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Wisdom of Ben Sira 8:1-3
New Catholic Bible
Wisdom of Ben Sira 8:1-3
New Catholic Bible
Circumspection and Reflection: Various Cases
Chapter 8
Prudence in Dealing with Others
1 [a]Do not oppose one who is powerful,
lest you fall into his hands.
2 Do not quarrel with a rich man,
for he may use his resources to prevail over you.
For gold has been the cause of the downfall of many
and has perverted the hearts of kings.
3 [b]Do not engage in a dispute with an argumentative man
and thereby heap wood upon his fire.
Footnotes
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 8:1 The author advises his readers not to go up against the rich or powerful either physically (Deut 33:7), or verbally by quarreling (Gen 26:20), or juridically, i.e., by a lawsuit (Isa 3:13; 57:16)—for they have no chance of winning. In the second verse, there is a hint of offering a bribe to a judge in order to influence his verdict, something that was condemned (Sir 20:29; Ex 23:8; Deut 16:19).
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 8:3 The author urges the wise to avoid disputes with those who are loudmouths or senseless, for such persons will become even more boisterous when someone responds to them.
