A Prayer for Wisdom
Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 1. O Lord, Father and Master of my life, Do not leave me to their counsel, Nor let me fall because of them. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 2. Who will set whips over mythoughts And the discipline of wisdom over my heart, So they may not spare me in my errors, nor neglect me in my sins? Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 3. Lest my mistakes be multiplied And my sins abound. Then I would not fall before my adversaries, And my enemy would not rejoice over me. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 4. O Lord, Father and the God of my life, do not give me haughty eyes, Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 5. But turn me away from evil desire. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 6. Do not let gluttony or lust overcome me, Nor give me up to a shameless soul.
Warning to Children
Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 7. My children, hear the teaching of my mouth, For he who keeps it will not be conquered. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 8. A sinner will be overtaken by his lips, And a slanderer and arrogant man will be made to stumble by them. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 9. Do not accustom your mouth to vows, Nor make a habit of using the name of the Holy One. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 10. For as a servant who is continually beaten will not lack bruises, So also he who makes a vow and continually names the Holy One Will never be cleansed from sin. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 11. A man who swears many oaths will be filled with lawlessness, And that plague will not depart from his house. If he offends, his sin will be on him, And if he overlooks it, he has sinned doubly. If he swears in vain, he will not be declared righteous, For his house will be filled with trouble. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 12. There is a way of speaking comparable to death. May it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob; For all these things will be far from the godly, And they will not be involved in sins. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 13. Do not accustom your mouth to lewd expressions, For this is sinful speech. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 14. Remember your father and mother When you sit in council with great men, Lest you forget yourself in their presence And by habit act foolishly. Then you will wish you had never been born, And you will curse the day of your birth. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 15. A man accustomed to abusive words Will never discipline himself as long as he lives.
Men of Sin
Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 16. Two kinds of men multiply sins, And a third kind will bring down wrath: Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 17. A soul heated like a burning fire Will not be quenched until it is consumed; A man whose whole body is given to fornication Will not cease until the fire burns out. To a man who is a fornicator, all bread is sweet. He will not grow weary until he dies. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 18. The man who transgresses against his marriage bed Says to himself, “Whoseesme? Darkness encircles me. The walls of my house hide me, And no one sees me. Why should I be afraid? The Most High will not remember my sins.” Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 19. His fear is the eyes of men. Yet he does not know that the eyes of the Lord Are ten thousand times brighter than the sun And look upon all the ways of men, And observe even the secret places. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 20. Before all things were created, Everything was known to Him, And the end of all things is also known to Him. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 21. This adulterer will be punished in the city streets, And where he does not suspect it, he will be seized.
Women of Sin
Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 22. So also the woman who forsook her husband And brought in an heir by another man. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 23. For she first disobeyed the law of the Most High; And second, she transgressed against her husband; And third, in her fornication she committed adultery And bore children by a stranger. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 24. She will be brought before the assembly, And there shall be a visitation of her children. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 25. Her children will not take root, And her branches will not bear fruit. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 26. She will leave behind her memory as a curse, And her disgrace will not be blotted out. Wisdom of Sirach 23, verse 27. Those left behind will know There is nothing better than the fear of the Lord; And there is nothing sweeter Than to give heed to the Lord's commandments.