Chapter 24

Repeat not, etc. . .Make not much babbling by repetition of words: but aim more at fervour of heart.

7:16. Hate not laborious works, nor husbandry ordained by the most High.

7:17. Number not thyself among the multitude of the disorderly.

7:18. Remember wrath, for it will not tarry long.

7:19. Humble thy spirit very much: for the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms.

7:20. Do not transgress against thy friend deferring money, nor despise thy dear brother for the sake of gold.

7:21. Depart not from a wise and good wife, whom thou hast gotten in the fear of the Lord: for the grace of her modesty is above gold.

7:22. Hurt not the servant that worketh faithfully, nor the hired man that giveth thee his life.

7:23. Let a wise servant be dear to thee as thy own soul, defraud him not of liberty, nor leave him needy.

7:24. Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.

7:25. Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their childhood.

7:26. Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thy countenance gay towards them.

7:27. Marry thy daughter well, and thou shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.

7:28. If thou hast a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful, trust not thyself. With thy whole heart,

7:29. Honour thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:

7:30. Remember that thou hadst not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.

7:31. With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.

7:32. With all thy strength love him that made thee: and forsake not his ministers.

7:33. Honour God with all thy soul and give honour to the priests, and purify thyself with thy arms.

Thy arms. . .That is, with all thy power: or else by arms (brachiis) are here signified the right shoulders of the victims, which by the law fell to the priests. See ver. 35.

7:34. Give them their portion, as it is commanded thee, of the firstfruits and of purifications: and for thy negligences purify thyself with a few.

7:35. Offer to the Lord the gift of thy shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things:

7:36. And stretch out thy hand to the poor, that thy expiation and thy blessing may be perfected.

7:37. A gift hath grace in the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from the dead.

And restrain not grace from the dead. . .That is, withhold not from them the benefit of alms, prayers, and sacrifices. Such was the doctrine and practice of the church of God even in the time of the Old Testament. And the same has always been continued from the days of the apostles in the church of the New Testament.

7:38. Be not wanting in comforting them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.

7:39. Be not slow to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.

7:40. In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.

Ecclesiasticus Chapter 8

Other lessons of wisdom and virtue.

8:1. Strive not with a powerful man, lest thou fall into his hands.

8:2. Contend not with a rich man, lest he bring an action against thee.

8:3. For gold and silver hath destroyed many, and hath reached even to the heart of kings, and perverted them.

8:4. Strive not with a man that is full of tongue, and heap not wood upon his fire.

8:5. Communicate not with an ignorant man, lest he speak ill of thy family.

8:6. Despise not a man that turneth away from sin, nor reproach him therewith: remember that we are all worthy of reproof.

8:7. Despise not a man in his old age; for we also shall become old.

8:8. Rejoice not at the death of thy enemy; knowing that we all die, and are not willing that others should rejoice at our death.

8:9. Despise not the discourse of them that are ancient and wise, but acquaint thyself with their proverbs.

8:10. For of them thou shalt learn wisdom, and instruction of understanding, and to serve great men without blame.

8:11. Let not the discourse of the ancients escape thee, for they have learned of their fathers:

8:12. For of them thou shalt learn understanding, and to give an answer in time of need.

8:13. Kindle not the coals of sinners by rebuking them, lest thou be burnt with the flame of the fire of their sins.

8:14. Stand not against the face of an injurious person, lest he sit as a spy to entrap thee in thy words.

8:15. Lend not to a man that is mightier than thyself: and if thou lendest, count it as lost.

8:16. Be not surety above thy power: and if thou be surety, think as if thou wert to pay it.

8:17. Judge not against a judge: for he judgeth according to that which is just.

8:18. Go not on the way with a bold man, lest he burden thee with his evils: for he goeth according to his own will, and thou shalt perish together with his folly.

8:19. Quarrel not with a passionate man, and go not into the desert with a bold man: for blood is as nothing in his sight, and where there is no help he will overthrow thee.

8:20. Advise not with fools, for they cannot love but such things as please them.

8:21. Before a stranger do no matter of counsel: for thou knowest not what he will bring forth.

8:22. Open not thy heart to every man: lest he repay thee with an evil turn, and speak reproachfully to thee.

Ecclesiasticus Chapter 9

Cautions with regard to women, and dangerous conversations.

9:1. Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.

9:2. Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.

9:3. Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest thou fall into her snares.

9:4. Use not much the company of her that is a dancer, and hearken not to her, lest thou perish by the force of her charms.

9:5. Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock to thee.

9:6. Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself and thy inheritance.

