Ben Sira Reader

Be the name of the Lord blessed henceforth and for ever.

All wisdom is from the Lord, and is with him forever.

The sands of the seas, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity, who can count them?

The height of the sky, the breadth of the earth, and the depth of the abyss, who can estimate?

But exceeding the scope of these is wisdom, and truth is broader still.

To whom shall the root of wisdom be revealed (uncovered), and who knows her wiles (nakednesses).

He is uniquely awesome, God is executor of all of her treasuries.

He scrutinized her and examined her and counted her, and he gave her to his lovers.

Unto all flesh he gave her according to his desire, and he will give her to his lovers.

The fear of the Lord is glory and honor, and greatness and a crown of splendor.

The fear of the Lord gladdens the heart, and grants joy, and grace, and length of days.

Fear the Lord and do good by Him, and at the end of your days he will bless you.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and for the faithful it gestates in the belly.

From eternity it has been prepared for those who have integrity, and His grace is faithful to their offspring.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and it increases peace, life, and wellbeing.

All her treasuries will be filled to satisfaction, and her granaries with her satiation.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, she will intoxicate with her ample satiation.

She is a strong and reliable rod, praise and eternal glory unto those that follow her.

Her roots are eternal, and her branches are ever-reaching.

Happy is the person who meditates on her, and she benefits them more than any other treasury.

Happy is the person who draws close to her, and those in her presence enjoy themselves.

She will crown them with an eternal diadem, and eternal merit among holy ones.

They will rejoice in her and she in them, and she will never ever abandon them.

Angels of God will rejoice in her, and recount all the praises of the Lord.

And this recounting is entirely replete with her, happy is the one who attends and acts.

Hearken unto me fearers of God, listen and understand my words. The one who is steadfast in receiving her, has an eternal inheritance and great joy.

Attend to and act upon all my words, that you may be written in the book of life.

Love the fear of the Lord, that your heart may be happy and do not fear.

Draw near and do not distance yourself, that your soul may live. And in your drawing near, be like a hero and a warrior.

My child, do not fail in fearing the Lord, and do not approach God with attention divided (lit. a heart and a heart).

Give no weight to human regard, and be most careful with your speech.

Do not alter God's word and have no fear, lest you bring a curse on your soul.

For the Lord reveal your secrets, and bring your downfall in the midst of the community.

For you exalted yourself with feigned piety, but within your heart is full of shame.

My child, if you will draw near to the work of the Lord, prepare your soul for all manner of trials.

Prepare your heart and be strengthened, and do not panic on the day of destruction.

Cleave unto God and do not turn away, that you may have a great future.

Receive all who come to you, and be of open spirit with your provisions.

For gold is tested in fire, and humanity is matured by poverty.

Have faith in God and God will strengthen you, firm your path and have hope in God.

Let those who fear the Lord anticipate God's grace, and not incline lest you fall.

Let those who fear the Lord trust in God, and God will not tarry in your reward.

Let those who fear the Lord (wait for) goodness, and for eternal joy and grace.

Look to the earlier generations, was there any that trusted in the Lord and was disgraced? (10) Or any who relied on God and was abandoned, or any who called on God and was not answered?

For compassionate and merciful is the Lord, forgiving transgressions and granting deliverance in an hour of need.

Woe to the weak-willed and those quick to give up, and to the wicked one with twisted ways.

Woe to the untrusting heart, it will surely not rise up.

Woe to you who lost hope, what will you do at the reckoning of the Lord?!

Those who fear the Lord will not change [boast] in his ways, and those who love him will preserve his paths.

Those who fear the Lord will seek his will, and those who love him will learn his law.

Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and before him humble their spirit.

We will fall by the hands of the Lord and not by the hands of humanity; for as he is great, so is his kindness.

Listen to a father’s commands, and act accordingly so that you may live.

For the Lord has glorified father over children, and he has upheld a mother’s judgment over her children.

He who honors father will atone his sins; like one who hides a treasure is he who honors his mother.

He who honors father will be happy in his sons, and his prayers will be heard & answered.

My son, in word and in deed honour thy father; That all blessings may overtake thee.

The blessing of a father settleth the root; But the curse of a mother plucketh up the plant.

Take not honour to thyself by the shame of thy father; For it is no honour unto thee.

The honour of his father is a man's honour; And he that curseth his mother doth greatly sin.

