Sirach 14

¹Blessed is the man who has not slipped because of a word from his mouth, and who has not been stung by grief because of an offense.

²Happy is he who does not have sadness in his mind, and who has not fallen away from his hope.

³Substance is senseless for a greedy and stingy man. And what would a spiteful man do with gold?

⁴Whoever acquires unjustly, according to his own mind, gathers for others. For another will spend his goods lavishly.

⁵Whoever is wicked to himself, to whom will he be good? For he will not take enjoyment in his own goods.

⁶Whoever has ill will toward himself, nothing is more worthless than he is. But such is the reward of his wickedness.

⁷And if he does good, he does it ignorantly and unwillingly. And in the very end, he realizes his own malice.

⁸The eye of the spiteful man is wicked, and he averts his face and despises his own soul.

⁹The eye of the greedy man is insatiable in his portion of iniquity. He will not be satisfied until he has consumed his own soul, withering it away.

¹⁰An evil eye is directed at evil things. And he will not be satisfied by bread; instead, he will be needy and grieving at his own table.

¹¹Son, if you have anything, do good to yourself, and offer worthy oblations to God.

¹²Remember that death has not been delayed, and that the covenant of the grave has been revealed to you. For the covenant of this world will pass away in death.

¹³Do good to your friend before you die. And according to your ability, extend your hand and give to the poor.

¹⁴Do not cheat yourself out of a good day, and do not let the smallest good gift pass you by.

¹⁵Should you not leave it to others to divide your sorrows and labors by lot?

¹⁶Give, and receive, and justify your soul.

¹⁷Before your passing, accomplish justice. For in death, there is no food to be found.

¹⁸All flesh grows old like the grass, and like the foliage that springs forth from a green tree.

¹⁹Some spring up, and others fall away. Such is the generation of flesh and blood. One is finished, and another is born.

²⁰Every corruptible work will fail in the end. And its worker will go with it.

²¹But every excellent work will be justified. And whoever worked it will be honored by it.

²²Blessed is the man who will abide in wisdom, and who will meditate on her righteousness, and who, in his mind, will consider the circumspection of God.

²³He considers her ways in his heart, and he finds understanding in her secrets. He goes after her like an investigator, and he is constant in her ways.

²⁴He gazes through her windows, and he listens at her door.

²⁵He rests next to her house, and, fastening a peg in her walls, he sets up his cottage by her hands. And so, good things will find rest in his cottage as time passes.

²⁶He will station his sons under her covering, and he will abide under her branches.

²⁷He will be protected by her covering from the heat, and he will rest in her glory.

Sirach 14

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⁹The 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.

¹⁰An 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.

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

¹²Remember 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.

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

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

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

¹⁶Give and take, and justify thy soul.

¹⁷Before thy death work justice: for in hell there is no finding food.

¹⁸All flesh shall fade as grass, and as the leaf that springeth out on a green tree.

¹⁹Some grow, and some fall off: so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born.

²⁰Every work that is corruptible shall fail in the end: and the worker thereof shall go with it.

²¹And every excellent work shall be justified: and the worker thereof shall be honoured therein.

²²Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and that shall meditate in his justice, and in his mind shall think of the all seeing eye of God.

²³He that considereth her ways in his heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, who goeth after her as one that traceth, and stayeth in her ways.

²⁴He who looketh in at her windows, and hearkeneth at her door.

²⁵He that lodgeth near her house, and fastening a pin in her walls shall set up his tent high unto her, where good things shall rest in his lodging for ever.

²⁶He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches:

²⁷He shall be protected under her covering from the heat, and shall rest in her glory.