Sirach 9–12: Why Are Dirt and Ashes Proud?": Rulers, Honor, and Whom to Help
Scripture: World English Bible
Don’t be jealous over the wife of your bosom,and don’t teach her an evil lesson against yourself.Don’t give your soul to a womanand let her trample down your strength.Don’t go to meet a woman who plays the prostitute,lest perhaps you fall into her snares.Don’t associate with a woman who is a singer,lest perhaps you be caught by her tricks.Don’t gaze at a virgin,lest perhaps you stumble and incur penalties for her.Don’t give your soul to prostitutes,that you not lose your inheritance.Don’t look around in the streets of the city.Don’t wander in its deserted places.Turn your eye away from a beautiful woman,and don’t gaze at another’s beauty.Many have been led astray by the beauty of a woman;and with this, passion is kindled like a fire.Don’t dine at all with a woman who has a husband,or revel with her at wine,lest perhaps your soul turn away to her,and with your spirit you slide into destruction.
Don’t forsake an old friend;for a new one is not comparable to him.A new friend is like new wine:if it becomes old, you will drink it with gladness.
Don’t envy the success of a sinner;for you don’t know what his end will be.Don’t delight in the delights of the ungodly.Remember they will not go unpunished to the grave.
Keep yourself far from the man who has power to kill,and you will not be troubled by the fear of death.If you come to him, commit no fault,lest he take away your life.Know surely that you go about in the midst of snares,and walk upon the battlements of a city.
As well as you can, aim to know your neighbors,and take counsel with the wise.Let your conversation be with men of understanding.Let all your discourse be in the law of the Most High.Let righteous people be companions at your table.Let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord.
A work is commended because of the skill of the artisan;so he who rules the people will be considered wise for his speech.A loudmouthed man is dangerous in his city.He who is reckless in his speech will be hated.
A wise judge will instruct his people.The government of a man of understanding will be well ordered.As is the judge of his people, so are his officials.As the city’s ruler is, so are all those who dwell in it.An undisciplined king will destroy his people.A city will be established through the understanding of the powerful.The government of the earth is in the Lord’s hand.In due time, he will raise up over it the right person at the right time.A man’s prosperity is in the Lord’s hand.He will lay his honor upon the person of the scribe.
Don’t be angry with your neighbor for every wrong.Do nothing by works of violence.Pride is hateful before the Lord and men.Arrogance is abhorrent in the judgment of both.Sovereignty is transferred from nation to nationbecause of injustice, violence, and greed for money.Why are dirt and ashes proud?Because in life, my body decays.A long disease mocks the physician.The king of today will die tomorrow.For when a man is dead,he will inherit maggots, vermin, and worms.It is the beginning of pride when a man departs from the Lord.His heart has departed from him who made him.For the beginning of pride is sin.He who keeps it will pour out abomination.For this cause the Lord brought upon them strange calamitiesand utterly overthrew them.The Lord cast down the thrones of rulersand set the lowly in their place.The Lord plucked up the roots of nationsand planted the lowly in their place.The Lord overthrew the lands of nationsand destroyed them to the foundations of the earth.He took some of them away and destroyed them,and made their memory to cease from the earth.Pride has not been created for men,nor wrathful anger for the offspring of women.
Whose offspring has honor?Human offspring who fear the Lord.Whose offspring has no honor?Human offspring who break the commandments.In the midst of kindred he who rules them has honor.Those who fear the Lord have honor in his eyes.The rich man, the honorable, and the poorall glory in the fear of the Lord.It is not right to dishonor a poor man who has understanding.It is not fitting to glorify a man who is a sinner.The prince, the judge, and the mighty man will be honored.There is not one of them greater than he who fears the Lord.Free men will minister to a wise servant.A man who has knowledge will not complain.
Don’t flaunt your wisdom in doing your work.Don’t boast in the time of your distress.Better is he who labors and abounds in all things,than he who boasts and lacks bread.My son, glorify your soul in humility,and ascribe to yourself honor according to your worthiness.Who will justify him who sins against his own soul?Who will honor him who dishonors his own life?
A poor man is honored for his knowledge.A rich man is honored for his riches.But he who is honored in poverty, how much more in riches?He who is dishonored in riches, how much more in poverty?
