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Sirach 6
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Sirach 6
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
6 1 and do not become an enemy instead of a friend;
for a bad name incurs shame and reproach;
so it is with the double-tongued sinner.
2 Do not fall into the grip of passion,[a]
or you may be torn apart as by a bull.[b]
3 Your leaves will be devoured and your fruit destroyed,
and you will be left like a withered tree.
4 Evil passion destroys those who have it,
and makes them the laughing-stock of their enemies.
Friendship, False and True
5 Pleasant speech multiplies friends,
and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies.
6 Let those who are friendly with you be many,
but let your advisers be one in a thousand.
7 When you gain friends, gain them through testing,
and do not trust them hastily.
8 For there are friends who are such when it suits them,
but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.
9 And there are friends who change into enemies,
and tell of the quarrel to your disgrace.
10 And there are friends who sit at your table,
but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.
11 When you are prosperous, they become your second self,
and lord it over your servants;
12 but if you are brought low, they turn against you,
and hide themselves from you.
13 Keep away from your enemies,
and be on guard with your friends.
14 Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:
whoever finds one has found a treasure.
15 Faithful friends are beyond price;
no amount can balance their worth.
16 Faithful friends are life-saving medicine;
and those who fear the Lord will find them.
17 Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright,
for as they are, so are their neighbours also.
Blessings of Wisdom
18 My child, from your youth choose discipline,
and when you have grey hair you will still find wisdom.
19 Come to her like one who ploughs and sows,
and wait for her good harvest.
For when you cultivate her you will toil but little,
and soon you will eat of her produce.
20 She seems very harsh to the undisciplined;
fools cannot remain with her.
21 She will be like a heavy stone to test them,
and they will not delay in casting her aside.
22 For wisdom is like her name;
she is not readily perceived by many.
23 Listen, my child, and accept my judgement;
do not reject my counsel.
24 Put your feet into her fetters,
and your neck into her collar.
25 Bend your shoulders and carry her,
and do not fret under her bonds.
26 Come to her with all your soul,
and keep her ways with all your might.
27 Search out and seek, and she will become known to you;
and when you get hold of her, do not let her go.
28 For at last you will find the rest she gives,
and she will be changed into joy for you.
29 Then her fetters will become for you a strong defence,
and her collar a glorious robe.
30 Her yoke[c] is a golden ornament,
and her bonds a purple cord.
31 You will wear her like a glorious robe,
and put her on like a splendid crown.[d]
32 If you are willing, my child, you can be disciplined,
and if you apply yourself you will become clever.
33 If you love to listen you will gain knowledge,
and if you pay attention you will become wise.
34 Stand in the company of the elders.
Who is wise? Attach yourself to such a one.
35 Be ready to listen to every godly discourse,
and let no wise proverbs escape you.
36 If you see an intelligent person, rise early to visit him;
let your foot wear out his doorstep.
37 Reflect on the statutes of the Lord,
and meditate at all times on his commandments.
It is he who will give insight to[e] your mind,
and your desire for wisdom will be granted.
Footnotes
- Sirach 6:2 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
- Sirach 6:2 Meaning of Gk uncertain
- Sirach 6:30 Heb: Gk Upon her
- Sirach 6:31 Heb: Gk crown of gladness
- Sirach 6:37 Heb: Gk will confirm
Sirach 6
Common English Bible
Sirach 6
Common English Bible
6 Don’t become an enemy
instead of a friend.
If you get a bad name, you will also inherit shame and reproach,
as is the case with the
deceitful[a] sinner.
2 Don’t be enamored
of your own intelligence
lest your strength be taken captive
like a bull.
3 You will devour your leaves,
destroy your fruit,
and leave yourself like a withered tree.
4 If you have a bad soul, it will destroy you;
it will make you a joke to your enemies.
Friendship
5 Pleasant speech gains more friends for itself,
and a sweet-speaking tongue
will multiply pleasant exchanges.
Let those who are at peace with you
be many,
but let only one in a thousand
be your advisor.
7 If you make friends, test them thoroughly
and don’t trust them quickly.
8 Some are friends when it is convenient,
but they won’t stay around
during hard times.
9 There are friends who turn into enemies,
and they will reveal
your disgraceful arguments.
10 There are friends who are companions
at your table,
but they won’t stay during hard times.
11 They will act as if your belongings
are theirs,
and they will be bold
toward your household slaves.
12 If you are brought low,
they will be against you,
and they will abandon you.
13 Stay away from your enemies,
and be careful with your friends.
14 Trustworthy friends are a strong shelter;
whoever finds one
has found a treasure.
15 Trustworthy friends have no price,
and no one can estimate their worth.
16 Trustworthy friends are life’s medicine,
and those who fear the Lord
will find them.
17 Those who fear the Lord
will direct their friendships well,
because they will associate with people
of like mind.[b]
Submission to Wisdom
18 My child, from your youth
welcome education, and you will continue to discover Wisdom
until you are gray-haired.
19 Approach her like one who plows
and one who sows,
and wait for her good fruits.
When cultivating her,
you will labor a little,
but you will eat her produce soon.
20 Wisdom is rugged terrain
to the uneducated,
and the fainthearted
won’t persevere with her.
21 She will be like a heavy stone
that tests them,
and they won’t hesitate
to throw her aside.
22 Wisdom is like her name,
and she won’t be visible to many.
23 Listen, my child,
and welcome my opinion.
Don’t reject my advice.
24 Put your feet into her shackles
and your neck into her collar.
25 Bend your shoulder down and carry her,
and don’t chafe at her bonds.
26 Come to her with your whole being,
and keep to her ways
with all your strength.
27 Track her down and seek her,
and she will become known to you.
When you get possession of her,
don’t let her go.
28 In the end, you will find rest in her,
and she will turn to you
and make you happy.
29 Her shackles will be
a strong shelter for you,
and her collar will be a glorious robe.
30 She bears[c]
a gold ornament,
and her bonds
will be like blue embroidery.[d]
31 You will wear her like a glorious robe,
and you will put her on
like a crown of joy.
32 If you want, my child,
you will be instructed,
and if you devote your whole being,
you will be intelligent.
33 If you love to listen, you will receive,
and if you pay attention,
you will be wise.
34 Keep company with the elders,
and stick closely to their wisdom.
35 Desire to listen
to every godly conversation,
and don’t let intelligent proverbs escape you.
36 If you find individuals who are intelligent,
get up before dawn to see those people,
and let your foot
wear out their doorsteps.
37 Think about the Lord’s decrees,
and meditate constantly
on his commandments.
He will make your heart steadfast,
and will grant your desire for wisdom.
Footnotes
- Sirach 6:1 LXX double-tongued
- Sirach 6:17 LXX because as they are, so are their neighbors
- Sirach 6:30 Or her yoke is
- Sirach 6:30 LXX thread
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)
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Common English Bible (CEB)
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