Sirach 19

1A workman that is a drunkard shall not be rich: and he that contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little.

2Wine and women make wise men fall off, and shall rebuke the prudent:

3And he that joineth himself to harlots, will be wicked. Rottenness and worms shall inherit him, and he shall be lifted up for a greater example, and his soul shall be taken away out of the number.

4He that is hasty to give credit, is light of heart, and shall be lessened: and he that sinneth against his own soul, shall be despised.

5He that rejoiceth in iniquity, shall be censured, and he that hateth chastisement, shall have less life: and he that hateth babbling, extinguisheth evil.

6He that sinneth against his own soul, shall repent: and he that is delighted with wickedness, shall be condemned.

7Rehearse not again a wicked and harsh word, and thou shalt not fare the worse.

8Tell not thy mind to friend or foe: and if there be a sin with thee, disclose it not.

9For he will hearken to thee, and will watch thee, and as it were defending thy sin he will hate thee, and so will he be with thee always.

10Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbour? let it die within thee, trusting that it will not burst thee.

11At the hearing of a word the fool is in travail, as a woman groaning in the bringing forth a child.

12As an arrow that sticketh in a man’s thigh: so is a word in the heart of a fool.

13Reprove a friend, lest he may not have understood, and say: I did it not: or if he did it, that he may do it no more.

14Reprove thy neighbour, for it may be he hath not said it: and if he hath said it, that he may not say it again.

15Admonish thy friend: for there is often a fault committed.

16And believe not every word. There is one, that slippeth with the tongue, but not from his heart.

17For who is there that hath not offended with his tongue? Admonish thy neighbour before thou threaten him.

18And give place to the fear of the most High: for the fear of God is all wisdom, and therein is to fear God, and the disposition of the law is in all wisdom.

19But the learning of wickedness is not wisdom: and the device of sinners is not prudence.

20There is a subtle wickedness, and the same is detestable: and there is a man that is foolish, wanting in wisdom.

21Better is a man that hath less wisdom, and wanteth understanding, with the fear of God, than he that aboundeth in understanding, and transgresseth the law of the most High.

22There is an exquisite subtilty, and the same is unjust.

23And there is one that uttereth an exact word telling the truth. There is one that humbleth himself wickedly, and his interior is full of deceit:

24And there is one that submitteth himself exceedingly with a great lowliness: and there is one that casteth down his countenance, and maketh as if he did not see that which is unknown:

25And if he be hindered from sinning for want of power, if he shall find opportunity to do evil, he will do it.

26A man is known by his look, and a wise man, when thou meetest him, is known by his countenance.

27The attire of the body, and the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of the man, show what he is.

28There is a lying rebuke in the anger of an injurious man: and there is a judgment that is not allowed to be good: and there is one that holdeth his peace, he is wise.

1Operarius ebriosus non locupletabitur : et qui spernit modica paulatim decidet.

2Vinum et mulieres apostatare faciunt sapientes, et arguent sensatos.

3Et qui se jungit fornicariis erit nequam : putredo et vermes hæreditabunt illum : et extolletur in exemplum majus, et tolletur de numero anima ejus.

4Qui credit cito levis corde est, et minorabitur : et qui delinquit in animam suam, insuper habebitur.

5Qui gaudet iniquitate, denotabitur : et qui odit correptionem, minuetur vita : et qui odit loquacitatem, extinguit malitiam.

6Qui peccat in animam suam, pœnitebit : et qui jucundatur in malitia, denotabitur.

7Ne iteres verbum nequam et durum, et non minoraberis.

8Amico et inimico noli narrare sensum tuum : et si est tibi delictum, noli denudare :

9audiet enim te, et custodiet te, et quasi defendens peccatum, odiet te, et sic aderit tibi semper.

10Audisti verbum adversus proximum tuum? commoriatur in te, fidens quoniam non te dirumpet.

11A facie verbi parturit fatuus, tamquam gemitus partus infantis.

12Sagitta infixa femori carnis, sic verbum in corde stulti.

13Corripe amicum, ne forte non intellexerit, et dicat : Non feci : aut, si fecerit, ne iterum addat facere.

14Corripe proximum, ne forte non dixerit : et si dixerit, ne forte iteret.

15Corripe amicum, sæpe enim fit commissio :

16et non omni verbo credas. Est qui labitur lingua, sed non ex animo :

17quis est enim qui non deliquerit in lingua sua? Corripe proximum antequam commineris,

18et da locum timori Altissimi : quia omnis sapientia timor Dei, et in illa timere Deum, et in omni sapientia dispositio legis.

19Et non est sapientia nequitiæ disciplina, et non est cogitatus peccatorum prudentia.

20Est nequitia, et in ipsa execratio, et est insipiens qui minuitur sapientia.

21Melior est homo qui minuitur sapientia, et deficiens sensu, in timore, quam qui abundat sensu, et transgreditur legem Altissimi.

