Sirach 19

¹An inebriated worker will not be wealthy. And whoever despises littleness will fall a little at a time.

²Wine and women cause wise men to fall away, and then they will complain against those who understand.

³And whoever joins himself to fornicators will become wicked. Decay and worms will inherit him, and he will be denounced as the greater example, and his soul will be deducted from the number.

⁴Whoever is quick to believe has a trivial heart and will be diminished. And whoever offends against his own soul will have even less.

⁵Whoever rejoices in iniquity will be condemned. And whoever hates correction will have less in life. But whoever hates excessive talk extinguishes evil.

⁶Whoever sins against his own soul will be punished. And whoever rejoices in malice will be condemned.

⁷You should not repeat a wicked and harsh word, and then you will not be diminished.

⁸Do not reveal your mind to friend or foe. And if there is a sin within you, do not disclose it.

⁹For he will listen to you and watch you, and while pretending to defend your sin, he will despise you, and so he will be whenever he is with you.

¹⁰Have you heard a word against your neighbor? Let it die within you, trusting that it will not burst forth from you.

¹¹Before the face of a word, a foolish man labors, like a woman groaning as she gives birth to a child.

¹²Like an arrow fixed in the flesh of the thigh, so is a word in the heart of a foolish man.

¹³Correct a friend, though perhaps there was a misunderstanding, and he may say, “I did not do it.” Or, if he did do it, correct him, so that he may not do it again.

¹⁴Correct your neighbor, for perhaps he did not say it. But if he did say it, correct him, so that he may not say it again.

¹⁵Correct your friend. For often a fault has been committed.

¹⁶And do not believe every word. There is one who slips with his word, but not with his heart.

¹⁷For who is there who has not offended with his words? Correct your neighbor before you reprimand him.

¹⁸And make a place for the fear of the Most High. For all wisdom is fear of God, and it is wise to fear God, and in all wisdom is the orderly disposition of the law.

¹⁹But the discipline of wickedness is not wisdom. And there is no prudence in the thoughts of sinners.

²⁰There is a wickedness, and in it there is abomination. And there is a foolish man who has been diminished in wisdom.

²¹Better is a man who has been diminished in wisdom because his mind is failing, but with the fear of God, than he who abounds in intelligence, but with transgression against the law of the Most High.

²²There is a certain cleverness, and it is unjust.

²³And there is one who utters a careful word, explaining away the truth. There is one who humbles himself wickedly, for his interior is filled with deceit.

²⁴And there is one who lowers himself excessively with a great debasement. And there is one who inclines his face downward, and pretends as if he did not see what has not been made known.

²⁵And if he is prevented from sinning by a lack of ability, and then finds an opportunity for evildoing, he will do evil.

²⁶A man is recognized by his appearances. But when you meet an understanding man, he is recognized by his face.

²⁷The clothing of the body, and the laughter of the teeth, and the walk of a man, give a report about him.

²⁸There is a lying correction in the anger of a contemptuous man. And there is a judgment which does not prove to be good. But there is one who is silent, and the same is prudent.

Sirach 19

¹A workman that is a drunkard shall not be rich: and he that contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little.

²Wine and women make wise men fall off, and shall rebuke the prudent:

³And he that joineth himself to harlots, will be wicked. Rottenness and worms shall inherit him, and he shall be lifted up for a greater example, and his soul shall be taken away out of the number.

⁴He that is hasty to give credit, is light of heart, and shall be lessened: and he that sinneth against his own soul, shall be despised.

⁵He that rejoiceth in iniquity, shall be censured, and he that hateth chastisement, shall have less life: and he that hateth babbling, extinguisheth evil.

⁶He that sinneth against his own soul, shall repent: and he that is delighted with wickedness, shall be condemned.

⁷Rehearse not again a wicked and harsh word, and thou shalt not fare the worse.

⁸Tell not thy mind to friend or foe: and if there be a sin with thee, disclose it not.

⁹For he will hearken to thee, and will watch thee, and as it were defending thy sin he will hate thee, and so will he be with thee always.

¹⁰Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbour? let it die within thee, trusting that it will not burst thee.

¹¹At the hearing of a word the fool is in travail, as a woman groaning in the bringing forth a child.

¹²As an arrow that sticketh in a man's thigh: so is a word in the heart of a fool.

¹³Reprove a friend, lest he may not have understood, and say: I did it not: or if he did it, that he may do it no more.

¹⁴Reprove thy neighbour, for it may be he hath not said it: and if he hath said it, that he may not say it again.

¹⁵Admonish thy friend: for there is often a fault committed.

¹⁶And believe not every word. There is one, that slippeth with the tongue, but not from his heart.

¹⁷For who is there that hath not offended with his tongue? Admonish thy neighbour before thou threaten him.

¹⁸And give place to the fear of the most High: for the fear of God is all wisdom, and therein is to fear God, and the disposition of the law is in all wisdom.

¹⁹But the learning of wickedness is not wisdom: and the device of sinners is not prudence.

²⁰There is a subtle wickedness, and the same is detestable: and there is a man that is foolish, wanting in wisdom.

²¹Better is a man that hath less wisdom, and wanteth understanding, with the fear of God, than he that aboundeth in understanding, and transgresseth the law of the most High.

²²There is an exquisite subtilty, and the same is unjust.

²³And there is one that uttereth an exact word telling the truth. There is one that humbleth himself wickedly, and his interior is full of deceit:

²⁴And there is one that submitteth himself exceedingly with a great lowliness: and there is one that casteth down his countenance, and maketh as if he did not see that which is unknown:

²⁵And if he be hindered from sinning for want of power, if he shall find opportunity to do evil, he will do it.

²⁶A man is known by his look, and a wise man, when thou meetest him, is known by his countenance.

²⁷The attire of the body, and the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of the man, shew what he is.

²⁸There is a lying rebuke in the anger of an injurious man: and there is a judgment that is not allowed to be good: and there is one that holdeth his peace, he is wise.