top Wisdom of Sirach ch 7

Chapter 7

1 Μὴ ποίει κακά, καὶ οὐ μή σὲ καταλάβῃ κακόν· 1 Do no evil, so shall no harm come unto thee.
2 ἀπόστηθι ἀπὸ ἀδίκου, καὶ ἐκκλινεῖ ἀπὸ σοῦ. 2 Depart from the unjust, and iniquity shall turn away from thee.
3 υἱέ, μὴ σπεῖρε ἐπ᾿ αὔλακας ἀδικίας, καὶ οὐ μὴ θερίσῃς αὐτὰ ἑπταπλασίως. 3 My son, sow not upon the furrows of unrighteousness, and thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.
4 μὴ ζήτει παρὰ κυρίου ἡγεμονίαν μηδὲ παρὰ βασιλέως καθέδραν δόξης. 4 Seek not of the Lord preeminence, neither of the king the seat of honour.
5 μὴ δικαιοῦ ἔναντι κυρίου καὶ παρὰ βασιλεῖ μὴ σοφίζου. 5 justify not thyself before the Lord; and boast not of thy wisdom before the king.
6 μὴ ζήτει γενέσθαι κριτής, μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύσεις ἐξᾶραι ἀδικίας, μήποτε εὐλαβηθῇς ἀπὸ προσώπου δυνάστου καὶ θήσεις σκάνδαλον ἐν εὐθύτητί σου. 6 Seek not to be judge, being not able to take away iniquity; lest at any time thou fear the person of the mighty, an stumblingblock in the way of thy uprightness.
7 μὴ ἁμάρτανε εἰς πλῆθος πόλεως καὶ μὴ καταβάλῃς σεαυτὸν ἐν ὄχλῳ. 7 Offend not against the multitude of a city, and then thou shalt not cast thyself down among the people.
8 μὴ καταδεσμεύσῃς δὶς ἁμαρτίαν· ἐν γὰρ τῇ μιᾷ οὐκ ἀθῷος ἔσῃ. 8 Bind not one sin upon another; for in one thou shalt not be unpunished.
9 μὴ εἴπῃς τῷ πλήθει τῶν δώρων μου ἐπόψεται καὶ ἐν τῷ προσενέγκαι με θεῷ ὑψίστῳ προσδέξεται. 9 Say not, God will look upon the multitude of my oblations, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept it.
10 μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην ποιῆσαι μὴ παρίδῃς. 10 Be not fainthearted when thou makest thy prayer, and neglect not to give alms.
11 μὴ καταγέλα ἄνθρωπον ὄντα ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ· ἔστιν γὰρ ὁ ταπεινῶν καὶ ἀνυψῶν. 11 Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is one which humbleth and exalteth.
12 μὴ ἀροτρία ψεῦδος ἐπ᾿ ἀδελφῷ σου μηδὲ φίλῳ τὸ ὅμοιον ποίει. 12 Devise not a lie against thy brother; neither do the like to thy friend.
13 μὴ θέλε ψεύδεσθαι πᾶν ψεῦδος· ὁ γὰρ ἐνδελεχισμὸς αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰς ἀγαθόν. 13 Use not to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good.
14 μὴ ἀδολέσχει ἐν πλήθει πρεσβυτέρων καὶ μὴ δευτερώσῃς λόγον ἐν προσευχῇ σου. 14 Use not many words in a multitude of elders, and make not much babbling when thou prayest.
15 μὴ μισήσῃς ἐπίπονον ἐργασίαν καὶ γεωργίαν ὑπὸ ὑψίστου ἐκτισμένην. 15 Hate not laborious work, neither husbandry, which the most High hath ordained.
16 μὴ προσλογίζου σεαυτὸν ἐν πλήθει ἁμαρτωλῶν· μνήσθητι ὅτι ὀργὴ οὐ χρονιεῖ. 16 Number not thyself among the multitude of sinners, but remember that wrath will not tarry long.
17 ταπείνωσον σφόδρα τὴν ψυχήν σου, ὅτι ἐκδίκησις ἀσεβοῦς πῦρ καὶ σκώληξ. 17 Humble thyself greatly: for the vengeance of the ungodly is fire and worms.
18 μὴ ἀλλάξῃς φίλον ἕνεκεν διαφόρου μηδὲ ἀδελφὸν γνήσιον ἐν χρυσίῳ Σουφὶιρ. 18 Change not a friend for any good by no means; neither a faithful brother for the gold of Ophir.
