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Wisdom of Ben Sira 30:21-23
New Catholic Bible
Wisdom of Ben Sira 30:21-23
New Catholic Bible
Avoid Sorrow and Brooding
21 Do not abandon yourself to sorrow,
or torment yourself by brooding.[a]
22 [b]A joyful heart is a source of life,
and a cheerful disposition lengthens one’s life span.
23 Indulge yourself and take comfort,
and banish sorrow far from your heart.
For grief has brought about the death of many,
and no advantage has ever been gained as a result of it.
Footnotes
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 30:21 This sound advice reminds us of the words of Christ: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own” (Mt 6:34).
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 30:22 These words have been validated by modern psychology and medicine, which have found that, for the most part, cheerfulness and joyfulness lengthen life while grief and resentment, as well as envy and anger, shorten it.
