Sirach 30

1 Ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐνδελεχήσει μάστιγας αὐτῷ, ἵνα εὐφρανθῇ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτῳ αὐτοῦ.

2 Ὁ παιδεύων τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ὀνήσεται ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀναμέσον γνωρίμων ἐπʼ αὐτῷ καυχήσεται.

3 Ὁ διδάσκων τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ παραζηλώσει τὸν ἐχθρὸν, καὶ ἔναντι φίλων ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἀγαλλιάσεται.

4 Ἐτελεύτησεν αὐτοῦ ὁ πατὴρ, καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἀπέθανεν, ὅμοιον γὰρ αὐτῷ κατέλιπε μετʼ αὐτόν.

5 Ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ εἶδε καὶ εὐφράνθη, καὶ ἐν τῇ τελευτῇ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐλυπήθη.

6 Ἐναντίον ἐχθρῶν κατέλιπεν ἔκδικον, καὶ τοῖς φίλοις ἀνταποδιδόντα χάριν.

7 Περιψύχων υἱὸν καταδεσμεύσει τραύματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ πάσῃ βοῇ ταραχθήσεται σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ.

8 Ἵππος ἀδάμαστος ἀποβαίνει σκληρὸς, καὶ υἱὸς ἀνειμένος ἐκβαίνει προαλής.

9 Τιθήνησον τέκνον καὶ ἐκθαμβήσει σε, σύμπαιζον αὐτῷ καὶ λυπήσει σε.

10 Μὴ συγγελάσῃς αὐτῷ ἵνα μὴ συνοδυνηθῇς, καὶ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτῳ γομφιάσεις τοὺς ὀδόντας σου.

11 Μὴ δῷς αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν ἐν νεότητι.

12 Θλάσον τὰς πλευρὰς αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἔστι νήπιος, μήποτε σκληρυνθεὶς ἀπειθήσῃ σοι.

13 Παίδευσον τὸν υἱόν σου, καὶ ἔργασαι ἐναὐτῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἐν τῇ ἀσχημοσύνῃ σου προσκόψῃ.

13a Καὶ μὴ παρίδῃς τὰς ἀγνοίας αὐτοῦ.

13b Κάμψον τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ ἐν νεότητι. ΠΕΡΙ ʼΥΓΙΕΙΑΣ.

14 Κρείσσων πτωχὸς ὑγιὴς καὶ ἰσχύων τῇ ἕξει, ἢ πλούσιος μεμαστιγωμένος εἰς σῶμα αὐτοῦ.

15 Ὑγιεία καὶ εὐεξία βέλτιον παντὸς χρυσίου, καὶ σῶμα εὔρωστον ἢ ὄλβος ἀμέτρητος.

16 Οὐκ ἔστι πλοῦτος βελτίων ὑγιείας σώματος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν εὐφροσύνη ὑπὲρ χαρὰν καρδίας.

17 Κρείσσων θάνατος ὑπὲρ ζωὴν πικρὰν, ἢ ἀῤῥώστημα ἔμμονον.

18 Ἀγαθὰ ἐκκεχυμένα ἐπὶ στόματι κεκλεισμένῳ, θέματα βρωμάτων παρακείμενα ἐπὶ τάφῳ.

19 Τί συμφέρει κάρπωσις εἰδώλῳ; οὔτε γὰρ ἔδεται οὔτε μὴ ὀσφρανθῇ· οὕτως ὁ ἐκδιωκόμενος ὑπὸ Κυρίου.

20 Βλέπων ἐν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ στενάζων, ὥσπερ εὐνοῦχος περιλαμβάνων παρθένον καὶ στενάζων.

21 Μὴ δῷς εἰς λύπην τὴν ψυχήν σου, καὶ μὴ θλίψῃς σεαυτὸν ἐν βουλῇ σου.

22 Εὐφροσύνη καρδίας ζωὴ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα ἀνδρὸς μακροημέρευσις.

23 Ἀγάπα τὴν ψυχήν σου, καὶ παρακάλει τὴν καρδίαν σου, καὶ λύπην μακρὰν ἀπόστησον ἀπὸ σοῦ· πολλοὺς γὰρ ἀπέκτεινεν ἡ λύπη, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὠφέλεια ἐν αὐτῇ.

24 Ζῆλος καὶ θυμὸς ἐλαττοῦσιν ἡμέρας, καὶ πρὸ καιροῦ γῆρας ἄγει μέριμνα.

25 Ὡς καλαμώμενος ὀπίσω τρυγητῶν, ἐν εὐλογίᾳ Κυρίου ἔφθασα,

26 καὶ ὡς τρυγῶν ἐπλήρωσα ληνόν. Κατανοήσατε ὅτι οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνῳ ἐκοπίασα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ζητοῦσι παιδείαν.

27 Ακούσατέ μου μεγιστᾶνες λαοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἡγούμενοι ἐκκλησίας ἐνωτίσασθε.

28 Ὑιῷ καὶ γυναικὶ, ἀδελφῷ καὶ φίλῳ μὴ δῷς ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ σὲ ἐν ζωῇ σου, καὶ μὴ δῷς ἑτέρῳ τὰ χρήματά σου, ἵνα μὴ μεταμεληθεὶς δέῃ περὶ αὐτῶν.

29 Ἕως ἔτι ζῇς καὶ πνοὴ ἐν σοὶ, μὴ ἀλλάξῃς σεαυτὸν πάσῃ σαρκί·

30 κρεῖσσον γάρ ἐστι τὰ τέκνα δεηθῆναί σου, ἢ σὲ ἐμβλέπειν εἰς χεῖρας υἱῶν σου.

