The Deceptiveness of Appearances
11 The wisdom of a humble man will lift up his head,
and will seat him among the great.
2 Do not praise a man for his good looks,
nor loathe a man because of his appearance.
3 The bee is small among flying creatures,
but her product is the best of sweet things.
4 Do not boast about wearing fine clothes,
nor exalt yourself in the day that you are honored;
for the works of the Lord are wonderful,
and his works are concealed from men.
5 Many kings have had to sit on the ground,
but one who was never thought of has worn a crown.
6 Many rulers have been greatly disgraced,
and illustrious men have been handed over to others.
Deliberation and Caution
7 Do not find fault before you investigate;
first consider, and then reprove.
8 Do not answer before you have heard,
nor interrupt a speaker in the midst of his words.
9 Do not argue about a matter which does not concern you,
nor sit with sinners when they judge a case.
10 My son, do not busy yourself with many matters;
if you multiply activities you will not go unpunished,
and if you pursue you will not overtake,
and by fleeing you will not escape.
11 There is a man who works, and toils, and presses on,
but is so much the more in want.
12 There is another who is slow and needs help,
who lacks strength and abounds in poverty;
but the eyes of the Lord look upon him for his good;
he lifts him out of his low estate
13 and raises up his head,
so that many are amazed at him.
14 Good things and bad, life and death,
poverty and wealth, come from the Lord.
17 The gift of the Lord endures for those who are godly,
and what he approves will have lasting success.
18 There is a man who is rich through his diligence and self-denial,
and this is the reward allotted to him:
19 when he says, “I have found rest,
and now I shall enjoy my goods!”
he does not know how much time will pass
until he leaves them to others and dies.
20 Stand by your covenant and attend to it,
and grow old in your work.
21 Do not wonder at the works of a sinner,
but trust in the Lord and keep at your toil;
for it is easy in the sight of the Lord
to enrich a poor man quickly and suddenly.
22 The blessing of the Lord is the reward of the godly,
and quickly God causes his blessing to flourish.
23 Do not say, “What do I need,
and what prosperity could be mine in the future?”
24 Do not say, “I have enough,
and what calamity could happen to me in the future?”
25 In the day of prosperity, adversity is forgotten,
and in the day of adversity, prosperity is not remembered.
26 For it is easy in the sight of the Lord
to reward a man on the day of death according to his conduct.
27 The misery of an hour makes one forget luxury,
and at the close of a man’s life his deeds will be revealed.
28 Call no one happy before his death;
a man will be known through his children.
Care in Choosing Friends
29 Do not bring every man into your home,
for many are the wiles of the crafty.
30 Like a decoy partridge in a cage, so is the mind of a proud man,
and like a spy he observes your weakness;
31 for he lies in wait, turning good into evil,
and to worthy actions he will attach blame.
32 From a spark of fire come many burning coals,
and a sinner lies in wait to shed blood.
33 Beware of a scoundrel, for he devises evil,
lest he give you a lasting blemish.
34 Receive a stranger into your home and he will upset you with commotion,
and will estrange you from your family.
Footnotes
- Sirach 11:14
- Sirach 11:19
- Sirach 11:20
- Sirach 11:22
- Sirach 11:30
