Sirach 32:14-33:6

Common English Bible

¹⁸ A well-advised person
won’t overlook an intelligent thought;
    the stranger and the arrogant
    won’t cower out of fear.
¹⁹ Do nothing without deliberation,
    and when you have acted,
    don’t feel regret.
²⁰ Don’t walk on a hazardous path,
    and don’t stumble on stony ground.^[a]
21 Don’t trust an unexplored road,
²²     and be on guard
    concerning your children.^[b]
23 Trust yourself^[c] in every action,
    because this also means
    keeping the commandments.

²⁴ Whoever has faith in the Law
pays attention to the commandments;
    whoever trusts the Lord
    won’t suffer loss.

33 Those who fear the Lord
won’t encounter evil,
    but when they are tested
    they will be delivered again and again.
² Wise people won’t hate the Law,
    but those who are hypocrites about it
    are like a boat in a storm.
³ Sensible people will trust the Lord’s word;^[d]
    for them, the Law is as trustworthy
    as divine oracles.

⁴ Prepare your speech,
and then you will be heard;
    draw upon your training,
    and give an answer.
⁵ The emotions of the foolish
are like a wagon wheel,
    and their arguments are like
    a turning axle.
⁶ A friend who mocks is like a stallion
    that whinnies underneath
    anyone who rides him.