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Sirach 11

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1 σοφία ταπεινοῦ ἀνυψώσει κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν μέσῳ μεγιστάνων καθίσει αὐτόν

1 A man may be lowly born, and yet rise high through the wisdom that is in him, till at last he takes his seat among men of rank.

1

Sapientia humiliati exaltabit caput illius,
et in medio magnatorum consedere illum faciet.

2 μὴ αἰνέσῃς ἄνδρα ἐν κάλλει αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ βδελύξῃ ἄνθρωπον ἐν ὁράσει αὐτοῦ 3 μικρὰ ἐν πετεινοῖς μέλισσα καὶ ἀρχὴ γλυκασμάτων ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῆς 4 ἐν περιβολῇ ἱματίων μὴ καυχήσῃ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ δόξης μὴ ἐπαίρου ὅτι θαυμαστὰ τὰ ἔργα κυρίου καὶ κρυπτὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἀνθρώποις 5 πολλοὶ τύραννοι ἐκάθισαν ἐπὶ ἐδάφους ὁ δὲ ἀνυπονόητος ἐφόρεσεν διάδημα 6 πολλοὶ δυνάσται ἠτιμάσθησαν σφόδρα καὶ ἔνδοξοι παρεδόθησαν εἰς χεῖρας ἑτέρων

2 Esteem no man for his good looks, nor for his outward show despise him; 3 yonder bee is an inconsiderable creature, and yet there is a world of sweetness in the harvest she wins. 4 Plume not thyself when thou goest bravely clad, nor pride thyself in thy brief hour of greatness. Of wonder and of praise what else is worthy, but the doings of the most High? And these, how hedged about with secrecy! 5 Kings a many have lost their thrones,[1] to pretenders they never dreamed of; 6 great ones a many have fallen full low, and their glory has passed to others.

2
Non laudes virum in specie sua,
neque spernas hominem in visu suo. 3
Brevis in volatilibus est apis,
et initium dulcoris habet fructus illius. 4
In vestitu ne glorieris umquam,
nec in die honoris tui extollaris:
quoniam mirabilia opera Altissimi solius,
et gloriosa, et absconsa, et invisa opera illius. 5
Multi tyranni sederunt in throno:
et insuspicabilis portavit diadema. 6
Multi potentes oppressi sunt valide,
et gloriosi traditi sunt in manus alterorum.

7 πρὶν ἐξετάσῃς μὴ μέμψῃ νόησον πρῶτον καὶ τότε ἐπιτίμα πρὶν ἢ ἀκοῦσαι μὴ ἀποκρίνου καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λόγων μὴ παρεμβάλλου 8 περὶ πράγματος οὗ οὐκ ἔστιν σοι χρεία μὴ ἔριζε καὶ ἐν κρίσει ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ συνέδρευε

7 Blame not, till thou hast heard the excuse; more just thy reproof shall be when thou hast learnt all. 8 Listen first, then answer, never breaking in when the tale is half told.

7
Priusquam interroges, ne vituperes quemquam:
et cum interrogaveris, corripe juste. 8

Priusquam audias, ne respondeas verbum:
et in medio sermonum ne adjicias loqui.

9 τέκνον μὴ περὶ πολλὰ ἔστωσαν αἱ πράξεις σου

9 Quarrel not, where thou thyself art not concerned; leave judgement of the offender to others.

9
De ea re quæ te non molestat, ne certeris:
et in judicio peccantium ne consistas.

10 ἐὰν πληθύνῃς οὐκ ἀθῳωθήσῃ καὶ ἐὰν διώκῃς οὐ μὴ καταλάβῃς καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγῃς διαδράς

10 Do not be entangled, my son, in too many enterprises. The rich man pays forfeit, chasing what overtake he may not, or fleeing what he may not shun.

10
Fili, ne in multis sint actus tui:
et si dives fueris, non eris immunis a delicto.
Si enim secutus fueris, non apprehendes:
et non effugies, si præcucurreris.