9:7. Look not round about thee in the ways of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof.

9:8. Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another's beauty.

9:9. For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire.

9:10. Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.

9:11. Many by admiring the beauty of another man's wife, have become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire.

9:12. Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor repose upon the bed with her:

9:13. And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.

9:14. Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him.

9:15. A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure.

9:16. Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be.

9:17. Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing that even to hell the wicked shall not please.

9:18. Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.

9:19. And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away thy life.

9:20. Know it to be a communication with death: for thou art going in the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of them that are grieved.

9:21. According to thy power beware of thy neighbour, and treat with the wise and prudent.

9:22. Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in the fear of God.

9:23. And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest.

9:24. Works shall be praised for the hand of the artificers, and the prince of the people for the wisdom of his speech, but the word of the ancients for the sense.

9:25. A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful.

Ecclesiasticus Chapter 10

The virtues and vices of men in power: the great evil of pride.

10:1. A wise judge shall judge his people, and the government of a prudent man shall be steady.

Judge his people. . .In the Greek it is, instruct his people.

10:2. As the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers: and what manner of man the ruler of a city is, such also are they that dwell therein.

10:3. An unwise king shall be the ruin of his people: and cities shall be inhabited through the prudence of the rulers.

10:4. The power of the earth is in the hand of God, and in his time he will raise up a profitable ruler over it.

10:5. The prosperity of man is in the hand of God, and upon the person of the scribe he shall lay his honour.

The scribe. . .That is, the man that is wise and learned in the law.

10:6. Remember not any injury done thee by thy neighbour, and do thou nothing by deeds of injury.

10:7. Pride is hateful before God and men: and all iniquity of nations is execrable.

10:8. A kingdom is translated from one people to another, because of injustices, and wrongs, and injuries, and divers deceits.

10:9. But nothing is more wicked than the covetous man. Why is earth, and ashes proud?

10:10. There is not a more wicked thing than to love money: for such a one setteth even his own soul to sale: because while he liveth he hath cast away his bowels.

10:11. All power is of short life. A long sickness is troublesome to the physician.

10:12. The physician cutteth off a short sickness: so also a king is to day, and to morrow he shall die.

10:13. For when a man shall die, he shall inherit serpents, and beasts, and worms.

10:14. The beginning of the pride of man, is to fall off from God:

10:15. Because his heart is departed from him that made him: for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end.

10:16. Therefore hath the Lord disgraced the assemblies of the wicked, and hath utterly destroyed them.

10:17. God hath overturned the thrones of proud princes, and hath set up the meek in their stead.

10:18. God hath made the roots of proud nations to wither, and hath planted the humble of these nations.

10:19. The Lord hath overthrown the lands of the Gentiles, and hath destroyed them even to the foundation.

10:20. He hath made some of them to wither away, and hath destroyed them, and hath made the memory of them to cease from the earth.

10:21. God hath abolished the memory of the proud, and hath preserved the memory of them that are humble in mind.

10:22. Pride was not made for men: nor wrath for the race of women.

10:23. That seed of men shall be honoured, which feareth God: but that seed shall be dishonoured, which transgresseth the commandments of the Lord.

10:24. In the midst of brethren their chief is honourable: so shall they that fear the Lord, be in his eyes.

10:25. The fear of God is the glory of the rich, and of the honourable, and of the poor.

10:26. Despise not a just man that is poor, and do not magnify a sinful man that is rich.

10:27. The great man, and the judge, and the mighty is in honour: and there is none greater than he that feareth God.

10:28. They that are free shall serve a servant that is wise: and a man that is prudent and well instructed will not murmur when he is reproved; and he that is ignorant, shall not be honoured.

10:29. Extol not thyself in doing thy work, and linger not in the time of distress;

10:30. Better is he that laboureth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boasteth himself and wanteth bread.

10:31. My son, keep thy soul in meekness, and give it honour according to its desert.

10:32. Who will justify him that sinneth against his own soul? and who will honour him that dishonoureth his own soul?

10:33. The poor man is glorified by his discipline and fear, and there is a man that is honoured for his wealth.

10:34. But he that is glorified in poverty, how much more in wealth? and he that is glorified in wealth, let him fear poverty.

Ecclesiasticus Chapter 11

Lessons of humility and moderation in all things.

11:1. The wisdom of the humble shall exalt his head, and shall make him sit in the midst of great men.

11:2. Praise not a man for his beauty, neither despise a man for his look.

11:3. The bee is small among flying things but her fruit hath the chiefest sweetness.

11:4. Glory not in apparel at any time, and be not exalted in the day of thy honour: for the works of the Highest only are wonderful, and his works are glorious, and secret, and hidden.

11:5. Many tyrants have sat on the throne, and he whom no man would think on, hath worn the crown.

11:6. Many mighty men have been greatly brought down, and the glorious have been delivered into the hand of others.

11:7. Before thou inquire, blame no man: and when thou hast inquired, reprove justly.

11:8. Before thou hear, answer not a word: and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse.

11:9. Strive not in a matter which doth not concern thee, and sit not in judgment with sinners.

11:10. My son, meddle not with many matters: and if thou be rich, thou shalt not be free from sin: for if thou pursue after thou shalt not overtake; and if thou run before thou shalt not escape.

11:11. There is an ungodly man that laboureth, and maketh haste, and is in sorrow, and is so much the more in want.

11:12. Again, there is an inactive man that wanteth help, is very weak in ability, and full of poverty:

11:13. Yet the eye of God hath looked upon him for good, and hath lifted him up from his low estate, and hath exalted his head: and many have wondered at him, and have glorified God.

11:14. Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from God.

11:15. Wisdom and discipline, and the knowledge of the law are with God. Love and the ways of good things are with him.

11:16. Error and darkness are created with sinners: and they that glory in evil things, grow old in evil.

11:17. The gift of God abideth with the just, and his advancement shall have success for ever.

11:18. There is one that is enriched by living sparingly, and this is the portion of his reward.

11:19. In that he saith: I have found me rest, and now I will eat of my goods alone:

11:20. And he knoweth not what time shall pass, and that death approacheth, and that he must leave all to others, and shall die.

11:21. Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and grow old in the work of thy commandments.

11:22. Abide not in the works of sinners. But trust in God, and stay in thy place,

11:23. For it is easy in the eyes of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich.

11:24. The blessing of God maketh haste to reward the just, and in a swift hour his blessing beareth fruit.

11:25. Say not: What need I, and what good shall I have by this?

11:26. Say not: I am sufficient for myself: and what shall I be made worse by this?

11:27. In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils: and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things:

11:28. For it is easy before God in the day of death to reward every one according to his ways.

11:29. The affliction of an hour maketh one forget great delights, and in the end of a man is the disclosing of his works.

11:30. Praise not any man before death, for a man is known by his children.

11:31. Bring not every man into thy house: for many are the snares of the deceitful.

11:32. For as corrupted bowels send forth stinking breath, and as the partridge is brought into the cage, and as the roe into the snare: so also is the heart of the proud, and as a spy that looketh on the fall of his neighbour.

11:33. For he lieth in wait and turneth good into evil, and on the elect he will lay a blot.

11:34. Of one spark cometh a great fire, and of one deceitful man much blood: and a sinful man lieth in wait for blood.

11:35. Take heed to thyself of a mischievous man, for he worketh evils: lest he bring upon thee reproach for ever.

11:36. Receive a stranger in, and he shall overthrow thee with a whirlwind, and shall turn thee out of thy own.

Ecclesiasticus Chapter 12

We are to be liberal to the just: and not to trust the wicked.

12:1. If thou do good, know to whom thou dost it, and there shall be much thanks for thy good deeds.

12:2. Do good to the just, and thou shalt find great recompense: and if not of him, assuredly of the Lord.

12:3. For there is no good for him that is always occupied in evil, and that giveth no alms: for the Highest hateth sinners, and hath mercy on the penitent.

12:4. Give to the merciful and uphold not the sinner: God will repay vengeance to the ungodly and to sinners, and keep them against the day of vengeance.

12:5. Give to the good, and receive not a sinner.

12:6. Do good to the humble, and give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not to him, lest thereby he overmaster thee.

12:7. For thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done to him: for the Highest also hateth sinners, and will repay vengeance to the ungodly.

12:8. A friend shall not be known in prosperity, and an enemy shall not be hidden in adversity.

12:9. In the prosperity of a man, his enemies are grieved: and a friend is known in his adversity.

12:10. Never trust thy enemy for as a brass pot his wickedness rusteth:

12:11. Though he humble himself and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him.

12:12. Set him not by thee, neither let him sit on thy right hand, lest he turn into thy place, and seek to take thy seat and at the last thou acknowledge my words, and be pricked with my sayings.

12:13. Who will pity an enchanter struck by a serpent, or any that come near wild beasts? so is it with him that keepeth company with a wicked man, and is involved in his sins.

12:14. For an hour he will abide with thee: but if thou begin to decline, he will not endure it.

12:15. An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he lieth in wait, to throw thee into a pit.

