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The Book of Jesus Sirach

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- Chapter 22 -

Wise sayings on divers subjects.

1
The lazy man is pelted with a dirty stone, and all will speak about his rejection.
2
The lazy man is pelted with the dung of oxen, and all who touch him will brush off their hands.
3
An undisciplined son is the shame of his father, but an undisciplined daughter will be to his degradation.(a)
4
A prudent daughter brings an inheritance to her husband. But she who causes shame will be a disgrace to him who conceived her.
5
She who is bold shames her father and her husband, and she will not be less offensive to the impious. For she will be held in dishonor by both.
6
An untimely explanation is like music in a time of mourning. But the sharp correction and doctrine of wisdom are ever timely.
7
Whoever teaches the foolish is like someone who glues together a broken pot.(b)
8
Whoever explains a word to one who is not listening is like someone who suddenly awakens a sleeping person from a deep sleep.
9
Whoever explains wisdom to the senseless is like one speaking to a sleeping person. And at the end of the explanation, he says: “Who is this?”
10
Weep over the dead, for his light has failed. And weep over the foolish, for his understanding has failed.(c)
11
Weep only a little over the dead, for he is at rest.
12
But the wicked life of a wicked fool is worse than death.
13
The mourning for the dead is seven days; but for the foolish and the impious, it is all the days of their life.
14
You should not talk at length with the foolish, and you should not go with the senseless.
15
Keep yourself from him, so that you may not have problems, and so that you will not be polluted by his sin.
16
Turn away from him, and you will find rest, and you will not be discouraged by his foolishness.
17
What is heavier than lead? And what else can he be called but foolish?
18
Sand, and salt, and an iron weight are each easier to bear than an imprudent man, who is both foolish and impious.
19
A bundle of wood strapped together in the foundation of a building will not be loosened. And similar is the heart that has been strengthened by thoughtful counsel.
20
The thoughts of one who is understanding will not be corrupted by fear in any situation.
21
Just as chaff in a high place, or a wall made of mortar without stones set within, will not continue against the face of the wind,(d)
22
so also a timid heart, and the thoughts of the senseless, will not withstand the forcefulness of fear.
23
Despite a cowardly heart, the thoughts of the foolish will not fear any situation; yet neither will one who continues always in the precepts of God.(e)
24
He who jabs an eye produces tears. And he who jabs the heart produces understanding.
25
He who throws a stone at birds will drive them away. So also, he who accuses his friend dissolves the friendship.
26
But if you have drawn a sword against a friend, you should not despair; for there may be a way back.
27
If you have opened a harsh mouth against a friend, you should not fear; for there may be a reconciliation. However, if there are accusations, or abuse, or arrogance, or the revealing of secrets, or a wound from deceitfulness, in all these cases, a friend will flee away.
28
Hold to faithfulness with a friend in his poverty, so that you may also rejoice in his prosperity.
29
In the time of his tribulation, remain faithful to him, so that you may also be an heir with him in his inheritance.
30
Just as the steam from an oven, or the smoke from a fire, rises up before a flame, so also do curses and insults and threats rise up before bloodshed.
31
I shall not be ashamed to greet a friend, nor shall I hide myself from his face. And if misfortunes befall me because of him, I will endure.
32
Anyone who hears of this will be wary around him.
33
Who will provide a keeper for my mouth, and a reliable seal over my lips, so that I may not fall because of them, and so that my tongue does not destroy me?

Footnotes

(a)22:3 The two halves of this verse are parallel; the term undisciplined is stated in the first part and implied in the second part.(Conte)
(b)22:7 There were no effective glues, and no water-proof glues, in the time in which this verse was written. So gluing a pot together was futile.(Conte)
(c)22:10 For the fool:In the language of the Holy Ghost, he is styled a fool, that turns away from God to follow vanity and sin. And what is said by the wise man against fools is meant of such fools as these.(Challoner)
(d)22:21 The word ‘pali’ refers to chaff, not to a pole or a fence; for some reason the Latin puts the word in the second declension (masculine), rather than in the first declension (feminine). The phrase ‘cæmenta sine impensa posita’ refers to a wall, which would usually be made of stones and mortar, but which is made ‘sine impensa posita’ without (sine) heavy or weighed things (impensa), i.e. stones, set within it (posita).(Conte)
(e)22:23 The foolish man does not think that his nervous heart will dread any situation; he reaches this incorrect conclusion because of his foolishness. But those who keep the precepts of God truly do not need to dread any situation.(Conte)

Wise sayings on divers subjects.

1
A slothful man is compared to a stone that is defiled. Everyone will at hiss at him in his disgrace.
2
A slothful man is compared to the filth of a dunghill. Anyone who picks it up will shake it out of his hand.
3
An undisciplined child is a disgrace to his father, and a foolish daughter is born to his loss.
4
A prudent daughter will inherit a husband of her own. She who brings shame is the grief of her father.
5
She who is arrogant brings shame on father and husband. She will be despised by both of them.
6
Ill-timed conversation is like music in mourning, but stripes and correction are wisdom in every season.
7
He who teaches a fool is like one who glues potsherds together, even like one who wakes a sleeper out of a deep sleep.
8
He who teaches a fool is as one who teaches a man who slumbers. In the end he will say, “What is it?”
9
(a)
10
(b)
11
Weep for the dead, for he lacks light. Weep for a fool, for he lacks understanding. Weep more sweetly for the dead, because he has found rest, but the life of the fool is worse than death.
12
Mourning for the dead lasts seven days, but for a fool and an ungodly man, it lasts all the days of his life.
13
Don’t talk much with a foolish man, and don’t go to one who has no understanding. Beware of him, lest you have trouble and be defiled in his onslaught. Turn away from him, and you will find rest, and you won’t be wearied in his madness.
14
What would be heavier than lead? What is its name, but “Fool”?
15
Sand, salt, and a mass of iron is easier to bear than a man without understanding.
16
Timber girded and bound into a building will not be released with shaking. So a heart established in due season on well advised counsel will not be afraid.
17
A heart settled upon a thoughtful understanding is as an ornament of plaster on a polished wall.
18
Fences set on a high place will not stand against the wind; so a fearful heart in the imagination of a fool will not stand against any fear.
19
He who pricks the eye will make tears fall. He who pricks the heart makes it show feeling.
20
Whoever casts a stone at birds scares them away. He who insults a friend will dissolve friendship.
21
If you have drawn a sword against a friend, don’t despair, for there may be a way back.
22
If you have opened your mouth against a friend, don’t be afraid, for there may be reconciliation, unless it is for insulting, arrogance, disclosing of a secret, or a treacherous blow— for these things any friend will flee.
23
Gain trust with your neighbor in his poverty, that in his prosperity you may have gladness. Stay steadfast to him in the time of his affliction, that you may be heir with him in his inheritance.(c)
24
Before fire is the vapor and smoke of a furnace, so insults precede bloodshed.
25
I won’t be ashamed to shelter a friend. I won’t hide myself from his face.
26
If any evil happens to me because of him, everyone who hears it will beware of him.
27
Who will set a watch over my mouth, and a seal of shrewdness upon my lips, that I may not fall from it, and that my tongue may not destroy me?

Footnotes

(a)22:9 Verses 9 and 10 are omitted by the best authorities.
(b)22:9 Verses 9 and 10 are omitted by the best authorities.
(c)22:23 The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.
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