Sirach 19

1 Ἐργάτης μέθυσος οὐ πλουτισθήσεται, ὁ ἐξουθενῶν τὰ ὀλίγα κατὰ μικρὸν πεσεῖται.

2 Οἶνος καὶ γυναῖκες ἀποστήσουσι συνετοὺς, καὶ ὁ κολλώμενος πόρναις τολμηρότερος ἔσται.

3 Σήτες καὶ σκώληκες κληρονομήσουσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ψυχὴ τολμηρὰ ἐξαρθήσεται.

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

5 Ὁ εὐφραινόμενος καρδίᾳ καταγνωσθήσεται,

6 καὶ ὁ μισῶν λαλιὰν ἐλαττονοῦται κακίᾳ.

7 Μηδέποτε δευτερώσῃς λόγον, καὶ οὐθέν σοι οὐ μὴ ἐλαττονωθῇ.

8 Ἐν φίλῳ καὶ ἐν ἐχθρῷ μὴ διηγοῦ, καὶ εἰ μή ἐστί σοι ἁμαρτία, μὴ ἀποκάλυπτε.

9 Ἀκήκοε γάρ σου καὶ ἐφυλάξατό σε, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ μισήσει σε.

10 Ἀκήκοας λόγον; συναποθανέτω σοι, θάρσει, οὐ μή σε ῥήξει.

11 Ἀπὸ προσώπου λόγου ὠδινήσει μωρὸς, ὡς ἀπὸ προσώπου βρέφους ἡ τίκτουσα.

12 Βέλος πεπηγὸς ἐν μηρῷ σαρκὸς, οὕτως λόγος ἐν κοιλίᾳ μωροῦ.

13 Ἔλεγξον φίλον, μήποτε οὐκ ἐποίησε, καὶ εἴ τι ἐποίησε, μήποτε προσθῇ.

14 Ἔλεγξον τὸν φίλον, μήποτε οὐκ εἶπε, καὶ εἰ εἴρηκεν, ἵνα μὴ δευτερώσῃ.

15 Ἔλεγξον φίλον, πολλάκις γὰρ γίνεται διαβολὴ, καὶ μὴ παντὶ λόγῳ πίστευε.

16 Ἔστιν ὀλισθαίνων καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ ψυχῆς· καὶ τίς οὐχ ἡμάρτησεν ἐν τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτοῦ;

17 Ἔλεγξον τὸν πλησίον σου πρινη ἀπειλῆσαι, καὶ δὸς τόπον νόμῳ ὑψίστου.

20 Πᾶσα σοφία φόβος Κυρίου, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ ποίησις νόμου.

22 Καὶ οὐκ ἔστι σοφία πονηρίας ἐπιστήμη, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν, ὅπου βουλὴ ἁμαρτωλῶν, φρόνησις.

23 Ἔστι πονηρία καὶ αὕτη βδέλυγμα, καὶ ἔστιν ἄφρων ἐλαττούμενος σοφίᾳ.

24 Κρείττων ἡττώμενος ἐν συνέσει ἔμφοβος, ἢ περισσεύων ἐν φρονήσει καὶ παραβαίνων νόμον.

25 Ἔστι πανουργία ἀκριβὴς καὶ αὕτη ἄδικος, καὶ ἔστι διαστρέφων χάριν τοῦ ἐκφᾶναι κρίμα.

26 Ἔστι πονηρευόμενος συγκεκυφὼς μελανίᾳ, καὶ τὰ ἐντὸς αὐτοῦ πλήρης δόλου.

27 Συγκύφων πρόσωπον καὶ ἑτεροκωφῶν, ὅπου οὐκ ἐπεγνώσθη, προφθάσει σε.

28 Καὶ ἐὰν ὑπὸ ἐλαττώματος ἰσχύος κωλυθῇ ἁμαρτεῖν, ἐὰν εὕρῃ καιρὸν, κακοποιήσει.

29 Ἀπὸ ὁράσεως ἐπιγνωσθήσεται ἀνὴρ, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀπαντήσεως προσώπου ἐπιγνωσθήσεται νοήμων.

30 Στολισμὸς ἀνδρὸς καὶ γέλως ὀδόντων καὶ βήματα ἀνθρώπου ἀναγγέλλει τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ.

1 A labouring man that is given to drunkenness shall not be rich: and he that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little.

2 Wine and women will make men of understanding to fall away: and he that cleaveth to harlots will become impudent.

3 Moths and worms shall have him to heritage, and a bold man shall be taken away.

4 He that is hasty to give credit is light-minded; and he that sinneth shall offend against his own soul.

5 Whoso taketh pleasure in wickedness shall be condemned:

6 but he that hateth babbling hath less of evil.

7 Rehearse not unto another that which is told unto thee, and thou shalt fare never the worse.

8 Whether it be to friend or foe, talk not of other men's lives; and if thou canst not without offence, reveal them not.

9 For he heard and observed thee, and when time cometh he will hate thee.

10 If thou hast heard a word, let it die with thee; and be bold, it will not burst thee.

11 A fool travaileth with a word, as a woman in labour of a child.

12 As an arrow that sticketh in a man's thigh, so is a word within a fool's belly.

13 Admonish a friend, it may be he hath not done it: and if he have done it, that he do it no more.

14 Admonish thy friend, it may be he hath not said it: and if he have, that he speak it not again.

15 Admonish a friend: for many times it is a slander, and believe not every tale.

16 There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart; and who is he that hath not offended with his tongue?

17 Admonish thy neighbour before thou threaten him; and give place to the law of the most High.

20 The fear of the Lord is all wisdom; and in all wisdom is the performance of the law.

22 The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, neither at any time the counsel of sinners prudence.

23 There is a wickedness, and the same an abomination; and there is a fool wanting in wisdom.

24 He that hath small understanding, and feareth God, is better than one that hath much wisdom, and transgresseth the law of the most High.

25 There is an exquisite subtilty, and the same is unjust; and there is one that turneth aside to make judgment appear.

26 There is a wicked man that hangeth down his head sadly; but inwardly he is full of deceit,

27 casting down his countenance, and making as if he heard not: where he is not known, he will do thee a mischief before thou be aware.

28 And if for want of power he be hindered from sinning, yet when he findeth opportunity he will do evil.

29 A man may be known by his look, and one that hath understanding by his countenance, when thou meetest him.

30 A man's attire, and excessive laughter, and gait, shew what he is.