The Book of Jesus Sirach

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 19 -

Admonition against sundry vices.

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

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

And 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.

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

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

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

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

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

For 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.

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

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

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

Correct 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.

Correct 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.

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

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

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

And 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.

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

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

Better 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.

There is a certain cleverness, and it is unjust.

And 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.

And 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.

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

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

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

There 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.

Footnotes

(a)19:4 Or: ‘will be diminished even more.’(Conte)

Admonition against sundry vices.

A worker who is a drunkard will not become rich. He who despises small things will fall little by little.

Wine and women will make men of understanding go astray. He who joins with prostitutes is reckless.

Decay and worms will have him as their heritage. A reckless soul will be taken away.

He who is hasty to trust is shallow-hearted. He who sins offends against his own soul.

He who rejoices in wickedness will be condemned.(a)

(b) He who hates gossip has less wickedness.

Never repeat what is told you, and you won’t lose anything.

Whether it is of friend or foe, don’t tell it. Unless it is a sin to you, don’t reveal it.

For if he has heard you and observed you, when the time comes, he will hate you.

Have you heard something? Let it die with you. Be brave: it will not make you burst!

A fool will travail in pain with a word, as a woman in labor with a child.

As an arrow that sticks in the flesh of the thigh, so is gossip in a fool.

Question a friend; it may be he didn’t do it. If he did something, it may be that he may do it no more.

Question your neighbor; it may be he didn’t say it. If he has said it, it may be that he may not say it again.

Question a friend; for many times there is slander. Don’t trust every word.

There is one who slips, and not from the heart. Who is he who hasn’t sinned with his tongue?

Reprove your neighbor before you threaten him; and give place to the law of the Most High.

(c)

(d)

All wisdom is the fear of the Lord. In all wisdom is the doing of the law.

(e)

The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom. The prudence of sinners is not counsel.

There is a wickedness, and it is an abomination. There is a fool lacking in wisdom.

Better is one who has little understanding, and fears God, than one who has much intelligence and transgresses the law.

There is an exquisite subtlety, and it is unjust. And there is one who perverts favor to gain a judgment.(f)

There is one who does wickedly, who hangs down his head with mourning; but inwardly he is full of deceit,

bowing down his face, and pretending to be deaf in one ear. Where he isn’t known, he will take advantage of you.

And if for lack of power he is hindered from sinning, if he finds opportunity, he will do mischief.

A man will be known by his appearance. One who has understanding will be known by his face when you meet him.

A man’s attire, grinning laughter, and the way he walks show what he is.

Footnotes

(a)19:5 The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.

(b)19:6 The preceding part of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.

(d)19:18 Verses 18 and 19 are omitted by the best authorities.

(e)19:21 The remainder of verse 20 and verse 21 are omitted by the best authorities.

(f)19:25 The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.