42 Be thou not (a)shamed for all these things; and take thou not a person, (so) that thou do trespass. [Not for all these things be thou confounded; and not accept thou (a) person, that thou guilty]
2 Be thou ware of the law and testament of the Highest, of doom to justify a wicked man; [of the law of the Highest, and of the testament of doom, to justify the unpious;]
3 of the word of fellows, and of way-goers, and of the giving of (the) heritage of friends;
4 of the evenness of balance, and of weights, of the getting of many things, and of few things;
5 of (the) corruption of buying, and of merchants, and of much chastising of sons; and of a worst servant, to make the side to bleed. [of the evenness of balances, and of weights, of purchasing of many things, and of few;]
6 A sealing, either closing, is good on a wicked woman. Where be many hands, close thou (up);
7 and whatever thing thou shalt betake, number thou, and weigh thou [or peise]; forsooth describe thou, either write (down), each gift, and taking (or receiving in).
8 Abstain thou from the teaching of an unwitty man, and fool, and of elder men that be deemed of (or by the) young men; and thou shalt be learned in all things, and thou shalt be commendable in the sight of all men. [Of the discipline of the mis-feeling (or of the mis-thinking), and of the fool, and of the elders, that be deemed, of the young, waxen men; and thou shalt be learned in all things, and (ap)provable (or approved) in the sight of all men.]
9 An hid daughter of a father is waking and busyness of (or for) him; she shall take away sleep; lest peradventure she be made (an) adulteress in her young waxing age, and lest she dwelling with the husband, be made hateful; [The daughter of the father is hid, the watch and the busyness of her shall do away sleep; lest peradventure in her young waxen age (an) adulteress she be made, and with a man dwelling, hateful she be made;]
10 lest anytime she be defouled in her virginity [or lest anytime she be polluted in her maidenhood], and be found with child in the keeping of her father; lest peradventure she dwelling with the husband, do trespass [or she trespass], either certainly be made barren.
11 Ordain thou keeping on a lecherous daughter, lest any time she make thee to come into shame to (thine) enemies, of backbiting in the city, and of casting out of the people; and she make thee ashamed in the multitude of people. [Upon a lecherous daughter set ward, lest any time she make thee into reproof to come to thine enemies, of backbiting in the city, and of casting away of the people; and she confound thee in the multitude of the people.]
12 Do not thou take heed to each man (or to each person) in the fairness, that is, in delighting in the beholding of his (or their) fairness; and do not thou dwell in the midst of women.
13 For why a moth cometh forth of (or from) clothes, and (the) wickedness of a man cometh forth of (or from) a woman. [Forsooth of clothes cometh the moth, and of a woman the wickedness of a man.]
14 For why the wickedness of a man is better, that is, less evil, than a woman doing well, and a woman shaming into shame (or reproach). [Better forsooth is the wickedness of a man, then a woman doing benefit, and a woman confounded into reproof.]
15 Therefore be thou mindful of the works of the Lord; and I shall tell (out) the works of the Lord, which I saw, in the words of the Lord. [Mindful be I shall therefore of the works of the Lord; and that (that) I saw, I shall show out, in the words of the Lord, his works.]
16 The sun lightening beheld by all things; and the work thereof is full of the glory of the Lord. [The sun shining through all things beheld; and of the glory of the Lord full is his work.]
17 Whether the Lord made not holy men to tell out all his marvels, which the Lord Almighty steadfast in his glory shall confirm? [Whether not the Lord made saints to tell out all his marvels, the which the Lord almighty shall confirm stable in his glory?]
18 He shall ensearch the depth, and the heart of men; and he shall think in (or on) the fellness, [or the sly wit, or guile], of them. For the Lord knew all cunning (or all knowing), and beheld into the sign(s) of the world;
19 telling [out] those things that be passed, and those things that shall come; showing [or opening] the steps of hid things.
20 And no thought passeth him (by), and no word hideth itself from him.
21 He made fair the great works of his wisdom, which is before the world, and till into the world; neither anything is increased, neither is decreased, and he hath no need to the counsel of any. [He made fair the great worthy works of his wisdom, the which is before the world, and unto the world; nor it is added, nor it is less(en)ed, and it needeth not the counsel of any man.]
22 All his works be full desirable, and to behold, as a sparkle which is. [How desirable be all the works of him, and as a sparkle that is, to behold.]
23 All these things live, and dwell into the world (or forever); and all things obey to him in all need. [All these things live, and dwell into the world; and in all need all things obeish to him.]
24 All things be double, one against one; and he made not anything to fail.
25 He shall confirm the goods of each; and who shall be filled, seeing his glory? [Of everything he shall confirm the goods; and who shall be full-filled, seeing the glory of him, and who witting shall confirm the strength of him?]
Footnotes
- Sirach 42:14
