Sirach 11

1The wisdom of the humble shall exalt his head, and shall make him sit in the midst of great men.

2Praise not a man for his beauty, neither despise a man for his look.

3The bee is small among flying things but her fruit hath the chiefest sweetness.

4Glory not in apparel at any time, and be not exalted in the day of thy honour: for the works of the Highest only are wonderful, and his works are glorious, and secret, and hidden.

5Many tyrants have sat on the throne, and he whom no man would think on, hath worn the crown.

6Many mighty men have been greatly brought down, and the glorious have been delivered into the hand of others.

7Before thou inquire, blame no man: and when thou hast inquired, reprove justly.

8Before thou hear, answer not a word: and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse.

9Strive not in a matter which doth not concern thee, and sit not in judgment with sinners.

10My son, meddle not with many matters: and if thou be rich, thou shalt not be free from sin: for if thou pursue after thou shalt not overtake; and if thou run before thou shalt not escape.

11There is an ungodly man that laboureth, and maketh haste, and is in sorrow, and is so much the more in want.

12Again, there is an inactive man that wanteth help, is very weak in ability, and full of poverty:

13Yet the eye of God hath looked upon him for good, and hath lifted him up from his low estate, and hath exalted his head: and many have wondered at him, and have glorified God.

14Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from God.

15Wisdom and discipline, and the knowledge of the law are with God. Love and the ways of good things are with him.

16Error and darkness are created with sinners: and they that glory in evil things, grow old in evil.

17The gift of God abideth with the just, and his advancement shall have success for ever.

18There is one that is enriched by living sparingly, and this is the portion of his reward.

19In that he saith: I have found me rest, and now I will eat of my goods alone:

20And he knoweth not what time shall pass, and that death approacheth, and that he must leave all to others, and shall die.

21Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and grow old in the work of thy commandments.

22Abide not in the works of sinners. But trust in God, and stay in thy place,

23For it is easy in the eyes of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich.

24The blessing of God maketh haste to reward the just, and in a swift hour his blessing beareth fruit.

25Say not: What need I, and what good shall I have by this?

26Say not: I am sufficient for myself: and what shall I be made worse by this?

27In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils: and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things:

28For it is easy before God in the day of death to reward every one according to his ways.

29The affliction of an hour maketh one forget great delights, and in the end of a man is the disclosing of his works.

30Praise not any man before death, for a man is known by his children.

31Bring not every man into thy house: for many are the snares of the deceitful.

32For as corrupted bowels send forth stinking breath, and as the partridge is brought into the cage, and as the roe into the snare: so also is the heart of the proud, and as a spy that looketh on the fall of his neighbour.

33For he lieth in wait and turneth good into evil, and on the elect he will lay a blot.

34Of one spark cometh a great fire, and of one deceitful man much blood: and a sinful man lieth in wait for blood.

35Take heed to thyself of a mischievous man, for he worketh evils: lest he bring upon thee reproach for ever.

36Receive a stranger in, and he shall overthrow thee with a whirlwind, and shall turn thee out of thy own.

1Sapientia humiliati exaltabit caput illius, et in medio magnatorum consedere illum faciet.

2Non laudes virum in specie sua, neque spernas hominem in visu suo.

3Brevis in volatilibus est apis, et initium dulcoris habet fructus illius.

4In vestitu ne glorieris umquam, nec in die honoris tui extollaris : quoniam mirabilia opera Altissimi solius, et gloriosa, et absconsa, et invisa opera illius.

5Multi tyranni sederunt in throno : et insuspicabilis portavit diadema.

6Multi potentes oppressi sunt valide, et gloriosi traditi sunt in manus alterorum.

7Priusquam interroges, ne vituperes quemquam : et cum interrogaveris, corripe juste.

8Priusquam audias, ne respondeas verbum : et in medio sermonum ne adjicias loqui.

9De ea re quæ te non molestat, ne certeris : et in judicio peccantium ne consistas.

10Fili, ne in multis sint actus tui : et si dives fueris, non eris immunis a delicto. Si enim secutus fueris, non apprehendes : et non effugies, si præcucurreris.