My son, be stedfast in honouring thy father; And forsake him not all the days of thy life.

Yea, and though his mind fail, bear with (or help) him; And dishonour him not all the days of his life (H).

Benefaction to a father shall not be blotted out; But it shall be planted instead of sin.

In the day of affliction it shall be remembered unto thee, As heat upon hoar frost, to do away thine iniquities.

For he that despiseth his father doeth presumptuously; And he that curseth his mother angereth his Creator.

My son, in thy wealth walk in meekness (H S); And thou shalt be more beloved than he that giveth gifts.

Minish thy soul from all the great things of the world; And before God thou shalt find mercy.

For great is the mercy of God; And he revealeth his secret to the meek.

Search not the things that are too wonderful for thee; And seek not that which is hid from thee.

What thou art permitted, think thereupon; But thou hast no business with the secret things.

And intrude not into that which is beyond thee; For thou hast been shewed that which is too great for thee.

For many are the conceits of the sons of men; And the imaginations of thoughts (H) that make them to err.

A hard heart shall fare ill at the last; But he that loveth good things will guide himself therein.

Many are the sorrows of a hard heart; And he that is confident addeth iniquity to iniquity.

Without the apple of the eye light faileth; And without knowledge wisdom faileth.

Haste not to heal the stroke of the scorner; For there is no healing it: for he is a plant of evil planting.

A wise heart will understand parables of the wise; And the ear that hearkeneth to wisdom shall rejoice.

Waters quench flaming fire; So righteousness maketh atonement for sin.

Whoso doeth good, it shall meet him in his ways (?); And in the time that he tottereth he shall find a stay.

My son, mock not at the life of the poor (or of affliction); And make not the soul of him that is poor and bitter of soul (H) to pine.

Vex not the spirit (?) of the soul that lacketh; And hide not thyself from one that is crushed (?) in soul.

Trouble not the bowels of him that is humbled; And pain not the inward part of the poor.

Withhold not a gift from thy needy; And thou shalt not despise the supplications of the miserable; And thou shalt not give him place to curse thee.

He that is bitter of spirit crieth in the anguish of his soul; And his Rock (H) shall hear the voice of his cry.

Make thyself (?) beloved of the congregation; And to a potentate moreover bow the head.

Incline thine ear to the poor; And answer him Peace with meekness.

Save the oppressed from his oppressors; And let not thy spirit loathe right judgement.

Be as a father to orphans; And instead of a husband to widows.

And God shall call thee Son; And shall be gracious to thee, and deliver thee from the pit.

Wisdom teacheth (H) her sons; And testifieth (H) to all that attend to her.

They that love her love life; And they that seek her shall obtain favour from the Lord.

And they that retain her shall find honour from the Lord; And shall have grace shewed them by the blessing of the Lord.

Ministers of holiness are her ministers; And God loveth them that love her (?).

He that heareth me shall judge truth (G nations); And he that giveth ear to me shall dwell in my chamber within.

For I will go with him, making myself strange; And at the first I (H he) will try him with temptations.

And what time his heart is filled with me; I will turn and direct him, And reveal unto him of my secrets.

If he turn away and decline from me (?), I will train him with fetters (or restraints).

If he turn away from after me, I will cast him off, and deliver him to the spoilers.

My son, observe season and time (?); And fear evil, and be not shamefaced unto thyself.

For there is a shame (?) that ladeth with iniquity; And there is a shame that is honour and grace.

Have not respect of thine own person; And stumble (H) not at thine offences.

Withhold not a word (or to speak) in season (?); Nor ever conceal thy wisdom.

For by speech wisdom is made known; And understanding by the answer of the tongue.

Gainsay not the truth (H God); And submit thyself unto God.

Be not ashamed to turn from iniquity; And stand not against a stream.

Lay not thyself down for a fool to tread upon; And be not contrary before rulers.

Sit not with one that judgeth unrighteously; For according to his pleasure (?) thou shalt judge with him.

Unto death contend (?) for justice; And the Lord shall fight for thee.

Be not called a double dealer; And slander not with (?) thy tongue.

Be not boastful with thy tongue; And slack and negligent (?) in thy business.

Be not as a dog (G lion) in thine house; And strange and fearful in thy business.

Let not thine hand be opened to receive; And clenched in the midst of giving.

Stay not upon thy strength (or wealth); And say not, It is in the power of my hand.