11 ἔστιν κοπιῶν καὶ πονῶν καὶ σπεύδων καὶ τόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑστερεῖται 12 ἔστιν νωθρὸς προσδεόμενος ἀντιλήμψεως ὑστερῶν ἰσχύι καὶ πτωχείᾳ περισσεύει 13 καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου ἐπέβλεψαν αὐτῷ εἰς ἀγαθά καὶ ἀνώρθωσεν αὐτὸν ἐκ ταπεινώσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνύψωσεν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπεθαύμασαν ἐ{P'} αὐτῷ πολλοί 14 ἀγαθὰ καὶ κακά ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος πτωχεία καὶ πλοῦτος παρὰ κυρίου ἐστίν 15

11 Some men’s lives are all toil and haste and anxiety; yet the more they toil, the less advantage they win, for want of piety. 12 And others are backward folk, that cannot hold their gains, men of little power and much poverty; 13 and yet such a man the Lord will look upon with favour, rescue him from neglect and greatly advance him, to the world’s amazement, and the greater honour of God. 14 From God all comes, good fortune and ill, life and death, poverty and riches; 15 in God’s keeping are wisdom and temperance and knowledge of the law, charity and the good life.

11
Est homo laborans et festinans, et dolens:
impius, et tanto magis non abundabit. 12
Est homo marcidus egens recuperatione,
plus deficiens virtute, et abundans paupertate: 13
et oculus Dei respexit illum in bono,
et erexit eum ab humilitate ipsius, et exaltavit caput ejus:
et mirati sunt in illo multi, et honoraverunt Deum. 14

Bona et mala, vita et mors,
paupertas et honestas, a Deo sunt: 15
sapientia, et disciplina, et scientia legis, apud Deum:
dilectio, et viæ bonorum, apud ipsum.

16 Error and darkness are sinful man’s birthright; it is by making evil their delight that men grow hardened in evil.

16
Error et tenebræ peccatoribus concreata sunt:
qui autem exsultant in malis consenescunt in malo.

17 δόσις κυρίου παραμένει εὐσεβέσιν καὶ ἡ εὐδοκία αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εὐοδωθήσεται 18 ἔστιν πλουτῶν ἀπὸ προσοχῆς καὶ σφιγγίας αὐτοῦ καὶ αὕτη ἡ μερὶς τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ 19 ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν αὐτόν εὗρον ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ νῦν φάγομαι ἐκ τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου 20 καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν τίς καιρὸς παρελεύσεται καὶ καταλείψει αὐτὰ ἑτέροις καὶ ἀποθανεῖται 21 στῆθι ἐν διαθήκῃ σου καὶ ὁμίλει ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ σου παλαιώθητι 22 μὴ θαύμαζε ἐν ἔργοις ἁμαρτωλοῦ πίστευε δὲ κυρίῳ καὶ ἔμμενε τῷ πόνῳ σου 23 ὅτι κοῦφον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς κυρίου διὰ τάχους ἐξάπινα πλουτίσαι πένητα 24 εὐλογία κυρίου ἐν μισθῷ εὐσεβοῦς καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ ταχινῇ ἀναθάλλει εὐλογίαν αὐτοῦ

17 No momentary blessing it is, God’s largesse to his faithful servants; that seed that bears an eternal crop. 18 No such boast has the man of thrift, that by his own effort wins wealth. 19 Does he tell himself that he has found security at last; nothing remains but to glut, with his own earnings, his own greed? 20 He forgets that time flies, and death draws near; die he must, and leave all he has to another. 21 Be true to thy covenant with God; its words to thy own ears repeat; to that, and thy enjoined duty, inure thyself. 22 Wouldst thou stand there gaping at the doings of sinners? Nay, trust in God, and keep to thy appointed task. 23 Dost thou think God finds it hard to enrich the beggar, and in a moment? 24 Swift, swift comes the blessing that rewards faithful service; in one short hour its fruits ripen.

17
Datio Dei permanet justis,
et profectus illius successus habebit in æternum. 18
Est qui locupletatur parce agendo,
et hæc est pars mercedis illius. 19
In eo quod dicit: Inveni requiem mihi,
et nunc manducabo de bonis meis solus: 20
et nescit quod tempus præteriet, et mors appropinquet,
et relinquat omnia aliis, et morietur. 21
Sta in testamento tuo, et in illo colloquere,
et in opere mandatorum tuorum veterasce. 22
Ne manseris in operibus peccatorum:
confide autem in Deo, et mane in loco tuo. 23
Facile est enim in oculis Dei
subito honestare pauperem. 24
Benedictio Dei in mercedem justi festinat,
et in hora veloci processus illius fructificat.

