Sirach 18

1 Ὁ ζῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔκτισε τὰ πάντα κοινῇ.

2 Κύριος μόνος δικαιωθήσεται.

4 Οὐθενὶ ἐξεποίησεν ἐξαγγεῖλαι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· καὶ τίς ἐξιχνιάσει τὰ μεγαλεῖα αὐτοῦ;

5 Κράτος μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ τίς ἐξαριθμήσεται; καὶ τίς προσθήσει ἐκδιηγήσασθαι τὰ ἐλέη αὐτοῦ;

6 Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐλαττῶσαι οὐδὲ προσθεῖναι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξιχνιάσαι τὰ θαυμάσια τοῦ Κυρίου.

7 Ὅταν συντελέσῃ ἄνθρωπος τότε ἄρχεται, καὶ ὅταν παύσηται τότε ἀπορηθήσεται.

8 Τί ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τί ἡ χρῆσις αὐτοῦ; τί τὸ ἀγαθὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τί τὸ κακὸν αὐτοῦ;

9 Ἀριθμὸς ἡμερῶν ἀνθρώπου πολλὰ ἔτη ἑκατόν.

10 Ὡς σταγὼν ὕδατος ἀπὸ θαλάσσης καὶ ψῆφος ἄμμου, οὕτως ὀλίγα ἔτη ἐν ἡμέρᾳ αἰῶνος.

11 Διὰ τοῦτο ἐμακροθύμησε Κύριος ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐξέχεεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ.

12 Εἶδε καὶ ἐπέγνω τὴν καταστροφὴν αὐτῶν ὅτι πονηρὰ, διὰ τοῦτο ἐπλήθυνε τὸν ἐξιλασμὸν αὐτοῦ.

13 Ἔλεος ἄνθρώπου ἐπὶ τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, ἔλεος δὲ Κυρίου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, ἐλέγχων καὶ παιδεύων καὶ διδάσκων καὶ ἐπιστρέφων ὡς ποιμὴν τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ.

14 Τοὺς ἐκδεχομένους παιδείαν ἐλεεῖ, καὶ τοὺς κατασπεύδοντας ἐπὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ.

15 Τέκνον, ἐν ἀγαθοῖς μὴ δῷς μῶμον, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ δόσει λύπην λόγων.

16 Οὐχὶ καύσωνα ἀναπαύσει δρόσος; οὕτως κρείσσων λόγος ἢ δόσις.

17 Οὐκ ἰδοὺ λόγος ὑπὲρ δόμα ἀγαθόν; καὶ ἀμφότερα παρὰ ἀνδρὶ κεχαριτωμένῳ.

18 Μωρὸς ἀχαρίστως ὀνειδιεῖ, καὶ δόσις βασκάνου ἐκτήκει ὀφθαλμούς.

19 Πρινὴ λαλῆσαι μάνθανε, καὶ πρὸ ἀῤῥωστίας θεραπεύου.

20 Πρὸ κρίσεως ἐξέταζε σεαυτόν, καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς εὑρήσεις ἐξιλασμόν.

21 Πρὶν ἀῤῥωστῆσαί σε ταπεινώθητι, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἁμαρτημάτων δεῖξον ἐπιστροφήν.

22 Μὴ ἐμποδισθῇς τοῦ ἀποδοῦναι εὐχὴν εὐκαίρως, καὶ μὴ μείνῃς ἕως θανάτου δικαιωθῆναι.

23 Πρὶν εὔξασθαι ἑτοίμασον σεαυτὸν, και μὴ γίνου ὡς ἄνθρωπος πειράζων τὸν Κύριον.

24 Μνήσθητι θυμοῦ ἐν ἡμέραις τελευτῆς, καὶ καιρὸν ἐκδικήσεως ἐν ἀποστροφῇ προσώπου.

25 Μνήσθητι καιρὸν λιμοῦ ἐν καιρῷ πλησμονῆς, πτωχείαν καὶ ἔνδειαν ἐν ἡμέραις πλούτου.