Stay not upon thy force; To go after the desire of thy soul.

Go not after thy heart and thine eyes; To walk in the pleasures of wickedness.

Say not, Who can withstand my (G S) strength? For the Lord avengeth (H seeketh) them that are persecuted.

Say not, I have sinned, and who (?) shall do aught unto me, For God is slow to anger?

Say not, The Lord is merciful; And he will blot out all mine iniquities.

Trust not to forgiveness; To add iniquity to iniquity.

Nor say, His mercy is great: He will forgive the multitude of mine iniquities.

For mercy and anger are with him; And his displeasure shall rest upon (?) the wicked.

Make no tarrying to turn unto him; And put not off (?) from day to day.

For suddenly shall his indignation go forth; And in the day of vengeance thou shalt perish.

Trust not on riches of falsehood; For they shall not profit in the day of wrath.

Be not winnowing with every wind, And turning the way of the stream (H).

Be assured in thine own mind; And let thy word be one.

Be swift to give ear; And with patience of spirit return answer.

If it be in thee, answer thy neighbour; And if not, be thy hand upon thy mouth.

Honour and disgrace are in the hand (?) of talk; And the tongue of a man is his fall.

Be not called a double dealer; And with thy tongue slander not a neighbour.

For for the thief was created shame; And sore reproach for (G S) the double dealer.

Little or much do not corruptly (H); And instead of a friend become not an enemy.

Reproach shall inherit (H) an evil name and disgrace: So an evil man that is a double dealer.

Fall not into the hand of thine appetite; That it should consume thy strength like an ox (?).

It shall eat thy leaves and uproot thy fruit; And leave thee like a dry tree.

For fierce appetite corrupteth them that have it; And the joy of an enemy overtaketh (H) them.

Many a friend doth a sweet palate make; And gracious lips that greet (?) with peace.

Be they that are at peace with thee many; But he that hath thy secret one of a thousand.

Hast thou gotten a friend? get him in trial (?); And be not in haste to trust on him.

For there is a friend that is for a season; And that will not (?) continue in the day of affliction.

There is a friend that turneth to an enemy; And he will make bare the strife to thy reproach.

There is a friend that is a companion at the table; But he will not be found in the day of adversity.

In thy prosperity he is as thou art; And in thine adversity he will remove away from thee.

If evil overtake thee, he will turn against thee; And will hide himself from thy face.

Separate thyself from thine enemies; And beware of thy friends.

A faithful friend is a firm friend; And he that findeth him hath found a treasure.

There is no exchange for a faithful friend; Nor price that can be weighed for his goodness.

A faithful friend is a balm (G S) of life; He that feareth God shall obtain it.

For as he is, so is his neighbour; And as his name, so are his works.

Child, from your youth acquire learning, and until gray hairs reach for wisdom.

As one that plougheth and as one that reapeth approach unto her; And wait for the abundance of her increase. For in the tillage of her thou shalt toil a little; And on the morrow (H) thou shalt eat her fruit.

Rough is she to the fool; And he that is void of understanding cannot bear her.

As a burdensome weight shall she be upon him; And he will not tarry to cast her away.

For discipline is according to its (?) name; And to the more part she is not plain (or right).

A potter's vessel is for the furnace to bake (?); And like unto it, a man is according to his thought.

Upon the bough (?) of a tree will be its fruit; So the thought of a man is according to his mind (?).

Incline thy shoulder, and carry her; And loathe not her cords (?).

Search and examine, seek and find; And hold her fast, and let her not go.

For afterward thou shalt find her rest; And she (?) shall turn to a delight unto thee.

And her net shall be to thee a strong defence; And her cordage robes of fine gold.

Her yoke (G Upon her) is an ornament (G) of gold; And her bands are thread of purple.

Thou shalt put her on as robes of honour; And crown thyself with her as a crown of beauty.

If thou be desirous, my son, thou mayest become wise; And if thou apply thy heart, thou shalt be prudent.

If thou art wishful to hear (H); And incline thine ear (H), thou shalt be instructed.

Be desirous to hear all discourse; And let no proverb of understanding escape thee.

See who (?) hath understanding, and seek him early; And let thy foot wear my (H) threshold.

And let thy mind be upon the fear of the Most High; And meditate (?) in his commandments continually.

And he shall make thy heart discerning (H); And make thee wise according as thou desirest.