12:16. An enemy weepeth with his eyes: but if he find an opportunity he will not be satisfied with blood:

12:17. And if evils come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first.

12:18. An enemy hath tears in his eyes, and while he pretendeth to help thee, will undermine thy feet.

12:19. He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.

Ecclesiasticus Chapter 13

Cautions in the choice of company.

13:1. He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that hath fellowship with the proud, shall put on pride.

13:2. He shall take a burden upon him that hath fellowship with one more honourable than himself. And have no fellowship with one that is richer than thyself.

13:3. What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken.

13:4. The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he will fume: but the poor is wronged and must hold his peace.

13:5. If thou give, he will make use of thee: and if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.

13:6. If thou have any thing, he will live with thee, and will make thee bare, and he will not be sorry for thee.

13:7. If he have need of thee he will deceive thee, and smiling upon thee will put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and will say: What wantest thou?

13:8. And he will shame thee by his meats, till he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at last he will laugh at thee: and afterward when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.

13:9. Humble thyself to God, and wait for his hands.

13:10. Beware that thou be not deceived into folly, and be humbled.

13:11. Be not lowly in thy wisdom, lest being humbled thou be deceived into folly.

13:12. If thou be invited by one that is mightier, withdraw thyself: for so he will invite thee the more.

13:13. Be not troublesome to him, lest thou be put back: and keep not far from him, lest thou be forgotten.

13:14. Affect not to speak with him as an equal, and believe not his many words: for by much talk he will sift thee, and smiling will examine thee concerning thy secrets.

13:15. His cruel mind will lay up thy words: and he will not spare to do thee hurt, and to cast thee into prison.

13:16. Take heed to thyself, and attend diligently to what thou hearest: for thou walkest in danger of thy ruin.

13:17. When thou hearest those things, see as it were in sleep, and thou shalt awake.

13:18. Love God all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.

13:19. Every beast loveth its like: so also every man him that is nearest to himself.

13:20. All flesh shall consort with the like to itself, and every man shall associate himself to his like.

13:21. If the wolf shall at any time have fellowship with the lamb, so the sinner with the just.

13:22. What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor?

13:23. The wild ass is the lion's prey in the desert: so also the poor are devoured by the rich.

13:24. And as humility is an abomination to the proud: so also the rich man abhorreth the poor.

13:25. When a rich man is shaken, he is kept up by his friends: but when a poor man is fallen down, he is thrust away even by his acquaintance.

13:26. When a rich man hath been deceived, he hath many helpers: he hath spoken proud things, and they have justified him.

13:27. The poor man was deceived, and he is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and could have no place.

13:28. The rich man spoke, and all held their peace, and what he said they extol even to the clouds.

13:29. The poor man spoke, and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they will overthrow him.

13:30. Riches are good to him that hath no sin in his conscience: and poverty is very wicked in the mouth of the ungodly.

13:31. The heart of a man changeth his countenance, either for good, or for evil.

13:32. The token of a good heart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly find, and with labour.

Ecclesiasticus Chapter 14

The evil of avarice: works of mercy are recommended, and the love of wisdom.

14:1. Blessed is the man that hath not slipped by a word out of his mouth, and is not pricked with the remorse of sin.

14:2. Happy is he that hath had no sadness of his mind, and who is not fallen from his hope.

14:3. Riches are not comely for a covetous man and a niggard, and what should an envious man do with gold?

14:4. He that gathereth together by wronging his own soul, gathereth for others, and another will squander away his goods in rioting.

14:5. He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? and he shall not take pleasure in his goods.

14:6. There is none worse than he that envieth himself, and this is the reward of his wickedness:

14:7. And if he do good, he doth it ignorantly, and unwillingly: and at the last he discovereth his wickedness.

14:8. The eye of the envious is wicked: and he turneth away his face, and despiseth his own soul.

14:9. The eye of the covetous man is insatiable in his portion of iniquity: he will not be satisfied till he consume his own soul, drying it up.

14:10. An evil eye is towards evil things: and he shall not have his fill of bread, but shall be needy and pensive at his own table.

14:11. My son, if thou have any thing, do good to thyself, and offer to God worthy offerings.

14:12. Remember that death is not slow, and that the covenant of hell hath been shewn to thee: for the covenant of this world shall surely die.

Covenant of hell. . .The decree by which all are to go down to the regions of death.

14:13. Do good to thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability, stretching out thy hand give to the poor.

14:14. Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good gift overpass thee.

14:15. Shalt thou not leave to others to divide by lot thy sorrows and labours?