11Est homo laborans et festinans, et dolens : impius, et tanto magis non abundabit.

12Est homo marcidus egens recuperatione, plus deficiens virtute, et abundans paupertate :

13et oculus Dei respexit illum in bono, et erexit eum ab humilitate ipsius, et exaltavit caput ejus : et mirati sunt in illo multi, et honoraverunt Deum.

14Bona et mala, vita et mors, paupertas et honestas, a Deo sunt :

15sapientia, et disciplina, et scientia legis, apud Deum : dilectio, et viæ bonorum, apud ipsum.

16Error et tenebræ peccatoribus concreata sunt : qui autem exsultant in malis consenescunt in malo.

17Datio Dei permanet justis, et profectus illius successus habebit in æternum.

18Est qui locupletatur parce agendo, et hæc est pars mercedis illius.

19In eo quod dicit : Inveni requiem mihi, et nunc manducabo de bonis meis solus :

20et nescit quod tempus præteriet, et mors appropinquet, et relinquat omnia aliis, et morietur.

21Sta in testamento tuo, et in illo colloquere, et in opere mandatorum tuorum veterasce.

22Ne manseris in operibus peccatorum : confide autem in Deo, et mane in loco tuo.

23Facile est enim in oculis Dei subito honestare pauperem.

24Benedictio Dei in mercedem justi festinat, et in hora veloci processus illius fructificat.

25Ne dicas : Quid est mihi opus? et quæ erunt mihi ex hoc bona?

26Ne dicas : Sufficiens mihi sum : et quid ex hoc pessimabor?

27In die bonorum ne immemor sis malorum, et in die malorum ne immemor sis bonorum :

28quoniam facile est coram Deo in die obitus retribuere unicuique secundum vias suas.

29Malitia horæ oblivionem facit luxuriæ magnæ, et in fine hominis denudatio operum illius.

30Ante mortem ne laudes hominem quemquam : quoniam in filiis suis agnoscitur vir.

31Non omnem hominem inducas in domum tuam : multæ enim sunt insidiæ dolosi.

32Sicut enim eructant præcordia fœtentium, et sicut perdix inducitur in caveam, et ut caprea in laqueum : sic et cor superborum, et sicut prospector videns casum proximi sui.

33Bona enim in mala convertens insidiatur, et in electis imponet maculam.

34A scintilla una augetur ignis, et ab uno doloso augetur sanguis : homo vero peccator sanguini insidiatur.

35Attende tibi a pestifero, fabricat enim mala, ne inducat super te subsannationem in perpetuum.

36Admitte ad te alienigenam : et subvertet te in turbine, et abalienabit te a tuis propriis.

1σοφία ταπεινοῦ ἀνυψώσει κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν μέσῳ μεγιστάνων καθίσει αὐτόν

2μὴ αἰνέσῃς ἄνδρα ἐν κάλλει αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ βδελύξῃ ἄνθρωπον ἐν ὁράσει αὐτοῦ

3μικρὰ ἐν πετεινοῖς μέλισσα καὶ ἀρχὴ γλυκασμάτων ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῆς

4ἐν περιβολῇ ἱματίων μὴ καυχήσῃ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ δόξης μὴ ἐπαίρου ὅτι θαυμαστὰ τὰ ἔργα κυρίου καὶ κρυπτὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἀνθρώποις

5πολλοὶ τύραννοι ἐκάθισαν ἐπὶ ἐδάφους ὁ δὲ ἀνυπονόητος ἐφόρεσεν διάδημα

6πολλοὶ δυνάσται ἠτιμάσθησαν σφόδρα καὶ ἔνδοξοι παρεδόθησαν εἰς χεῖρας ἑτέρων

7πρὶν ἐξετάσῃς μὴ μέμψῃ νόησον πρῶτον καὶ τότε ἐπιτίμα πρὶν ἢ ἀκοῦσαι μὴ ἀποκρίνου καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λόγων μὴ παρεμβάλλου

8περὶ πράγματος οὗ οὐκ ἔστιν σοι χρεία μὴ ἔριζε καὶ ἐν κρίσει ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ συνέδρευε

