Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 1. Blessed is a man who does not slip and fall because of his mouth, And is not stung with pain caused by his sin. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 2. Blessed is he whose soul does not condemn him, And who has not fallen away from his hope. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 3. Wealth is not fitting for a small-minded man, And to what end is wealth for an envious man? Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 4. For he who gathers for himself, gathers for others, And others will live in luxury with his goods. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 5. If a man does evil to himself, for whom shall he do good? And he will not rejoice in his wealth.
Warnings of Vices
Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 6. When a man envies himself, there is no one worse off, And this is the reward for his vice. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 7. Even if he does good, he does it unintentionally, And in the end he reveals his vice. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 8. He who envies with his eye is evil; He turns away his face and despises souls. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 9. The eye of a greedy man is not satisfied with his share, And useless wrongdoing dries up the soul. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 10. The evil eye of a man is envious over his bread; Thus it is lacking at his table. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 11. My son, whatever you have, treat yourself well, And offer sacrifices worthily to the Lord. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 12. Remember that death does not delay, And the covenant of Hades has not been shown to you. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 13. Before you die, do good to a friend, And reach out and give to him based on your ability. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 14. Do not let a day go by without doing something good, And do not let any of your desire for doing good escape you. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 15. Will you not leave all your hard work to another, And all your hard work to be divided by lot? Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 16. Give and receive and deprive yourself, Because in Hades there is nowhere to seek luxury. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 17. All flesh becomes old like a garment, For the covenant from of old is, “You shall die by death.” Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 18. Like flourishing leaves on a thick tree, Which sheds some leaves and puts forth others, So also is the generation of flesh and blood: One dies and another is born. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 19. Every work of man decays and fails, And he who made it will depart with it.
The Blessings of Wisdom
Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 20. Blessed is the man who practices wisdom And discourses with insight. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 21. Whoever ponders the ways of wisdom in his heart Will also reflect on her secrets. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 22. Pursue wisdom like a tracker And lie in wait on her paths. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 23. He who looks intently through her windows Will also listen at her doors. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 24. He who lodges near her house Will also fasten his tent peg to her walls. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 25. He will establish his home according to her will, And so lodge in a good dwelling place. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 26. He will put his children in her shelter And lodge under her branches. Wisdom of Sirach 14, verse 27. He will be sheltered by her from the burning heat And will dwell in her glory.