25 μὴ εἴπῃς τίς ἐστίν μου χρεία καὶ τίνα ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἔσται μου τὰ ἀγαθά 26 μὴ εἴπῃς αὐτάρκη μοί ἐστιν καὶ τί ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν κακωθήσομαι 27 ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀγαθῶν ἀμνησία κακῶν καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῶν οὐ μνησθήσεται ἀγαθῶν 28 ὅτι κοῦφον ἔναντι κυρίου ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τελευτῆς ἀποδοῦναι ἀνθρώπῳ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ 29 κάκωσις ὥρας ἐπιλησμονὴν ποιεῖ τρυφῆς καὶ ἐν συντελείᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀποκάλυψις ἔργων αὐτοῦ

25 Never tell thyself, need thou hast none, there is no more good can befall thee; 26 never flatter thyself, thou art master of thy own lot, no harm can touch thee now. 27 Rather, bethink thyself of foul weather in fair, of fair weather in foul; 28 on the very day of a man’s death God can give him his deserts. 29 One hour of misery, how it can efface in the memory long years of ease! Only a man’s death-bed brings the full history of his fortunes to light.

25
Ne dicas: Quid est mihi opus?
et quæ erunt mihi ex hoc bona? 26
Ne dicas: Sufficiens mihi sum:
et quid ex hoc pessimabor? 27
In die bonorum ne immemor sis malorum,
et in die malorum ne immemor sis bonorum: 28
quoniam facile est coram Deo in die obitus
retribuere unicuique secundum vias suas. 29
Malitia horæ oblivionem facit luxuriæ magnæ,
et in fine hominis denudatio operum illius.

30 πρὸ τελευτῆς μὴ μακάριζε μηδένα καὶ ἐν τέκνοις αὐτοῦ γνωσθήσεται ἀνήρ

30 Never call a man happy until he is dead; his true epitaph is written in his children.

30
Ante mortem ne laudes hominem quemquam:
quoniam in filiis suis agnoscitur vir.

31 μὴ πάντα ἄνθρωπον εἴσαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου πολλὰ γὰρ τὰ ἔνεδρα τοῦ δολίου 32 πέρδιξ θηρευτὴς ἐν καρτάλλῳ οὕτως καρδία ὑπερηφάνου καὶ ὡς ὁ κατάσκοπος ἐπιβλέπει πτῶσιν 33 τὰ γὰρ ἀγαθὰ εἰς κακὰ μεταστρέφων ἐνεδρεύει καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἱρετοῖς ἐπιθήσει μῶμον 34 ἀπὸ σπινθῆρος πυρὸς πληθύνεται ἀνθρακιά καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλὸς εἰς αἷμα ἐνεδρεύει 35 πρόσεχε ἀπὸ κακούργου πονηρὰ γὰρ τεκταίνει μήποτε μῶμον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα δῷ σοι 36 ἐνοίκισον ἀλλότριον καὶ διαστρέψει σε ἐν ταραχαῖς καὶ ἀπαλλοτριώσει σε τῶν ἰδίων σου

31 Do not keep thy house open to every comer; knaves have many shifts. 32 Foul breath lurks in a diseased body; the partridge a hidden lure awaits, a hidden snare the doe; so there be unquiet hearts, ever on the watch for a neighbour’s downfall, 33 ready to interpret good things amiss, and cast blame on the innocent. 34 One spark is enough to spread a fire, and one man’s treachery may be the cause of bloodshed; such villains as these plot against life itself. 35 Against such a plague be thou timely on thy guard, or it may prove thy eternal disgrace. 36 Alien let in is whirlwind let in, that shall alienate from thee all thou hast.[2]

31

Non omnem hominem inducas in domum tuam:
multæ enim sunt insidiæ dolosi. 32
Sicut enim eructant præcordia fœtentium,
et sicut perdix inducitur in caveam, et ut caprea in laqueum:
sic et cor superborum,
et sicut prospector videns casum proximi sui. 33
Bona enim in mala convertens insidiatur,
et in electis imponet maculam. 34
A scintilla una augetur ignis,
et ab uno doloso augetur sanguis:
homo vero peccator sanguini insidiatur. 35
Attende tibi a pestifero, fabricat enim mala,
ne inducat super te subsannationem in perpetuum. 36
Admitte ad te alienigenam:
et subvertet te in turbine,
et abalienabit te a tuis propriis.

[1] Literally, in the Greek text, ‘have sat on the ground’. The Latin version, perhaps through an error, reads ‘have sat on their thrones’.

[2] v. 31-36: The exact bearing of these verses cannot be determined. In verse 32, ‘unquiet hearts’ is literally ‘proud hearts’; but pride seems irrelevant to the present context, and it is likely that the original Hebrew text had ‘hearts of aliens’ (as in verse 36). In that case the whole passage may be a warning against undue fraternization with Gentiles.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd