Sirach 11

¹The wisdom of one who is humble will exalt his head, and will cause him to sit down in the midst of great men.

²You should not praise a man for his beauty, and you should not despise a man for his appearances.

³The bee is small among flying things, but its fruit holds the summit of sweetness.

⁴You should not glory in clothing at any time, and you should not let yourself be extolled in the day of your honor. For the works of the Most High alone are wondrous; and glorious and hidden and unseen are his works.

⁵Many tyrants have sat upon a throne, and one whom no one would admire has worn a diadem.

⁶Many powerful men have been powerfully cast down, and the illustrious have been handed over into the hands of others.

⁷Before you inquire, you should not place blame on anyone; and when you have inquired, reprove justly.

⁸Before you listen, you should not respond a word; and you should not interrupt in the middle of a discourse.

⁹You should not contend in a matter which does not concern you, and you should not sit in judgment together with sinners.

¹⁰Son, you should not be involved in many matters. And if you become rich, you will not be free from transgression. For if you pursue, you will not apprehend; and if you run ahead, you will not escape.

¹¹There is an impious man who labors and hurries and grieves, but all the more will he be without abundance.

¹²There is a debilitated man in need of recovery, who is lacking in strength and abundant in poverty.

¹³Yet the eye of God has looked with favor upon him for his benefit, and he has lifted him up from his humiliation, and he has exalted his head. And many have wondered at him, and they have honored God.

¹⁴Good things and misfortune, life and death, poverty and wealth, are from God.

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

¹⁶Error and darkness have been created by sinners. And those who exult in evil, grow old in evil.

¹⁷The gift of God remains with the just man, and his advancement will have success unto eternity.

¹⁸There is one who is enriched by spending sparingly, and this is the extent of his reward.

¹⁹About this, he says: “I have found rest for myself, and now I alone will eat from my goods.”

²⁰But he does not know how much time will pass before death approaches, and then he must leave everything behind to others and die.

²¹Stand fast in your covenant, and become familiar with it, and grow old in the work of your commandments.

²²You should not spend time in the works of sinners. Instead, trust in God and remain in your own place.

²³For it is easy, in the eyes of God, to make a pauper suddenly rich.

²⁴The blessing of God hurries to reward the just man, and in a fleeting hour his advancement bears fruit.

²⁵You should not say: “What do I need?” or, “What good will there be for me in this?”

²⁶You should not say: “I have enough for myself,” or, “What could be worse than this?”

²⁷In a day of good things, you should not be forgetful of misfortunes. And in a day of misfortunes, you should not be forgetful of good things.

²⁸For it is easy, in the sight of God, on the day of one’s passing, to repay each one according to his ways.

²⁹The affliction of an hour causes one to forget great delights, and in the end of a man is the uncovering of his works.

³⁰You should not praise any man before death. For a man is known by his children.

³¹You should not bring every man into your house. For many are the snares of the deceitful.

³²For as a stomach with a bad smell vomits, and as a partridge is led into a cage, and like a deer led into a snare, so also is the heart of the arrogant. And it is like a bystander watching his neighbor fall.

³³For it lies in ambush, and then turns good into evil, and it will place the blame on the elect.

³⁴From one spark, a great fire grows; and from one deceitful man, much blood flows. But a very sinful man lies in ambush for blood.

³⁵Pay close attention to yourself before a harmful man, for he fabricates evils. Otherwise, he may lead over you a whispered reproach unceasingly.

³⁶Receive a stranger to yourself, and he will overthrow you with a whirlwind, and he will alienate you from what is your very own.

Sirach 11

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

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

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

⁴Glory 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.

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁰My 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.

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

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

¹³Yet 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

³²For 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.

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

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

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

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