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Wisdom of Ben Sira 23:11-13
New Catholic Bible
Wisdom of Ben Sira 23:11-13
New Catholic Bible
11 The one who swears many oaths is filled with iniquity,
and the scourge will never be far from his home.
If he swears in error, he still incurs guilt,
and if he disregards his oath, he sins twice.
If he swears a false oath, he will not be treated as innocent,
and his house will be filled with calamities.[a]
The Wise Watch Their Words[b]
12 There are words that are fraught with death;
may they never be heard among Jacob’s descendants.
For such conduct will be avoided by the devout;
they will not wallow in sin.
13 Do not use your mouth for coarse and foul language,
since that involves sinful speech.
Footnotes
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 23:11 The author seems to set forth three cases of swearing oaths ranging from light to heavy sinfulness: (1) a sincere oath that is not fulfilled; (2) an oath that is undertaken lightly; and (3) an oath that is undertaken in bad faith.
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 23:12 Using abusive, coarse, and foul speech is habit-forming. The wise watch their every word to avoid such a habit.