9τέκνον μὴ περὶ πολλὰ ἔστωσαν αἱ πράξεις σου

10ἐὰν πληθύνῃς οὐκ ἀθῳωθήσῃ καὶ ἐὰν διώκῃς οὐ μὴ καταλάβῃς καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγῃς διαδράς

11ἔστιν κοπιῶν καὶ πονῶν καὶ σπεύδων καὶ τόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑστερεῖται

12ἔστιν νωθρὸς προσδεόμενος ἀντιλήμψεως ὑστερῶν ἰσχύι καὶ πτωχείᾳ περισσεύει

13καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου ἐπέβλεψαν αὐτῷ εἰς ἀγαθά καὶ ἀνώρθωσεν αὐτὸν ἐκ ταπεινώσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνύψωσεν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπεθαύμασαν ἐπ' αὐτῷ πολλοί

14ἀγαθὰ καὶ κακά ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος πτωχεία καὶ πλοῦτος παρὰ κυρίου ἐστίν

17δόσις κυρίου παραμένει εὐσεβέσιν καὶ ἡ εὐδοκία αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εὐοδωθήσεται

18ἔστιν πλουτῶν ἀπὸ προσοχῆς καὶ σφιγγίας αὐτοῦ καὶ αὕτη ἡ μερὶς τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ

19ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν αὐτόν εὗρον ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ νῦν φάγομαι ἐκ τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου

20καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν τίς καιρὸς παρελεύσεται καὶ καταλείψει αὐτὰ ἑτέροις καὶ ἀποθανεῖται

21στῆθι ἐν διαθήκῃ σου καὶ ὁμίλει ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ σου παλαιώθητι

22μὴ θαύμαζε ἐν ἔργοις ἁμαρτωλοῦ πίστευε δὲ κυρίῳ καὶ ἔμμενε τῷ πόνῳ σου

23ὅτι κοῦφον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς κυρίου διὰ τάχους ἐξάπινα πλουτίσαι πένητα

24εὐλογία κυρίου ἐν μισθῷ εὐσεβοῦς καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ ταχινῇ ἀναθάλλει εὐλογίαν αὐτοῦ

25μὴ εἴπῃς τίς ἐστίν μου χρεία καὶ τίνα ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἔσται μου τὰ ἀγαθά

26μὴ εἴπῃς αὐτάρκη μοί ἐστιν καὶ τί ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν κακωθήσομαι

27ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀγαθῶν ἀμνησία κακῶν καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῶν οὐ μνησθήσεται ἀγαθῶν

28ὅτι κοῦφον ἔναντι κυρίου ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τελευτῆς ἀποδοῦναι ἀνθρώπῳ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ

29κάκωσις ὥρας ἐπιλησμονὴν ποιεῖ τρυφῆς καὶ ἐν συντελείᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀποκάλυψις ἔργων αὐτοῦ

30πρὸ τελευτῆς μὴ μακάριζε μηδένα καὶ ἐν τέκνοις αὐτοῦ γνωσθήσεται ἀνήρ

31μὴ πάντα ἄνθρωπον εἴσαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου πολλὰ γὰρ τὰ ἔνεδρα τοῦ δολίου

32πέρδιξ θηρευτὴς ἐν καρτάλλῳ οὕτως καρδία ὑπερηφάνου καὶ ὡς ὁ κατάσκοπος ἐπιβλέπει πτῶσιν

33τὰ γὰρ ἀγαθὰ εἰς κακὰ μεταστρέφων ἐνεδρεύει καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἱρετοῖς ἐπιθήσει μῶμον

34ἀπὸ σπινθῆρος πυρὸς πληθύνεται ἀνθρακιά καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλὸς εἰς αἷμα ἐνεδρεύει

35πρόσεχε ἀπὸ κακούργου πονηρὰ γὰρ τεκταίνει μήποτε μῶμον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα δῷ σοι

36ἐνοίκισον ἀλλότριον καὶ διαστρέψει σε ἐν ταραχαῖς καὶ ἀπαλλοτριώσει σε τῶν ἰδίων σου