26 Ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας μεταβάλλει καιρὸς, καὶ πάντα ἐστὶ ταχινὰ ἔναντι Κυρίου.

27 Ἄνθρωπος σοφὸς ἐν παντὶ εὐλαβηθήσεται, καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις ἁμαρτιῶν προσέξει ἀπὸ πλημμελείας·

28 πᾶς συνετὸς ἔγνω σοφίαν, καὶ τῷ εὑρόντι αὐτὴν δώσει ἐξομολόγησιν.

29 Συνετοὶ ἐν λόγοις καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐσοφίσαντο, καὶ ἀνώμβρησαν παροιμίας ἀκριβεῖς. ἘΓΚΡΑΤΕΙΑ ΨΥΧΗΣ.

30 Ὀπίσω τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν σου μὴ πορεύου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀρέξεών σου κωλύου.

31 Ἐὰν χορηγήσεῃς τῇ ψυχῇ σου εὐδοκίαν ἐπιθυμίας, ποιήσει σε ἐπίχαρμα τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου.

32 Μὴ εὐφραίνου ἐπὶ πολλῇ τρυφῇ, μηδὲ προσδεθῇς συμβολῇ αὐτῆς.

33 Μὴ γίνου πτωχὸς συμβολοκοπῶν ἐκ δανεισμοῦ, καὶ οὐδέν σοι ἐστὶν ἐν μαρσυπείῳ.

1 He that liveth for ever created all things in general.

2 The Lord only is righteous.

4 To none hath he given power to declare his works; and who shall find out his noble acts?

5 Who shall number the strength of his majesty? and who shall also tell out his mercies?

6 As for the wondrous works of the Lord, there may nothing be taken from them, neither may any thing be put unto them, neither can the ground of them be found out.

7 When a man hath done, then he beginneth; and when he leaveth off, then he shall be doubtful.

8 What is man, and whereto serveth he; what is his good, and what is his evil?

9 The number of a man's days at the most is an hundred years.

10 As a drop of water unto the sea, and a gravel-stone in comparison of the sand; so are a thousand years to the days of eternity.

11 Therefore is God patient with them, and poureth forth his mercy upon them.

12 He saw and perceived their end to be evil; therefore he multiplied his compassion.

13 The mercy of man is toward his neighbour; but the mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh: he reproveth, and nurtureth, and teacheth, and bringeth again, as a shepherd his flock.

14 He hath mercy on them that receive discipline, and that diligently seek after his judgments.

15 My son, blemish not thy good deeds, neither use uncomfortable words when thou givest any thing.

16 Shall not the dew assuage the heat? so is a word better than a gift.

17 Lo, is not a word better than a gift? but both are with a gracious man.

18 A fool will upbraid churlishly, and a gift of the envious consumeth the eyes.

19 Learn before thou speak, and use physic or ever thou be sick.

20 Before judgment examine thyself, and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy.

21 Humble thyself before thou be sick, and in the time of sins shew repentance.

22 Let nothing hinder thee to pay thy vow in due time, and defer not until death to be justified.

23 Before thou prayest, prepare thyself; and be not as one that tempteth the Lord.

24 Think upon the wrath that shall be at the end, and the time of vengeance, when he shall turn away his face.

25 When thou hast enough, remember the time of hunger: and when thou art rich, think upon poverty and need.

26 From the morning until the evening the time is changed, and all things are soon done before the Lord.

27 A wise man will fear in every thing, and in the day of sinning he will beware of offence: but a fool will not observe time.

28 Every man of understanding knoweth wisdom, and will give praise unto him that found her.

29 They that had understanding in sayings became also wise themselves, and poured forth exquisite parables.

30 Go not after thy lusts, but refrain thyself from thine appetites.

31 If thou givest thy soul the desires that please her, she will make thee a laughingstock to thine enemies that malign thee.

32 Take not pleasure in much good cheer, neither be tied to the expence thereof.

33 Be not made a beggar by banqueting upon borrowing, when thou hast nothing in thy purse.