The wisdom of the lowly will lift up his head,and make him sit in the midst of great men.
Don’t commend a man for his good looks.Don’t abhor a man for his outward appearance.The bee is little among flying creatures,but what it produces is the best of confections.Don’t boast about the clothes you wear,and don’t exalt yourself in the day of honor;for the Lord’s works are wonderful,and his works are hidden among men.Many kings have sat down upon the ground,but one who was never thought of has worn a crown.Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced.Men of renown have been delivered into other men’s hands.
Don’t blame before you investigate.Understand first, and then rebuke.Don’t answer before you have heard.Don’t interrupt while someone else is speaking.Don’t argue about a matter that doesn’t concern you.Don’t sit with sinners when they judge.
My son, don’t be busy about many matters;for if you meddle much, you will not be unpunished.If you pursue, you will not overtake,and you will not escape by fleeing.There is one who toils, labors, and hurries,and is even more behind.There is one who is sluggish, and needs help,lacking in strength, and who abounds in poverty,but the Lord’s eyes looked upon him for good,and he raised him up from his low condition,and lifted up his headso that many marveled at him.
Good things and bad, life and death,poverty and riches, are from the Lord.The Lord’s gift remains with the godly.His good pleasure will prosper forever.One grows rich by his diligence and self-denial,and this is the portion of his reward:when he says, “I have found rest,and now I will eat of my goods!”he doesn’t know how much time will passuntil he leaves them to others and dies.Be steadfast in your covenant and be doing it,and grow old in your work.
Don’t marvel at the works of a sinner,but trust the Lord and stay in your labor;for it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lordto swiftly and suddenly make a poor man rich.The Lord’s blessing is in the reward of the godly.He makes his blessing flourish in an hour that comes swiftly.Don’t say, “What use is there of me?What further good things can be mine?”Don’t say, “I have enough.What harm could happen to me now?”In the day of good things, bad things are forgotten.In the day of bad things, a man will not remember things that are good.For it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lordto reward a man in the day of death according to his ways.The affliction of an hour causes delights to be forgotten.In the end, a man’s deeds are revealed.Call no man happy before his death.A man will be known in his children.
Don’t bring every man into your house,for many are the tricks of a deceitful man.Like a decoy partridge in a cage, so is the heart of a proud man.Like a spy, he looks for your weakness.For he lies in wait to turn things that are good into evil,and assigns blame in things that are praiseworthy.From a spark of fire, a heap of many coals is kindled,and a sinful man lies in wait to shed blood.Take heed of an evil-doer, for he plans wicked things,lest perhaps he ruin your reputation forever.Receive a stranger into your house, and he will distract you with argumentsand estrange you from your own family.
If you do good, know to whom you do it,and your good deeds will have thanks.Do good to a godly man, and you will find a reward—if not from him, then from the Most High.No good will come to him who continues to do evil,nor to him who gives no alms.Give to the godly man,and don’t help the sinner.Do good to one who is lowly.Don’t give to an ungodly man.Keep back his bread, and don’t give it to him,lest he subdue you with it;for you would receive twice as much evilfor all the good you would have done to him.For the Most High also hates sinners,and will repay vengeance to the ungodly.Give to the good man,and don’t help the sinner.
A man’s friend won’t be fully tried in prosperity.His enemy won’t be hidden in adversity.In a man’s prosperity, his enemies are grieved.In his adversity, even his friend leaves.Never trust your enemy,for his wickedness is like corrosion in copper.Though he humbles himself and walks bowed down,still be careful and beware of him.You will be to him as one who has wiped a mirror,to be sure it doesn’t completely tarnish.Don’t set him next to you,lest he overthrow you and stand in your place.Don’t let him sit on your right hand,lest he seek to take your seat,and at the last you acknowledge my words,and be pricked with my sayings.
Who will pity a charmer that is bitten by a snake,or any who come near wild beasts?Even so, who will pity him who goes to a sinner,and is associated with him in his sins?For a while he will stay with you,and if you falter, he will not stay.The enemy will speak sweetly with his lips,and in his heart plan to throw you into a pit.The enemy may weep with his eyes,but if he finds opportunity, he will want more blood.If adversity meets you, you will find him there before you.Pretending to help you, he will trip you.He will shake his head, clap his hands,whisper much, and change his countenance.