top Wisdom of Sirach ch 4

Chapter 4

1 Τέκνον, τὴν ζωὴν τοῦ πτωχοῦ μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς καὶ μὴ παρελκύσῃς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπιδεεῖς. 1 My son, defraud not the poor of his living, and make not the needy eyes to wait long.
2 ψυχὴν πεινῶσαν μὴ λυπήσῃς καὶ μὴ παροργίσῃς ἄνδρα ἐν ἀπορίᾳ αὐτοῦ. 2 Make not an hungry soul sorrowful; neither provoke a man in his distress.
3 καρδίαν παρωργισμένην μὴ προσταράξῃς καὶ μὴ παρελκύσῃς δόσιν προσδεομένου. 3 Add not more trouble to an heart that is vexed; and defer not to give to him that is in need.
4 ἱκέτην θλιβόμενον μὴ ἀπαναίνου καὶ μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ πτωχοῦ. 4 Reject not the supplication of the afflicted; neither turn away thy face from a poor man.
5 ἀπὸ δεομένου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς ὀφθαλμὸν καὶ μὴ δῷς τόπον ἀνθρώπῳ καταράσασθαί σε· 5 Turn not away thine eye from the needy, and give him none occasion to curse thee:
6 καταρωμένου γάρ σὲ ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ τῆς δεήσεως αὐτοῦ ἐπακούσεται ὁ ποιήσας αὐτόν. 6 For if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him.
7 προσφιλῆ συναγωγῇ σεαυτὸν ποίει καὶ μεγιστᾶνι ταπείνου τὴν κεφαλήν σου. 7 Get thyself the love of the congregation, and bow thy head to a great man.
8 κλῖνον πτωχῷ τὸ οὖς σου καὶ ἀποκρίθητι αὐτῷ εἰρηνικὰ ἐν πραΰτητι. 8 Let it not grieve thee to bow down thine ear to the poor, and give him a friendly answer with meekness.
9 ἐξελοῦ ἀδικούμενον ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδικοῦντος καὶ μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνειν σε. 9 Deliver him that suffereth wrong from the hand of the oppressor; and be not fainthearted when thou sittest in judgment.
10 γίνου ὀρφανοῖς ὡς πατὴρ καὶ ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν· καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς υἱὸς ὑψίστου, καὶ ἀγαπήσει σὲ μᾶλλον ἢ μήτηρ σου. 10 Be as a father unto the fatherless, and instead of an husband unto their mother: so shalt thou be as the son of the most High, and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth.
11 ἡ σοφία υἱοὺς αὐτῆς ἀνύψωσεν καὶ ἐπιλαμβάνεται τῶν ζητούντων αὐτήν. 11 Wisdom exalteth her children, and layeth hold of them that seek her.
12 ὁ ἀγαπῶν αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ζωήν, καὶ οἱ ὀρθρίζοντες πρὸς αὐτὴν ἐμπλησθήσονται εὐφροσύνης. 12 He that loveth her loveth life; and they that seek to her early shall be filled with joy.
13 ὁ κρατῶν αὐτῆς κληρονομήσει δόξαν, καὶ οὗ εἰσπορεύεται, εὐλογεῖ κύριος. 13 He that holdeth her fast shall inherit glory; and wheresoever she entereth, the Lord will bless.
14 οἱ λατρεύοντες αὐτῇ λειτουργήσουσιν ἁγίῳ, καὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ὁ κύριος. 14 They that serve her shall minister to the Holy One: and them that love her the Lord doth love.
15 ὁ ὑπακούων αὐτῆς κρινεῖ ἔθνη, καὶ ὁ προσέχων αὐτῇ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθώς. 15 Whoso giveth ear unto her shall judge the nations: and he that attendeth unto her shall dwell securely.
16 ἐὰν ἐμπιστεύσῃ, κατακληρονομήσει αὐτήν, καὶ ἐν κατασχέσει ἔσονται αἱ γενεαὶ αὐτοῦ· 16 If a man commit himself unto her, he shall inherit her; and his generation shall hold her in possession.
17 ὅτι διεστραμμένως πορεύσεται μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν πρώτοις, φόβον καὶ δειλίαν ἐπάξει ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν καὶ βασανίσει αὐτὸν ἐν παιδείᾳ αὐτῆς, ἕως οὗ ἐμπιστεύσῃ τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πειράσει αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασιν αὐτῆς· 17 For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline, until she may trust his soul, and try him by her laws.
18 καὶ πάλιν ἐπανήξει κατ᾿ εὐθεῖαν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εὐφρανεῖ αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποκαλύψει αὐτῷ τὰ κρυπτὰ αὐτῆς. 18 Then will she return the straight way unto him, and comfort him, and shew him her secrets.
19 ἐὰν ἀποπλανηθῇ, ἐγκαταλείψει αὐτὸν καὶ παραδώσει αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας πτώσεως αὐτοῦ. 19 But if he go wrong, she will forsake him, and give him over to his own ruin.
20 συντήρησον καιρὸν καὶ φύλαξαι ἀπὸ πονηροῦ καὶ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς σου μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς· 20 Observe the opportunity, and beware of evil; and be not ashamed when it concerneth thy soul.
21 ἔστιν γὰρ αἰσχύνη ἐπάγουσα ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη δόξα καὶ χάρις. 21 For there is a shame that bringeth sin; and there is a shame which is glory and grace.
22 μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ μὴ ἐντραπῇς εἰς πτῶσίν σου. 22 Accept no person against thy soul, and let not the reverence of any man cause thee to fall.
23 μὴ κωλύσῃς λόγον ἐν καιρῷ χρείας· 23 And refrain not to speak, when there is occasion to do good, and hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.
24 ἐν γὰρ λόγῳ γνωσθήσεται σοφία καὶ παιδεία ἐν ῥήματι γλώσσης. 24 For by speech wisdom shall be known: and learning by the word of the tongue.
25 μὴ ἀντίλεγε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀπαιδευσίας σου ἐντράπηθι. 25 In no wise speak against the truth; but be abashed of the error of thine ignorance.
26 μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς ὁμολογῆσαι ἐφ᾿ ἁμαρτίαις σου καὶ μὴ βιάζου ῥοῦν ποταμοῦ. 26 Be not ashamed to confess thy sins; and force not the course of the river.
27 καὶ μὴ ὑποστρώσῃς ἀνθρώπῳ μωρῷ σεαυτὸν καὶ μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον δυνάστου. 27 Make not thyself an underling to a foolish man; neither accept the person of the mighty.
28 ἕως θανάτου ἀγώνισαι, περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ κύριος ὁ θεὸς πολεμήσει ὑπὲρ σοῦ. 28 Strive for the truth unto death, and the Lord shall fight for thee.
29 μὴ γίνου θρασὺς ἐν γλώσσῃ σου καὶ νωθρὸς καὶ παρειμένος ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις σου. 29 Be not hasty in thy tongue, and in thy deeds slack and remiss.
30 μὴ ἴσθι ὡς λέων ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου καὶ φαντασιοκοπῶν ἐν τοῖς οἰκέταις σου. 30 Be not as a lion in thy house, nor frantic among thy servants.
31 μὴ ἔστω ἡ χείρ σου ἐκτεταμένη εἰς τὸ λαβεῖν καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀποδιδόναι συνεσταλμένη. 31 Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldest repay.