Sirach 4 Comparison: Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs KJV with Apocrypha
Sirach 4
1Sone, defraude thou not the almes of a pore man, and turne not ouere thin iyen fro a pore man.
2Dispise thou not an hungri man, and wraththe thou not a pore man in his nedynesse.
3Turmente thou not the herte of a nedi man, and tarie thou not the yifte to a man that is set in angwisch.
4Caste thou not awei the preiyng of a man set in tribulacioun, and turne not awei thi face fro a nedi man.
5Turne not awei thi iyen fro a pore man for ire, and yyue not occasioun to men axynge to curse thee byhynde.
6For the preyer of hym that cursith thee in the bitternesse of soule, schal be herd; forsothe he that made hym, schal here hym.
7Make thee eesi to speke to the congregacioun of pore men, and make meke thi soule to a preest, and make meke thin heed to a greet man.
8Boowe doun with out sorewe thin eere to a pore man, and yelde thi debt, and answere thou pesibli in myldenesse.
9Delyuere thou hym that suffrith wrong fro the hond of a proude man, and bere thou not heuyli in thi soule.
10In demynge be thou merciful as a fadir to fadirles children, and be thou for an hosebonde to the modir of hem;
11and thou schalt be as an obedient sone of the hiyeste, and he schal haue merci on thee more than a modir `hath merci on hir child.
12Wisdom enspirith lijf to hise sones, and resseyueth men sekinge hym, and schal go bifore in the wei of riytfulnesse; and he that loueth that wisdom,
13loueth lijf, and thei that waken to it, schulen biclipe the pesiblenesse, ether swetnesse, therof.
14Thei that holden it, schulen enherite lijf; and whidir it schal entre, God schal blesse.
15Thei that seruen it, schulen be obeiynge to the hooli; and God loueth hem, that louen it.
16He that herith it, demeth folkis; and he that biholdith it, schal dwelle tristili.
17If a man bileueth to it, he schal dwelle, and enherite it; and the creaturis of hem schulen be in confermyng.
18For in temptacioun it goith with hym, and among the firste it chesith hym.
19It schal brynge in on hym drede, and feer, and preuyng, and it schal turmente hym in the tribulacioun of his doctryn, til it tempte hym in hise thouytis, and bileue to his soule.
20And it schal make hym stidefast, and schal brynge riyt weie to hym, and it schal make hym glad;
21and schal make nakid hise priuytees to hym, and schal tresore on hym kunnyng, and vndurstondyng of riytfulnesse.
22Forsothe if he errith, God schal forsake hym, and schal bitake hym in to the hondis of his enemy.
23Sone, kepe thou tyme, and eschewe thou fro yuel.
24Be thou not aschamed for thi lijf to seie treuthe; for whi ther is schame that bryngith synne,
25and ther is schame that bryngith glorie and grace.
26Take thou not a face ayens thi face, nethir a leesyng ayens thi soule.
27Schame thou not thi neiybore in his fal,
28nether withholde thou a word in the tyme of helthe. Hide not thi wisdom in the fairnesse therof;
29for whi wisdom is knowun in tunge, and wit, and kunnyng, and techyng in the word of a wijs man; and stidfastnesse is in the werkis of riytfulnesse.
30Ayenseie thou not the word of treuthe in ony maner; and be thou aschamed of the leesyng of thi mislernyng.
31Be thou not aschamed to knouleche thi synnes; and make thee not suget to ech man for synne.
32Nyle thou stonde ayens the face of the myyti, nethir enforse thou ayens the strok of the flood.
33For riytfulnesse fiyte thou for thi soule, and til to the deth stryue thou for riytfulnesse; and God schal ouercome thin enemyes for thee.
34Nyle thou be swift in thi tunge, and vnprofitable and slak in thi werkis.
35Nyle thou be as a lioun in thin hous, turnynge vpsedoun thi meneals, and oppressynge hem that ben sugetis to thee.
36Thin hond be not redi to take, and closid togidere to yyue.
Sirach 4
1My son, defraud not the poor of his living, and make not the needy eyes to wait long.
2Make not an hungry soul sorrowful; neither provoke a man in his distress.
3Add not more trouble to an heart that is vexed; and defer not to give to him that is in need.
4Reject not the supplication of the afflicted; neither turn away thy face from a poor man.
5Turn not away thine eye from the needy, and give him none occasion to curse thee:
6For if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him.
7Get thyself the love of the congregation, and bow thy head to a great man.
8Let it not grieve thee to bow down thine ear to the poor, and give him a friendly answer with meekness.
9Deliver him that suffereth wrong from the hand of the oppressor; and be not fainthearted when thou sittest in judgment.
10Be as a father unto the fatherless, and instead of an husband unto their mother: so shalt thou be as the son of the most High, and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth.
11Wisdom exalteth her children, and layeth hold of them that seek her.
12He that loveth her loveth life; and they that seek to her early shall be filled with joy.
13He that holdeth her fast shall inherit glory; and wheresoever she entereth, the Lord will bless.
14They that serve her shall minister to the Holy One: and them that love her the Lord doth love.
15Whoso giveth ear unto her shall judge the nations: and he that attendeth unto her shall dwell securely.
16If a man commit himself unto her, he shall inherit her; and his generation shall hold her in possession.
17For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline, until she may trust his soul, and try him by her laws.
18Then will she return the straight way unto him, and comfort him, and shew him her secrets.
19But if he go wrong, she will forsake him, and give him over to his own ruin.
20Observe the opportunity, and beware of evil; and be not ashamed when it concerneth thy soul.
21For there is a shame that bringeth sin; and there is a shame which is glory and grace.
22Accept no person against thy soul, and let not the reverence of any man cause thee to fall.
23And refrain not to speak, when there is occasion to do good, and hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.
24For by speech wisdom shall be known: and learning by the word of the tongue.
25In no wise speak against the truth; but be abashed of the error of thine ignorance.
26Be not ashamed to confess thy sins; and force not the course of the river.
27Make not thyself an underling to a foolish man; neither accept the person of the mighty.
28Strive for the truth unto death, and the Lord shall fight for thee.
29Be not hasty in thy tongue, and in thy deeds slack and remiss.
30Be not as a lion in thy house, nor frantick among thy servants.
31Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldest repay.
Understanding Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs KJV with Apocrypha in Sirach 4
Wycliffe Bible (1395) (Wycliffe)
The first complete English translation of the Bible (1395) by John Wycliffe and his followers. Translated from the Latin Vulgate. A landmark in English history and the Reformation.
KJV with Apocrypha (KJVA)
The complete King James Version (1611) including the 14 Apocrypha books interlaced between the Old and New Testaments. Essential for studying the text as it was originally published and for exploring deuterocanonical literature.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Sirach 4 in the Wycliffe Bible (1395) and KJV with Apocrypha. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.
Key Comparison: Sirach 4:16
"He that herith it, demeth folkis; and he that biholdith it, schal dwelle tristili."
"If a man commit himself unto her, he shall inherit her; and his generation shall hold her in possession."
