisdom.[d]
9 Teaching a fool is like gluing a broken pot,(B)
or rousing another from deep sleep.
10 Whoever talks with a fool talks to someone asleep;
when it is over, he says, “What was that?”
11 Weep over the dead, for their light has gone out;
weep over the fool, for sense has left him.
Weep but less bitterly over the dead, for they are at rest;
worse than death is the life of a fool.
12 Mourning for the dead, seven days—(C)
but for the wicked fool, a whole lifetime.
13 Do not talk much with the stupid,
or visit the unintelligent.
Beware of them lest you have trouble
and be spattered when they shake themselves off.
Avoid them and you will find rest
and not be wearied by their lack of sense.
14 What is heavier than lead?
What is its name but “Fool”?
15 Sand, salt, and an iron weight
are easier to bear than the stupid person.(D)
16 A wooden beam firmly bonded into a building[e]
is not loosened by an earthquake;
So the mind firmly resolved after careful deliberation
will not be afraid at any time.
17 The mind solidly backed by intelligent thought
is like a stucco decoration on a smooth wall.
18 Small stones lying on an open height
will not remain when the wind blows;
So a timid mind based on foolish plans
cannot stand up to fear of any kind.
The Preservation of Friendship[f]
19 Whoever jabs the eye brings tears;
whoever pierces the heart bares its feelings.
20 Whoever throws a stone at birds drives them away;
whoever insults a friend breaks up the friendship.
21 Should you draw a sword against a friend,
do not despair, for it can be undone.
22 Should you open your mouth against a friend,
do not worry, for you can be reconciled.
But a contemptuous insult, a confidence broken,
or a treacherous attack will drive any friend away.
23 Win your neighbor’s trust while he is poor,
so that you may rejoice with him in his prosperity.
In time of trouble remain true to him,
so that you may share in his inheritance when it comes.
24 The billowing smoke of a furnace precedes the fire,
so insults precede bloodshed.
25 I am not ashamed to shelter a friend,
and I will not hide from him.
26 But if harm should come to me because of him,
all who hear of it will beware of him.
Prayer[g]
27 Who will set a guard over my mouth,
an effective seal on my lips,
That I may not fail through them,
and my tongue may not destroy me?(E)
Footnotes
- 22:1–15 To Ben Sira, a lazy person and an unruly child are a cause of shame and disgrace; everyone wishes to be rid of them (vv. 1–5). Speaking with a wicked fool is as senseless as talking with someone who is asleep or dead (v. 10). The fool is an intolerable burden that merits a lifetime of mourning (v. 12). Seven days was the usual mourning period. Cf. Gn 50:10; Jdt 16:24.
- 22:1 Stone: used then and even today for wiping oneself after a bowel movement.
- 22:6 As a joyful song is out of place among mourners so a rebuke may be insufficient when corporal punishment is called for.
- 22:6
Other ancient texts read as vv. 7–8:
7Children whose upbringing leads to a wholesome life
veil over the lowly origins of their parents.
8Children whose pride is in scornful misconduct
besmirch the nobility of their own family.
- 22:16–18 A prudent mind firmly resolved is undisturbed by violent and conflicting thoughts, whereas a foolish person is tossed about by the winds of fear, like small stones whipped about by high winds.
- 22:19–26 Disputes and violence weaken friendship, and disloyalty and abuse of confidence destroy it utterly (vv. 19–22, 24, 26); but kindness to a poor person in time of poverty and adversity builds up friendship and merits a share in his prosperity and inheritance (vv. 23, 25).
- 22:27–23:6 Ben Sira implores the divine assistance to preserve him through stern discipline from sins of the tongue (22:27; 23:1), from ignorance of mind and weakness of will (vv. 2–3), and from inclinations of the senses and the flesh, lest he fall into the hands of his enemies or become a prey of shameful desires (vv. 4–6).
2001 by Terence P. Noble
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