19 μὴ ἀστόχει γυναικὸς σοφῆς καὶ ἀγαθῆς· ἡ γὰρ χάρις αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ τὸ χρυσίον. 19 Forego not a wise and good woman: for her grace is above gold.
20 μὴ κακώσῃς οἰκέτην ἐργαζόμενον ἐν ἀληθείᾳ μηδὲ μίσθιον διδόντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ· 20 Whereas thy servant worketh truly, entreat him not evil. nor the hireling that bestoweth himself wholly for thee.
21 οἰκέτην συνετὸν ἀγαπάτω σου ἡ ψυχή, μὴ στερήσῃς αὐτὸν ἐλευθερίας. 21 Let thy soul love a good servant, and defraud him not of liberty.
22 κτήνη σοί ἐστιν; ἐπισκέπτου αὐτά· καὶ εἰ ἔστιν σοὶ χρήσιμα, ἐμμενέτω σοι. 22 Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.
23 τέκνα σοί ἐστιν; παίδευσον αὐτὰ καὶ κάμψον ἐκ νεότητος τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῶν. 23 Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their youth.
24 θυγατέρες σοί εἰσιν; πρόσεχε τῷ σώματι αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἱλαρώσῃς πρὸς αὐτὰς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου. 24 Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thyself cheerful toward them.
25 ἔκδου θυγατέρα, καὶ ἔσῃ τετελεκὼς ἔργον μέγα, καὶ ἀνδρὶ συνετῷ δώρησαι αὐτήν. 25 Marry thy daughter, and so shalt thou have performed a weighty matter: but give her to a man of understanding.
26 γυνή σοί ἐστιν κατὰ ψυχήν; μὴ ἐκβάλῃς αὐτήν· καὶ μισουμένῃ μὴ ἐμπιστεύσῃς σεαυτόν. 26 Hast thou a wife after thy mind? forsake her not: but give not thyself over to a light woman.
27 ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ σου δόξασον δόξασον τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ μητρὸς ὠδῖνας μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ· 27 Honour thy father with thy whole heart, and forget not the sorrows of thy mother.
28 μνήσθητι ὅτι δι᾿ αὐτῶν ἐγεννήθης, καὶ τί ἀνταποδώσεις αὐτοῖς καθὼς αὐτοὶ σοί; 28 Remember that thou wast begotten of them; and how canst thou recompense them the things that they have done for thee?
29 ἐν ὅλῃ ψυχῇ σου εὐλαβοῦ τὸν κύριον καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ θαύμαζε. 29 Fear the Lord with all thy soul, and reverence his priests.
30 ἐν ὅλῃ δυνάμει ἀγάπησον τὸν ποιήσαντά σε καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς. 30 Love him that made thee with all thy strength, and forsake not his ministers.
31 φοβοῦ τὸν κύριον καὶ δόξασον ἱερέα καὶ δὸς τὴν μερίδα αὐτῷ, καθὼς ἐντέταλταί σοι, ἀπαρχὴν καὶ περὶ πλημμελείας καὶ δόσιν βραχιόνων καὶ θυσίαν ἁγιασμοῦ καὶ ἀπαρχὴν ἁγίων. 31 Fear the Lord, and honour the priest; and give him his portion, as it is commanded thee; the firstfruits, and the trespass offering, and the gift of the shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things.
32 καὶ πτωχῷ ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρά σου ἵνα τελειωθῇ ἡ εὐλογία σου. 32 And stretch thine hand unto the poor, that thy blessing may be perfected.
33 χάρις δόματος ἔναντι παντὸς ζῶντος, καὶ ἐπὶ νεκρῷ μὴ ἀποκωλύσῃς χάριν. 33 A gift hath grace in the sight of every man living; and for the dead detain it not.
34 μὴ ὑστέρει ἀπὸ κλαιόντων καὶ μετὰ πενθούντων πένθησον. 34 Fail not to be with them that weep, and mourn with them that mourn.
35 μὴ ὄκνει ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ἄρρωστον ἄνθρωπον· ἐκ γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων ἀγαπηθήσῃ. 35 Be not slow to visit the sick: for that shall make thee to be beloved.
36 ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις σου μιμνῄσκου τὰ ἔσχατά σου, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεις. 36 In all your words, remember your end, and you shall never go wrong.