31 Ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις σου γίνου ὑπεράγων· μὴ δῷς μῶμον ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου.

32 Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ συντελείας ἡμερῶν ζωῆς σου καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τελευτῆς διάδος κληρονομίαν. ΠΕΡΙ ΔΟΥΛΩΝ.

33 Χορτάσματα καί ῥάβδος καὶ φορτία ὄνῳ, ἄρτος καὶ παιδεία καὶ ἔργον οἱκέτῃ.

34 Ἔργασαι ἐν παιδὶ καὶ εὑρήσεις ἀνάπαυσιν, ἄνες χεῖρας αὐτῷ καὶ ζητήσει ἐλευθερίαν.

35 Ζυγὸς καὶ ἱμὰς κάμψουσι τράχηλον, καὶ οἰκέτῃ κακούργῳ στρέβλαι καὶ βάσανοι.

36 Ἔμβαλε αὐτὸν εἰς ἐργασίαν, ἵνα μὴ ἀργῇ, πολλὴν γὰρ κακίαν ἐδίδαξεν ἡ ἀργία.

37 Εἰς ἔργα κατάστησον καθὼς πρέπει αὐτῷ, κᾂν μὴ πειθαρχῇ, βάρυνον τὰς πέδας αὐτοῦ.

38 Καὶ μὴ περισσεύσῃς ἐν πάσῃ σαρκὶ, καὶ ἄνευ κρίσεως μὴ ποιήσῃς μηδέν.

39 Εἰ ἔστι σοι οἰκέτης, ἔστω ὡς σὺ, ὅτι ἐν αἵματι ἐκτήσω αὐτόν.

40 Εἰ ἔστι σοι οἰκέτῃς, ἄγε αὐτὸν ὡς σεαυτὸν, ὅτι ὡς ἡ ψυχή σου ἐπιδεήσεις αὐτοῦ· ἐὰν κακώσῃς αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀπάρας ἀποδρᾷ, ἐν ποίᾳ ὁδῷ ζητήσεις αὐτόν;

1 He that loveth his son causeth him oft to feel the rod, that he may have joy of him in the end.

2 He that chastiseth his son shall have joy in him, and shall rejoice of him among his acquaintance.

3 He that teacheth his son grieveth the enemy: and before his friends he shall rejoice of him.

4 Though his father die, yet he is as though he were not dead: for he hath left one behind him that is like himself.

5 While he lived, he saw and rejoiced in him: and when he died, he was not sorrowful.

6 He left behind him an avenger against his enemies, and one that shall requite kindness to his friends.

7 He that maketh too much of his son shall bind up his wounds; and his bowels will be troubled at every cry.

8 An horse not broken becometh headstrong: and a child left to himself will be wilful.

9 Cocker thy child, and he shall make thee afraid: play with him, and he will bring thee to heaviness.

10 Laugh not with him, lest thou have sorrow with him, and lest thou gnash thy teeth in the end.

11 Give him not liberty in youth.

12 Beat his sides while he is still young, lest becoming stubborn, he disobey thee.

13 Train up thy son, and exercise him with work, lest by thy looseness thou stumble.

13a And overlook not his ignorance.

13b Bow down his neck in his youth.

14 Better is the poor, being sound and strong of constitution, than a rich man that is afflicted in his body.

15 Health and good estate of body are above all gold, and a strong body above infinite wealth.

16 There is no riches above a sound body, and no joy above the joy of the heart.

17 Death is better than a bitter life or continual sickness.

18 Delicacies poured upon a mouth shut up are as messes of meat set upon a grave.

19 What good doeth the offering unto an idol? for neither can it eat nor smell: so is he that is persecuted of the Lord.

20 He seeth with his eyes and groaneth, as an eunuch that embraceth a virgin and sigheth.

21 Give not over thy mind to heaviness, and afflict not thyself in thine own counsel.

22 The gladness of the heart is the life of man, and the joyfulness of a man prolongeth his days.

23 Love thine own soul, and comfort thy heart, remove sorrow far from thee: for sorrow hath killed many, and there is no profit therein.

24 Envy and wrath shorten the life, and carefulness bringeth age before the time.

25 I awaked up last of all, as one that gathereth after the grape-gatherers: by the blessing of the Lord I profited,

26 and filled my winepress like a gatherer of grapes. Consider that I laboured not for myself only, but for all them that seek learning.

27 Hear me, O ye great men of the people, and hearken with your ears, ye rulers of the congregation.

28 Give not thy son and wife, thy brother and friend, power over thee while thou livest, and give not thy goods to another, lest it repent thee, and thou intreat for the same again.

29 As long as thou livest and hast breath in thee, give not thyself over to any.

30 For better it is that thy children should seek to thee, than that thou shouldest stand to their courtesy.

31 In all thy works keep to thyself the preeminence; leave not a stain in thine honour.

32 At the time when thou shalt end thy days, and finish thy life, distribute thine inheritance.

33 Fodder, a stick, and burdens, are for the ass; and bread, correction, and work, for a servant.

34 If thou set thy servant to labour, thou shalt find rest: but if thou let him go idle, he will seek liberty.

35 A yoke and a collar do bow the neck: so are tortures and torments for an evil servant.

36 Send him to labour, that he be not idle; for idleness teacheth much evil.

37 Set him to work, as is fit for him: if he be not obedient, put on more heavy fetters.

38 But be not excessive toward any; and without discretion do nothing.

39 If thou have a servant, let him be unto thee as thyself, because thou hast bought him with a price.

40 If thou have a servant, entreat him as a brother: for thou hast need of him, as of thine own soul: if thou entreat him evil, and he run from thee, which way wilt thou go to seek him?