Do not evil to thyself, and evil shall not (?) overtake thee; Keep far from iniquity, and it shall turn aside from thee.

Sow not upon the furrows of unrighteousness (?); Lest thou reap it sevenfold.

Seek not of God dominion; Nor likewise of a king a seat of honour.

Justify not thyself before God (H a king); And before a king profess not understanding.

Seek not to be a ruler; If thou hast not ability to quell pride.

Lest thou fear the person of the noble; And suffer lucre to corrupt thine integrity (?).

Condemn not thyself in the congregation at the gate (?); And cast not thyself down in the assembly.

Conspire not to commit a second sin; For in one thou shalt not be unpunished.

Loathe not appointed service of laborious work; For it hath been apportioned of God (?).

Be not impatient (H short) in prayer; And in almsgiving hesitate not (?).

Despise not a man that is in bitterness of spirit; Remember that there is one that lifteth up and casteth down.

Devise not injury against a brother; And likewise neither against a companion nor a neighbour.

Love not to make any manner of (?) lie; For the consequence (H hope) thereof shall not be pleasant.

Prate (?) not (or Be not familiar) in a congregation of princes; And repeat (?) not a word in prayer.

Esteem not thyself among the men of thy (?) people; Remember that wrath will not tarry (?).

Abase pride very exceedingly; For the hope of man is the worm (H S).

Be not in haste to say, A breach (?) is upon me; Commit thyself unto God, and delight in his way.

Exchange not a friend at a price; Neither a brother that is attached (or doubted) for gold of Ophir.

Despise (or Reject) not a wise wife; Seeing she is well-favoured above rubies.

Evil entreat not a servant that laboureth truly (?); Nor a hireling that giveth his soul (?).

Love a wise servant as thyself: Withhold not liberty from him.

Hast thou a beast? see that thine eye be upon it (?); And if it be trusty (?), keep it.

Hast thou sons? instruct them; And marry wives to them in their youth.

Hast thou daughters? guard their flesh; And make not thy face bright unto them.

Give away a daughter, and away with a trouble (?); But join her to a man of understanding.

Hast thou a wife? abominate (H) her not; Hast thou one that is hated? trust her not.

With all thy heart fear.......... *******

Remember: If they were not, you would not have come to the world. And what you are doing to them, that they are your rearers.

With all your heart fear God; And his priests sanctify.

With all your means love your maker; And his servers do not forsake.

Honor God and glorify a priest; Give their portions like you were commanded.

Bread of heroes and gift of a hand; Meat of the righteous and gift of the holy one.

Also to the needy stretch out a hand; So that you blessing will be repaid.

Give a gift to all life; Also from a corpse do not withhold kindness.

Do not be late from?criers?; And with a mourner, mourn.

Do not lift [your] heart from a loved one; For from him you will be loved.

In all your actions remember the end; And never destroy.

Do not fight with a great man; Why become destitute by his hand.

Do not fight with one harder than you; Why fall by his hand.

Do not?plow? over a man without wealth; Perhaps he will weigh your money and you will lose.

For gold has made many reckless, and perverted [shin] the hearts of kings.

Do not quarrel with a man of tongues, and heap not wood upon his fire.

Be not accustomed with a foolish man, lest thy ancestors be disgraced.

Do not humiliate a person returning from sin; remember we are all guilty.

Do not be wicked to an old person; remember, we shall be reckoned old too.

Do not rejoice over a corpse; remember that we all gathered away.

Do not forsake the rules of the wise, and tread not on their proverbs,

[And even their mundane talk do not disparage,] for it will stand you before noblemen, and from you they will learn instruction.

Do not despise the discourse of the aged, of what they heard from their fathers,

for from them thou shalt learn prudence, and in a time of need to respond proverbially. [Interpretation: folk ideas have hidden local knowledge and social truths that can be hard to parse at first.]

Do not prosper in the estate of evil, lest thou be burnt with the flame of his fire.

Do not be amiable with the scorner, lest he turn & ambush you. [Interpretation: if he is bad-mouthing others, in short time he will do so about you.]

Do not lend to a person more powerful than you, and if lent, deem it lost.

Be not surety above thy ability; if thou be surety, set it aside as if paid.

Do not to litigate with a judge; for they will judge him according to his favor.

With a heartless person do not travel, lest you burden your companion;