Sirach 34

¹The hopes of a senseless man are empty and false; and dreams extol the imprudent.

²Like one who chases a shadow and pursues the wind, so also is one who pays attention to lying visions.

³In the vision of dreams, one thing represents another, as when a mask is before the face of a man.

⁴What can be cleansed by the unclean? And what truth can be spoken from a lie?

⁵Erroneous divinations and false signs and the dreams of evildoers are emptiness.

⁶For your heart suffers from imagination, like a woman suffering in childbirth. Unless it is a visitation sent from the Most High, you should not set your heart upon it.

⁷For dreams have caused many to go astray, and those who have hoped in them have fallen away.

⁸The word of the law will be fulfilled without a lie, and wisdom will be made plain in the mouths of the faithful.

⁹He who has not been tested, what does he know? A man with much experience will consider many things. And whoever has learned much will explain with understanding.

¹⁰He who has no experience knows little. And he who has done many things has made many mistakes.

¹¹He who has not been tested, what kind of things can he know? He who has been deceived will be more cunning.

¹²I have seen much by wandering, and the customs of many things.

¹³At times, I have even been in danger of death because of these things, but I was freed by the grace of God.

¹⁴The spirit of those who fear God is sought, and they will be blessed by his providence.

¹⁵For their hope is in him who saves them, and the eyes of God are on those who love him.

¹⁶Those who fear the Lord will tremble at nothing, and they will not be terrified. For he is their hope.

¹⁷The soul of him who fears the Lord is blessed.

¹⁸To whom should he look, and who is his strength?

¹⁹The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him. He is a powerful Protector, a Firmament of virtue, a Shelter from the heat, and a Covering from the midday sun,

²⁰a Guardian from offenses, and a Helper from falling, who exalts the soul and illuminates the eyes, and who gives health and life and blessing.

²¹An immolation from iniquity is a stained oblation, and the derisions of the unjust are not well pleasing.

²²The Lord is only for those who persevere for him in the way of truth and justice.

²³The Most High does not approve of the gifts of the iniquitous. Neither does he have respect for the oblations of the unjust; neither will he forgive their sins because of the multitude of their sacrifices.

²⁴Whoever offers a sacrifice from the substance of the poor is like one who sacrifices the son in the sight of his father.

²⁵The bread of the indigent is the life of the poor. Whoever cheats them out of it is a man of blood.

²⁶Whoever takes away the bread of sweat is like one who kills his neighbor.

²⁷He who sheds blood, and he who cheats the hired hand out of his wages, are brothers.

²⁸When one builds and another destroys, what benefit do they have from their labor?

²⁹When one prays and another curses, whose voice will God heed?

³⁰He who washes himself after touching the dead, and then touches him again, what was the benefit of his washing?

³¹Similarly, a man who fasts for his sins, and then does the same again, what was the benefit of his humbling himself? Who will heed his prayer?

Sirach 34

¹The hopes of a man that is void of understanding are vain and deceitful: and dreams lift up fools.

²The man that giveth heed to lying visions, is like to him that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the wind.

³The vision of dreams is the resemblance of one thing to another: as when a man's likeness is before the face of a man.

⁴What can be made clean by the unclean? and what truth can come from that which is false?

⁵Deceitful divinations and lying omens and the dreams of evildoers, are vanity:

⁶And the heart fancieth as that of a woman in travail: except it be a vision sent forth from the most High, set not thy heart upon them.

⁷For dreams have deceived many, and they have failed that put their trust in them.

⁸The word of the law shall be fulfilled without a lie, and wisdom shall be made plain in the mouth of the faithful.

⁹What doth he know, that hath not been tried? A man that hath much experience, shall think of many things: and he that hath learned many things, shall shew forth understanding.

¹⁰He that hath no experience, knoweth little: and he that hath been experienced in many things, multiplieth prudence.

¹¹He that hath not been tried, what manner of things doth he know? he that hath been surprised, shall abound with subtlety.

¹²I have seen many things by travelling, and many customs of things.

¹³Sometimes I have been in danger of death for these things, and I have been delivered by the grace of God.

¹⁴The spirit of those that fear God, is sought after, and by his regard shall be blessed.

¹⁵For their hope is on him that saveth them, and the eyes of God are upon them that love him.

¹⁶He that feareth the Lord shall tremble at nothing, and shall not be afraid: for he is his hope.

¹⁷The soul of him that feareth the Lord is blessed.

¹⁸To whom doth he look, and who is his strength?

¹⁹The eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him, he is their powerful protector, and strong stay, a defence from the heat, and a cover from the sun at noon,

²⁰A preservation from stumbling, and a help from falling: he raiseth up the soul, and enlighteneth the eyes, and giveth health, and life, and blessing.

²¹The offering of him that sacrificeth of a thing wrongfully gotten, is stained, and the mockeries of the unjust are not acceptable.

²²The Lord is only for them that wait upon him in the way of truth and justice.

²³The most High approveth not the gifts of the wicked: neither hath he respect to the oblations of the unjust, nor will he be pacified for sins by the multitude of their sacrifices.

²⁴He that offereth sacrifice of the goods of the poor, is as one that sacrificeth the son in the presence of his father.

²⁵The bread of the needy, is the life of the poor: he that defraudeth them thereof, is a man of blood.

²⁶He that taketh away the bread gotten by sweat, is like him that killeth his neighbour.

²⁷He that sheddeth blood, and he that defraudeth the laborer of his hire, are brothers.

²⁸When one buildeth up, and another pulleth down: what profit have they but the labour?

²⁹When one prayeth, and another curseth: whose voice will God hear?

³⁰He that washeth himself after touching the dead, if he toucheth him again, what doth his washing avail?

³¹So a man that fasteth for his sins, and doth the same again, what doth his humbling himself profit him? who will hear his prayer?