Sirach 41

¹O death, how bitter is the memory of you: to a man who has peace in his substance,

²to a quiet man, and to him whose ways are directed properly in all things, and who still has the strength to take nourishment.

³O death, your judgment is good to the indigent man, and to him whose strength has diminished,

⁴who is failing due to old age, and who is anxious about all things, and to the unbelieving man who has lost patience.

⁵Do not choose to dread the judgment of death. Remember the things that occurred before you, and the things that will occur after you. This judgment is from the Lord upon all flesh.

⁶And what will happen to you is well-pleasing to the Most High, whether in ten, or one hundred, or one thousand years.

⁷For death is no indictment of life.

⁸The sons of sinners, and those who pass their time in the manner of the houses of the impious, become sons of abominations.

⁹The inheritance of the sons of sinners will perish, and continual disgrace will be with their offspring.

¹⁰The sons of an impious father will complain, for they are in disgrace because of him.

¹¹Woe to you, impious men, who have abandoned the law of the Most High Lord!

¹²And when you are born, you will be born into a curse; and when you die, your portion will be in a curse.

¹³All things that are from the earth shall return to the earth. Similarly, the impious will proceed from a curse unto perdition.

¹⁴The grieving of men is in their body, but the name of the impious will be wiped away.

¹⁵Have concern for your good name. For this will continue with you, more so than a thousand precious and great treasures.

¹⁶A good life has its number of days, but a good name will continue forever.

¹⁷Sons, practice discipline peacefully. For what use is there in either concealed wisdom, or undiscovered treasure?

¹⁸Better is the man who hides his foolishness than the man who hides his wisdom.

¹⁹Yet truly, have respect for these things which proceed from my mouth.

²⁰For it is not good to observe every reverence. And all things do not please all persons in their beliefs.

²¹Have shame of these things: of fornication before father and mother, and of a lie before the first leader and the powerful,

²²of a crime before a ruler or a judge, of iniquity before a congregation or a people,

²³of injustice before a companion or a friend, and of the place in which you live,

²⁴of theft, and of the truth before God, and of the covenant, of reclining to eat bread, and of deceitfulness in giving or receiving,

²⁵of silence before those who greet you, of looking upon a woman of fornication, and of averting your face from a relative.

²⁶You should not avert your face from your neighbor, nor should you take away a portion and not restore it.

²⁷You should not stare at another man’s wife, nor pursue his handmaid, nor approach her bed.

²⁸Avoid reproachful speeches before friends, and when you give, you should not place blame.

Sirach 41

¹O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that hath peace in his possessions!

²To a man that is at rest, and whose ways are prosperous in all things, and that is yet able to take meat!

³O death thy sentence is welcome to the man that is in need, and to him whose strength faileth:

⁴Who is in a decrepit age, and that is in care about all things, and to the distrustful that loseth patience!

⁵Fear not the sentence of death. Remember what things have been before thee, and what shall come after thee: this sentence is from the Lord upon all flesh.

⁶And what shall come upon thee by the good pleasure of the most High? whether ten, or a hundred, or a thousand years.

⁷For among the dead there is no accusing of life.

⁸The children of sinners become children of abominations, and they that converse near the houses of the ungodly.

⁹The inheritance of the children of sinners shall perish, and with their posterity shall be a perpetual reproach.

¹⁰The children will complain of an ungodly father, because for his sake they are in reproach.

¹¹Woe to you, ungodly men, who have forsaken the law of the most high Lord.

¹²And if you be born, you shall be born in malediction: and if you die, in malediction shall be your portion.

¹³All things that are of the earth, shall return into the earth: so the ungodly shall from malediction to destruction.

¹⁴The mourning of men is about their body, but the name of the ungodly shall be blotted out.

¹⁵Take care of a good name: for this shall continue with thee, more than a thousand treasures precious and great.

¹⁶A good life hath its number of days: but a good name shall continue for ever.

¹⁷My children, keep discipline in peace: for wisdom that is hid, and a treasure that is not seen, what profit is there in them both?

¹⁸Better is the man that hideth his folly, than the man that hideth his wisdom.

¹⁹Wherefore have a shame of these things I am now going to speak of.

²⁰For it is not good to keep all shamefacedness: and all things do not please all men in opinion.

²¹Be ashamed of fornication before father and mother: and of a lie before a governor and a man in power:

²²Of an offence before a prince, and a judge: of iniquity before a congregation and a people:

²³Of injustice before a companion and friend: and in regard to the place where thou dwellest,

²⁴Of theft, and of the truth of God, and the covenant: of leaning with thy elbow over meat, and of deceit in giving and taking:

²⁵Of silence before them that salute thee: of looking upon a harlot: and of turning away thy face from thy kinsman.

²⁶Turn not away thy face from thy neighbour, and of taking away a portion and not restoring.

²⁷Gaze not upon another man's wife, and be not inquisitive after his handmaid, and approach not her bed.

²⁸Be ashamed of upbraiding speeches before friends: and after thou hast given, upbraid not.