22Est solertia certa, et ipsa iniqua :

23et est qui emittit verbum certum enarrans veritatem. Est qui nequiter humiliat se, et interiora ejus plena sunt dolo :

24et est qui se nimium submittit a multa humilitate : et est qui inclinat faciem suam, et fingit se non videre quod ignoratum est :

25et si ab imbecillitate virium vetetur peccare, si invenerit tempus malefaciendi, malefaciet.

26Ex visu cognoscitur vir, et ab occursu faciei cognoscitur sensatus.

27Amictus corporis, et risus dentium, et ingressus hominis, enuntiant de illo.

28Est correptio mendax in ira contumeliosi, et est judicium quod non probatur esse bonum : et est tacens, et ipse est prudens.

1ἐργάτης μέθυσος οὐ πλουτισθήσεται ὁ ἐξουθενῶν τὰ ὀλίγα κατὰ μικρὸν πεσεῖται

2οἶνος καὶ γυναῖκες ἀποστήσουσιν συνετούς

3καὶ ὁ κολλώμενος πόρναις τολμηρότερος ἔσται σήπη καὶ σκώληκες κληρονομήσουσιν αὐτόν καὶ ψυχὴ τολμηρὰ ἐξαρθήσεται

4ὁ ταχὺ ἐμπιστεύων κοῦφος καρδίᾳ καὶ ὁ ἁμαρτάνων εἰς ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ πλημμελήσει

6ὁ εὐφραινόμενος καρδίᾳ καταγνωσθήσεται καὶ ὁ μισῶν λαλιὰν ἐλαττονοῦται κακίᾳ

7μηδέποτε δευτερώσῃς λόγον καὶ οὐθέν σοι οὐ μὴ ἐλαττονωθῇ

8ἐν φίλῳ καὶ ἐχθρῷ μὴ διηγοῦ καὶ εἰ μή ἐστίν σοι ἁμαρτία μὴ ἀποκάλυπτε

9ἀκήκοεν γάρ σου καὶ ἐφυλάξατό σε καὶ ἐν καιρῷ μισήσει σε

10ἀκήκοας λόγον συναποθανέτω σοι θάρσει οὐ μή σε ῥήξει

11ἀπὸ προσώπου λόγου ὠδινήσει μωρὸς ὡς ἀπὸ προσώπου βρέφους ἡ τίκτουσα

12βέλος πεπηγὸς ἐν μηρῷ σαρκός οὕτως λόγος ἐν κοιλίᾳ μωροῦ

13ἔλεγξον φίλον μήποτε οὐκ ἐποίησεν καὶ εἴ τι ἐποίησεν μήποτε προσθῇ

14ἔλεγξον τὸν πλησίον μήποτε οὐκ εἶπεν καὶ εἰ εἴρηκεν ἵνα μὴ δευτερώσῃ

15ἔλεγξον φίλον πολλάκις γὰρ γίνεται διαβολή

16καὶ μὴ παντὶ λόγῳ πίστευε ἔστιν ὀλισθάνων καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ ψυχῆς

17καὶ τίς οὐχ ἥμαρτεν ἐν τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτοῦ ἔλεγξον τὸν πλησίον σου πρὶν ἢ ἀπειλῆσαι

18καὶ δὸς τόπον νόμῳ ὑψίστου πᾶσα σοφία φόβος κυρίου καὶ ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ ποίησις νόμου

19καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν σοφία πονηρίας ἐπιστήμη καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπου βουλὴ ἁμαρτωλῶν φρόνησις

20ἔστιν πανουργία καὶ αὕτη βδέλυγμα καὶ ἔστιν ἄφρων ἐλαττούμενος σοφίᾳ

21κρείττων ἡττώμενος ἐν συνέσει ἔμφοβος ἢ περισσεύων ἐν φρονήσει καὶ παραβαίνων νόμον

22ἔστιν πανουργία ἀκριβὴς καὶ αὕτη ἄδικος

23καὶ ἔστιν διαστρέφων χάριν τοῦ ἐκφᾶναι κρίμα ἔστιν πονηρευόμενος συγκεκυφὼς μελανίᾳ καὶ τὰ ἐντὸς αὐτοῦ πλήρη δόλου

24συγκρύφων πρόσωπον καὶ ἐθελοκωφῶν ὅπου οὐκ ἐπεγνώσθη προφθάσει σε

25καὶ ἐὰν ὑπὸ ἐλαττώματος ἰσχύος κωλυθῇ ἁμαρτεῖν ἐὰν εὕρῃ καιρόν κακοποιήσει

26ἀπὸ ὁράσεως ἐπιγνωσθήσεται ἀνήρ καὶ ἀπὸ ἀπαντήσεως προσώπου ἐπιγνωσθήσεται νοήμων

27στολισμὸς ἀνδρὸς καὶ γέλως ὀδόντων καὶ βήματα ἀνθρώπου ἀναγγελεῖ τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ

28ἔστιν ἔλεγχος ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ὡραῖος καὶ ἔστιν σιωπῶν καὶ αὐτὸς φρόνιμος