Sirach 10

1A wise judge shall judge his people, and the government of a prudent man shall be steady.

2As the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers: and what manner of man the ruler of a city is, such also are they that dwell therein.

3An unwise king shall be the ruin of his people: and cities shall be inhabited through the prudence of the rulers.

4The power of the earth is in the hand of God, and in his time he will raise up a profitable ruler over it.

5The prosperity of man is in the hand of God, and upon the person of the scribe he shall lay his honour.

6Remember not any injury done thee by thy neighbour, and do thou nothing by deeds of injury.

7Pride is hateful before God and men: and all iniquity of nations is execrable.

8A kingdom is translated from one people to another, because of injustices, and wrongs, and injuries, and divers deceits.

9But nothing is more wicked than the covetous man. Why is earth, and ashes proud?

10There is not a more wicked thing than to love money: for such a one setteth even his own soul to sale: because while he liveth he hath cast away his bowels.

11All power is of short life. A long sickness is troublesome to the physician.

12The physician cutteth off a short sickness: so also a king is to day, and tomorrow he shall die.

13For when a man shall die, he shall inherit serpents, and beasts, and worms.

14The beginning of the pride of man, is to fall off from God:

15Because his heart is departed from him that made him: for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end.

16Therefore hath the Lord disgraced the assemblies of the wicked, and hath utterly destroyed them.

17God hath overturned the thrones of proud princes, and hath set up the meek in their stead.

18God hath made the roots of proud nations to wither, and hath planted the humble of these nations.

19The Lord hath overthrown the lands of the Gentiles, and hath destroyed them even to the foundation.

20He hath made some of them to wither away, and hath destroyed them, and hath made the memory of them to cease from the earth.

21God hath abolished the memory of the proud, and hath preserved the memory of them that are humble in mind.

22Pride was not made for men: nor wrath for the race of women.

23That seed of men shall be honoured, which feareth God: but that seed shall be dishonoured, which transgresseth the commandments of the Lord.

24In the midst of brethren their chief is honourable: so shall they that fear the Lord, be in his eyes.

25The fear of God is the glory of the rich, and of the honourable, and of the poor.

26Despise not a just man that is poor, and do not magnify a sinful man that is rich.

27The great man, and the judge, and the mighty is in honour: and there is none greater than he that feareth God.

28They that are free shall serve a servant that is wise: and a man that is prudent and well instructed will not murmur when he is reproved; and he that is ignorant, shall not be honoured.

29Extol not thyself in doing thy work, and linger not in the time of distress;

30Better is he that laboureth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boasteth himself and wanteth bread.

31My son, keep thy soul in meekness, and give it honour according to its desert.

32Who will justify him that sinneth against his own soul? and who will honour him that dishonoureth his own soul?

33The poor man is glorified by his discipline and fear, and there is a man that is honoured for his wealth.

34But he that is glorified in poverty, how much more in wealth? and he that is glorified in wealth, let him fear poverty.

1Judex sapiens judicabit populum suum, et principatus sensati stabilis erit.

2Secundum judicem populi, sic et ministri ejus : et qualis rector est civitatis, tales et inhabitantes in ea.

3Rex insipiens perdet populum suum : et civitates inhabitabuntur per sensum potentium.

4In manu Dei potestas terræ : et utilem rectorem suscitabit in tempus super illam.

5In manu Dei prosperitas hominis, et super faciem scribæ imponet honorem suum.

6Omnis injuriæ proximi ne memineris, et nihil agas in operibus injuriæ.

7Odibilis coram Deo est et hominibus superbia, et execrabilis omnis iniquitas gentium.

8Regnum a gente in gentem transfertur propter injustitias, et injurias, et contumelias, et diversos dolos.

9Avaro autem nihil est scelestius. Quid superbit terra et cinis?

10Nihil est iniquius quam amare pecuniam : hic enim et animam suam venalem habet, quoniam in vita sua projecit intima sua.

11Omnis potentatus brevis vita; languor prolixior gravat medicum.

12Brevem languorem præcidit medicus : sic et rex hodie est, et cras morietur.

13Cum enim morietur homo, hæreditabit serpentes, et bestias, et vermes.

14Initium superbiæ hominis apostatare a Deo:

15quoniam ab eo qui fecit illum recessit cor ejus, quoniam initium omnis peccati est superbia. Qui tenuerit illam adimplebitur maledictis, et subvertet eum in finem.

16Propterea exhonoravit Dominus conventus malorum, et destruxit eos usque in finem.

17Sedes ducum superborum destruxit Deus, et sedere fecit mites pro eis.

18Radices gentium superbarum arefecit Deus, et plantavit humiles ex ipsis gentibus.

19Terras gentium evertit Dominus, et perdidit eas usque ad fundamentum.

20Arefecit ex ipsis, et disperdidit eos, et cessare fecit memoriam eorum a terra.

21Memoria superborum perdidit Deus, et reliquit memoriam humilium sensu.

22Non est creata hominibus superbia, neque iracundia nationi mulierum.

23Semen hominum honorabitur hoc, quod timet Deum : semen autem hoc exhonorabitur, quod præterit mandata Domini.

24In medio fratrum rector illorum in honore : et qui timent Dominum erunt in oculis illius.

25Gloria divitum, honoratorum, et pauperum, timor Dei est.

26Noli despicere hominem justum pauperem, et noli magnificare virum peccatorem divitem.

27Magnus, et judex, et potens est in honore : et non est major illo qui timet Deum.

28Servo sensato liberi servient : et vir prudens et disciplinatus non murmurabit correptus, et inscius non honorabitur.

29Noli extollere te in faciendo opere tuo, et noli cunctari in tempore angustiæ.

30Melior est qui operatur et abundat in omnibus, quam qui gloriatur et eget pane.

