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The Book of Jesus Sirach

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- Chapter 7 -

Religious and moral duties.

1
Do not choose to do evil, and evil will not take hold of you.
2
Withdraw from the iniquitous, and evil will withdraw from you.
3
Son, do not sow evil in the furrows of injustice, and you will not reap them sevenfold.
4
Do not seek a role of leadership from the Lord, and do not seek a seat of honor from the king.
5
You should not justify yourself before God, for he is the Knower of hearts. And by no means should you wish to seem wise before the king.
6
Do not seek to become a judge, unless you have sufficient strength to shatter iniquities. Otherwise, you might fear the face of the powerful, and so establish a scandal within your integrity.
7
You should not sin against the multitude of a city, nor should you cast yourself against the people.
8
And you should not bind two sins together. For even in one sin, you will not go unpunished.
9
Do not be cowardly in your soul.
10
You should not be unwilling to beg, nor to give alms.
11
You should not say: “God will look with favor on the multitude of my gifts, and when I make an offering to the most high God, he will accept my gift.”
12
You should not ridicule a man in bitterness of soul. For there is One who humbles and who exalts: the all-seeing God.
13
Do not love a lie against your brother, nor should you act the same toward your friend.
14
Do not be willing to devise a lie of any kind. For the practice of lying is not good.
15
Do not choose to be verbose among a multitude of elders, and you should not repeat the words of your prayers.(a)
16
You should not hate laborious works, nor the rustic life created by the Most High.
17
You should not consider yourself to be among the multitude of the undisciplined.
18
Remember wrath. For it will not be delayed.
19
Humble your spirit greatly. For the retribution against the flesh of the impious is with fire and worms.
20
Do not betray your friend for the sake of money, and you should not spurn your dearest brother for the sake of gold.
21
Do not choose to depart from a good and understanding wife, whom you have been allotted in the fear of the Lord. For the grace of her modesty is above gold.
22
You should not harm the servant whose works are honest, nor the hired hand who entrusts his life to you.
23
Let an understanding servant be loved by you like your own soul. You should not cheat him out of freedom, nor abandon him to destitution.
24
Are cattle yours? Tend to them. And if they are useful, let them remain with you.
25
Are sons yours? Instruct them, and bow them down from their childhood.
26
Are daughters yours? Watch over their bodies. And you should not display a light-hearted attitude toward them.(b)
27
Give your daughter in marriage, and give her to an understanding man, and you will be doing a great work.
28
If a wife in accord with your soul is yours, you should not reject her. But do not entrust yourself to her who is hateful.
29
With your whole heart, honor your father. And you should not forget the complaints of your mother.
30
Remember that you would not have been born except through them. And so, give back to them as they also have done for you.
31
With all your soul, fear the Lord, and consider his priests to be holy.
32
With all your strength, love him who made you, and you should not abandon his ministers.
33
Honor God from your whole soul, and confer honor on the priests, and continue to purify yourself with your strength.(c) (d)
34
Give them their portion, just as it has been commanded of you, from the first-fruits and from the purifications. And for your ignorant offenses, purify yourself with a smaller offering.
35
You should offer to the Lord the gift of your strength, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first-fruits of what is holy.
36
And reach out your hand to the poor, so that your atonement and your blessing may be perfected.
37
A gift has grace in the sight of all the living, but you should not prohibit grace for the dead.(e)
38
You should not fail to console those who are weeping, nor to walk with those who are mourning.
39
Do not let yourself be slow to visit the sick. For in this way, you will be confirmed in love.
40
In all your works, remember your very end, and so you will not sin, unto eternity.

Footnotes

(a)7:15 Repeat not, etc:Make not much babbling by repetition of words: but aim more at fervour of heart.(Challoner)
(b)7:26 The word ‘hilarem’ is not mere cheerfulness, but has more of a negative connotation, something akin to silly or fatuous, or the like.(Conte)
(c)7:33 Because of the prefix ‘pro’ in ‘propurga,’ the meaning is of continued purification.(Conte)
(d)7:33 Thy arms:That is, with all thy power: or else by arms (brachiis) are here signified the right shoulders of the victims, which by the law fell to the priests. See ver. 35.(Challoner)
(e)7:37 And restrain not grace from the dead:That is, withhold not from them the benefit of alms, prayers, and sacrifices. Such was the doctrine and practice of the church of God even in the time of the Old Testament. And the same has always been continued from the days of the apostles in the church of the New Testament.(Challoner)

Religious and moral duties.

1
Do no evil, so no evil will overtake you.
2
Depart from wrong, and it will turn away from you.
3
My son, don’t sow upon the furrows of unrighteousness, and you won’t reap them sevenfold.
4
Don’t seek preeminence from the Lord, nor the seat of honor from the king.
5
Don’t justify yourself in the presence of the Lord, and don’t display your wisdom before the king.
6
Don’t seek to be a judge, lest you not be able to take away iniquities, lest perhaps you fear the person of a mighty man, and lay a stumbling block in the way of your uprightness.
7
Don’t sin against the multitude of the city. Don’t disgrace yourself in the crowd.
8
Don’t commit a sin twice, for even in one you will not be unpunished.
9
Don’t say, “He will look upon the multitude of my gifts. When I make an offering to the Most High God, he will accept it.”
10
Don’t be faint-hearted in your prayer. Don’t neglect to give alms.
11
Don’t laugh a man to scorn when he is in the bitterness of his soul, for there is one who humbles and exalts.
12
Don’t devise(a) a lie against your brother, or do the same to a friend.
13
Refuse to utter a lie, for that habit results in no good.
14
Don’t babble in the assembly of elders. Don’t repeat your words in your prayer.
15
Don’t hate hard labor or farm work, which the Most High has created.
16
Don’t number yourself among the multitude of sinners. Remember that wrath will not wait.
17
Humble your soul greatly, for the punishment of the ungodly man is fire and the worm.
18
Don’t exchange a friend for something, neither a true brother for the gold of Ophir.
19
Don’t deprive yourself of a wise and good wife, for her grace is worth more than gold.
20
Don’t abuse a servant who works faithfully, or a hireling who gives you his life.
21
Let your soul love a wise servant. Don’t defraud him of liberty.
22
Do you have cattle? Look after them. If they are profitable to you, let them stay by you.
23
Do you have children? Correct them, and make them obedient from their youth.
24
Do you have daughters? Take care of their bodies, and don’t be overly indulgent toward them.
25
Give your daughter in marriage, and you will have accomplished a great matter. Give her to a man of understanding.
26
Do you have a wife who pleases you? Don’t cast her out. (b) But don’t trust yourself to one who is hateful.
27
Honor your father with your whole heart, and don’t forget the birth pangs of your mother.
28
Remember that you were born of them. What will you repay them for the things that they have done for you?
29
Fear the Lord with all your soul; and revere his priests.
30
With all your strength love him who made you. Don’t forsake his ministers.
31
Fear the Lord and honor the priest. Give him his portion, even as it is commanded you: the first fruits, the trespass offering, the gift of the shoulders, the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first fruits of holy things.
32
Also stretch out your hand to the poor man, that your blessing may be complete.
33
A gift has grace in the sight of every living man. Don’t withhold grace for a dead man.
34
Don’t avoid those who weep, and mourn with those who mourn.
35
Don’t be slow to visit a sick man, for by such things you will gain love.
36
In all your words, remember eternity, and you will never sin.

Footnotes

(a)7:12 Gr. Don’t plow
(b)7:26 Many authorities omit this line
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