Sirach 4

¹Son, you should not cheat the poor out of alms, nor should you avert your eyes from a poor man.

²You should not despise the hungry soul, and you should not aggravate a poor man in his need.

³You should not afflict the heart of the needy, and you should not delay an offer to someone in anguish.

⁴You should not make requests of one who is greatly troubled, and you should not avert your face from the indigent.

⁵You should not avert your eyes from the needy out of anger. And you should not abandon those who seek help from you, so that they speak curses behind your back.

⁶For the pleadings of him who speaks curses of you, in the bitterness of his soul, will be heeded. For the One who made him will heed him.

⁷Make yourself a friend to the congregation of the poor, and humble your soul before an elder, and humble your head before the great.

⁸Turn your ear without sadness toward the poor, and repay your debt, and respond to him peacefully in meekness.

⁹Free him who suffers injury at the hand of the arrogant, and do not carry animosity in your soul.

¹⁰In judging, be merciful to the orphan, like a father, and be merciful to their mother, like a husband.

¹¹And then you shall be like an obedient son of the Most High, and he will take pity on you more than a mother would.

¹²Wisdom breathes life into her sons, and she lifts up those who are seeking her, and she will precede them in the way of justice.

¹³And he who loves her loves life. And those who watch for her shall embrace her delights.

¹⁴Those who hold to her will inherit life. And whatever place she enters, God will bless.

¹⁵Those who serve her will yield to what is holy. And God loves those who love wisdom.

¹⁶He who listens to her shall judge the nations. And he who gazes upon her will remain secure.

¹⁷If he believes in her, he will inherit her, and whatever arises from him will be confirmed.

¹⁸For she walks with him through temptation, and she chooses him from the beginning.

¹⁹She will lead fear and dread and trials over him, and she will crucify him with the tribulation of her doctrine, until she has tested him in his thoughts and she can trust in his soul.

²⁰And then she will strengthen him, and lead him along a straight path, and rejoice in him.

²¹And she will disclose her secrets to him, and she will store up treasure, of the knowledge and understanding of justice, in him.

²²But if he has wandered astray, she will leave him behind, and she will deliver him into the hands of his enemy.

²³Son, be continually observant, and keep away from evil.

²⁴For the sake of your soul, you should not be ashamed to speak the truth.

²⁵For there is a shame that brings sin, and there is a shame that brings glory and grace.

²⁶You should not accept a face contrary to your own face, nor should you accept a lie contrary to your own soul.

²⁷You should not enjoy the fall of your neighbor.

²⁸Neither should you withhold words at an opportunity for salvation. You should not conceal your wisdom in her beauty.

²⁹For wisdom is discerned within speech. And understanding and knowledge and doctrine are discerned in the words of those who understand and by their steadfastness in the works of justice.

³⁰You should not contradict a word of truth in any way. Otherwise, by a falsehood born of ignorance, you will be confounded.

³¹You should not be ashamed to confess your sins, but do not subject yourself to any man because of sin.

³²Do not choose to stand against the face of the powerful, for you should not strive against the current of the river.

³³Suffer for justice, on behalf of your soul, and struggle, even unto death, on behalf of justice, and God will fight against your enemies on your behalf.

³⁴Do not choose to be quick with your words, nor unproductive or neglectful in your works.

³⁵Do not choose to be like a lion in your house, distressing those of your household, and oppressing those who are subject to you.

³⁶Do not let your hand be open when receiving, but closed when giving.

Sirach 4

¹Son, defraud not the poor of alms, and turn not away thy eyes from the poor.

²Despise not the hungry soul: and provoke not the poor in his want.

³Afflict not the heart of the needy, and defer not to gibe to him that is in distress.

⁴Reject not the petition of the afflicted: and turn not away thy face from the needy.

⁵Turn not away thy eyes from the poor for fear of anger: and leave not to them that ask of thee to curse thee behind thy back.

⁶For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of his soul, shall be heard, for he that made him will hear him.

⁷Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poor, and humble thy soul to the ancient, and bow thy head to a great man.

⁸Bow down thy ear cheerfully to the poor, and pay what thou owest, and answer him peaceable words with mildness.

⁹Deliver him that suffereth wrong out of the hand of the proud: and be not fainthearted in thy soul.

¹⁰In judging be merciful to the fatherless as a father, and as a husband to their mother.

¹¹And thou shalt be as the obedient son of the most High, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother.

¹²Wisdom inspireth life into her children, and protecteth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice.

¹³And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness.

¹⁴They that hold her fast, shall inherit life: and whithersoever she entereth, God will give a blessing.

¹⁵They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy one: and God loveth them that love her.

¹⁶He that hearkeneth to her, shall judge nations: and he that looketh upon her, shall remain secure.

¹⁷If he trust to her, he shall inherit her, and his generation shall be in assurance.

¹⁸For she walketh with him in temptation, and at the first she chooseth him.

¹⁹She will bring upon him fear and dread and trial: and she will scourge him with the affliction of her discipline, till she try him by her laws, and trust his soul.

²⁰Then she will strengthen him, and make a straight way to him, and give him joy,

²¹And will disclose her secrets to him, and will heap upon him treasures of knowledge and understanding of justice.

²²But if he go astray, she will forsake him, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy.

²³Son, observe the time, and fly from evil.

²⁴For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth.

²⁵For there is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace.

²⁶Accept no person against thy own person, nor against thy soul a lie.

²⁷Reverence not thy neighbour in his fall:

²⁸And refrain not to speak in the time of salvation. Hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.

²⁹For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and understanding, and knowledge, and learning by the word of the wise, and steadfastness in the works of justice.

³⁰In nowise speak against the truth, but be ashamed of the lie of thy ignorance.

³¹Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but submit not thyself to every man for sin.

³²Resist not against the face of the mighty, and do not strive against the stream of the river.

³³Strive for justice for thy soul, and even unto death fight for justice, and God will overthrow thy enemies for thee.

³⁴Be not hasty in thy tongue: and slack and remiss in thy works.

³⁵Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household, and oppressing them that are under thee.

³⁶Let not thy hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldst give.