31Fili, in mansuetudine serva animam tuam, et da illi honorem secundum meritum suum.

32Peccantem in animam suam quis justificabit? et quis honorificabit exhonorantem animam suam?

33Pauper gloriatur per disciplinam et timorem suum : et est homo qui honorificatur propter substantiam suam.

34Qui autem gloriatur in paupertate, quanto magis in substantia! et qui gloriatur in substantia, paupertatem vereatur.

1κριτὴς σοφὸς παιδεύσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡγεμονία συνετοῦ τεταγμένη ἔσται

2κατὰ τὸν κριτὴν τοῦ λαοῦ οὕτως καὶ οἱ λειτουργοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἡγούμενον τῆς πόλεως πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες αὐτήν

3βασιλεὺς ἀπαίδευτος ἀπολεῖ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ πόλις οἰκισθήσεται ἐν συνέσει δυναστῶν

4ἐν χειρὶ κυρίου ἡ ἐξουσία τῆς γῆς καὶ τὸν χρήσιμον ἐγερεῖ εἰς καιρὸν ἐπ' αὐτῆς

5ἐν χειρὶ κυρίου εὐοδία ἀνδρός καὶ προσώπῳ γραμματέως ἐπιθήσει δόξαν αὐτοῦ

6ἐπὶ παντὶ ἀδικήματι μὴ μηνιάσῃς τῷ πλησίον καὶ μὴ πρᾶσσε μηδὲν ἐν ἔργοις ὕβρεως

7μισητὴ ἔναντι κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων ὑπερηφανία καὶ ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων πλημμελὴς ἡ ἀδικία

8βασιλεία ἀπὸ ἔθνους εἰς ἔθνος μετάγεται διὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ὕβρεις καὶ χρήματα

9τί ὑπερηφανεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός

10ὅτι ἐν ζωῇ ἔρριψα τὰ ἐνδόσθια αὐτοῦ

11μακρὸν ἀρρώστημα σκώπτει ἰατρός

12καὶ βασιλεὺς σήμερον καὶ αὔριον τελευτήσει

13ἐν γὰρ τῷ ἀποθανεῖν ἄνθρωπον κληρονομήσει ἑρπετὰ καὶ θηρία καὶ σκώληκας

14ἀρχὴ ὑπερηφανίας ἀνθρώπου ἀφίστασθαι ἀπὸ κυρίου

15καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ποιήσαντος αὐτὸν ἀπέστη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἀρχὴ ὑπερηφανίας ἁμαρτία καὶ ὁ κρατῶν αὐτῆς ἐξομβρήσει βδέλυγμα

16διὰ τοῦτο παρεδόξασεν κύριος τὰς ἐπαγωγὰς καὶ κατέστρεψεν εἰς τέλος αὐτούς

17θρόνους ἀρχόντων καθεῖλεν ὁ κύριος καὶ ἐκάθισεν πραεῖς ἀντ' αὐτῶν

18ῥίζας ἐθνῶν ἐξέτιλεν ὁ κύριος καὶ ἐφύτευσεν ταπεινοὺς ἀντ' αὐτῶν

19χώρας ἐθνῶν κατέστρεψεν ὁ κύριος καὶ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτὰς ἕως θεμελίων γῆς

20ἐξῆρεν ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτοὺς καὶ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ γῆς τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν

22οὐκ ἔκτισται ἀνθρώποις ὑπερηφανία οὐδὲ ὀργὴ θυμοῦ γεννήμασιν γυναικῶν

23σπέρμα ἔντιμον ποῖον σπέρμα ἀνθρώπου σπέρμα ἔντιμον ποῖον οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν κύριον σπέρμα ἄτιμον ποῖον σπέρμα ἀνθρώπου σπέρμα ἄτιμον ποῖον οἱ παραβαίνοντες ἐντολάς

24ἐν μέσῳ ἀδελφῶν ὁ ἡγούμενος αὐτῶν ἔντιμος καὶ οἱ φοβούμενοι κύριον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ

25πλούσιος καὶ ἔνδοξος καὶ πτωχός τὸ καύχημα αὐτῶν φόβος κυρίου

26οὐ δίκαιον ἀτιμάσαι πτωχὸν συνετόν καὶ οὐ καθήκει δοξάσαι ἄνδρα ἁμαρτωλόν

27μεγιστὰν καὶ κριτὴς καὶ δυνάστης δοξασθήσεται καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῶν τις μείζων τοῦ φοβουμένου τὸν κύριον

28οἰκέτῃ σοφῷ ἐλεύθεροι λειτουργήσουσιν καὶ ἀνὴρ ἐπιστήμων οὐ γογγύσει

29μὴ σοφίζου ποιῆσαι τὸ ἔργον σου καὶ μὴ δοξάζου ἐν καιρῷ στενοχωρίας σου

30κρείσσων ἐργαζόμενος καὶ περισσεύων ἐν πᾶσιν ἢ περιπατῶν δοξαζόμενος καὶ ἀπορῶν ἄρτων

31τέκνον ἐν πραΰτητι δόξασον τὴν ψυχήν σου καὶ δὸς αὐτῇ τιμὴν κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῆς

32τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίς δικαιώσει καὶ τίς δοξάσει τὸν ἀτιμάζοντα τὴν ζωὴν αὐτοῦ

33πτωχὸς δοξάζεται δι' ἐπιστήμην αὐτοῦ καὶ πλούσιος δοξάζεται διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ

34ὁ δεδοξασμένος ἐν πτωχείᾳ καὶ ἐν πλούτῳ ποσαχῶς καὶ ὁ ἄδοξος ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ ἐν πτωχείᾳ ποσαχῶς