OLD TESTAMENT							NEW TESTAMENT
The 7 Books	Old Testament History		Wisdom Books	Major Prophets	Minor Prophets		NT History	Epistles of St. Paul		General Writings
Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuter. Joshua Judges	Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chron. 2 Chron.	Ezra Nehem. Tobit Judith Esther 1 Macc. 2 Macc.	Job Psalms Proverbs Eccles. Songs Wisdom Sirach	Isaiah Jeremiah Lament. Baruch Ezekiel Daniel	Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah	Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi	Matthew Mark Luke John Acts	Romans 1 Corinth. 2 Corinth. Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians	1 Thess. 2 Thess. 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews	James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation

Sirach 37

« 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 »

1 πᾶς φίλος ἐρεῖ ἐφιλίασα κἀγώ ἀλ{L'} ἔστιν φίλος ὀνόματι μόνον φίλος οὐχὶ λύπη ἔνι ἕως θανάτου 2 ἑταῖρος καὶ φίλος τρεπόμενος εἰς ἔχθραν 3 ὦ πονηρὸν ἐνθύμημα πόθεν ἐνεκυλίσθης καλύψαι τὴν ξηρὰν ἐν δολιότητι 4 ἑταῖρος φίλου ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ ἥδεται καὶ ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως ἔσται ἀπέναντι 5 ἑταῖρος φίλῳ συμπονεῖ χάριν γαστρός ἔναντι πολέμου λήμψεται ἀσπίδα 6 μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ φίλου ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ σου καὶ μὴ ἀμνημονήσῃς αὐτοῦ ἐν χρήμασίν σου

1 Friends every man has that will say, I love him well; yet friends they may be in name only. Death itself cannot match it for sadness, 2 when friend and companion becomes thy enemy. 3 Cruel pretence, what mind first conceived thee, to turn solid earth into a morass of foul treachery? 4 A companion, how he will enjoy the delights of his friend’s prosperity, and turn against him in the hour of need! 5 A companion, how he will share a friend’s grief if he may share his bake-meats; use him as a shield against some enemy![1] 6 Never let friend of thine be far from thy thoughts; in thy prosperity never forget him.

1

Omnis amicus dicet: Et ego amicitiam copulavi:
sed est amicus solo nomine amicus.
Nonne tristitia inest usque ad mortem? 2
sodalis autem et amicus ad inimicitiam convertentur. 3
O præsumptio nequissima, unde create es
cooperire aridam malitia et dolositate illius? 4
Sodalis amico conjucundatur in oblectationibus,
et in tempore tribulationis adversarius erit. 5
Sodalis amico condolet causa ventris,
et contra hostem accipiet scutum. 6
Non obliviscaris amici tui in animo tuo,
et non immemor sis illius in opibus tuis.

7 μὴ βουλεύου μετὰ τοῦ ὑποβλεπομένου σε καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ζηλούντων σε κρύψον βουλήν 8 πᾶς σύμβουλος ἐξαίρει βουλήν ἀλ{L'} ἔστιν συμβουλεύων εἰς ἑαυτόν 9 ἀπὸ συμβούλου φύλαξον τὴν ψυχήν σου καὶ γνῶθι πρότερον τίς αὐτοῦ χρεία καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ βουλεύσεται 10 μήποτε βάλῃ ἐπὶ σοὶ κλῆρον καὶ εἴπῃ σοι 11 καλὴ ἡ ὁδός σου καὶ στήσεται ἐξ ἀναντίας ἰδεῖν τὸ συμβησόμενόν σοι 12 μετὰ γυναικὸς περὶ τῆς ἀντιζήλου αὐτῆς καὶ μετὰ δειλοῦ περὶ πολέμου μετὰ ἐμπόρου περὶ μεταβολίας καὶ μετὰ ἀγοράζοντος περὶ πράσεως μετὰ βασκάνου περὶ εὐχαριστίας 13 καὶ μετὰ ἀνελεήμονος περὶ χρηστοηθείας μετὰ ὀκνηροῦ περὶ παντὸς ἔργου 14 καὶ μετὰ μισθίου ἐφετίου περὶ συντελείας οἰκέτῃ ἀργῷ περὶ πολλῆς ἐργασίας μὴ ἔπεχε ἐπὶ τούτοις περὶ πάσης συμβουλίας 15 ἀλ{L'} ἢ μετὰ ἀνδρὸς εὐσεβοῦς ἐνδελέχιζε ὃν ἂν ἐπιγνῷς συντηροῦντα ἐντολάς 16 ὃς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ψυχήν σου καὶ ἐὰν πταίσῃς συναλγήσει σοι 17 καὶ βουλὴν καρδίας στῆσον οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν σοι πιστότερος αὐτῆς 18 ψυχὴ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ἀπαγγέλλειν ἐνίοτε εἴωθεν ἢ ἑπτὰ σκοποὶ ἐπὶ μετεώρου καθήμενοι ἐπὶ σκοπῆς 19 καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τούτοις δεήθητι ὑψίστου ἵνα εὐθύνῃ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ τὴν ὁδόν σου

7 Never take counsel with one who may be laying a trap for thee; from his envy hide thy purpose; 8 advice every counsellor will give thee, but some will counsel thee for their own ends. 9 Be on thy guard, then, against him who advises thee; how is his own turn best served? What is his secret mind? 10 It may be, he will hide stake in pit for thee, crying, 11 Thy course lies clear; then stand at a distance to see what becomes of thee. 12 Consult, if thou wilt,[2] unbeliever about holiness, knave about justice, woman about her rival, dastard about war, merchant about value, buyer about price, cynic about gratitude, 13 scoffer about piety, rogue about honesty, farm labourer about work to be done, 14 yearman about year’s end, idle servant about great undertakings; but all the advice they give thee heed thou never. 15 Closet thyself rather with some man of holy life, known to thee as God’s worshipper, 16 some soul well matched with thine, such as would grieve to see thee stumbling in darkness. 17 And thy own heart enthrone as thy best counsellor; nothing may compare with that; 18 there are times when a man of piety sees truth clearer than seven sentinels high in a watch-tower. 19 With all this, entreat the most High to guide thy steps in the right path.

7
Noli consiliari cum eo qui tibi insidiatur,
et a zelantibus te absconde consilium. 8

Omnis consiliarius prodit consilium,
sed est consiliarius in semetipso. 9
A consiliario serva animam tuam:
prius scito quæ sit illius necessitas:
et ipse enim animo suo cogitabit: 10
ne forte mittat sudem in terram,
et dicat tibi: 11
Bona est via tua:
et stet e contrario videre quid tibi eveniat. 12
Cum viro irreligioso tracta de sanctitate,
et cum injusto de justitia,
et cum muliere de ea quæ æmulatur,
cum timido de bello,
cum negotiatore de trajectione,
cum emptore de venditione,
cum viro livido de gratiis agendis, 13
cum impio de pietate,
cum inhonesto de honestate,
cum operario agrario de omni opere, 14
cum operario annuali de consummatione anni,
cum servo pigro de multa operatione.
Non attendas his in omni consilio: 15
sed cum viro sancto assiduus esto,
quemcumque cognoveris observantem timorem Dei: 16
cujus anima est secundum animam tuam,
et qui, cum titubaveris in tenebris, condolebit tibi. 17
Cor boni consilii statue tecum:
non est enim tibi aliud pluris illo. 18
Anima viri sancti enuntiat aliquando vera,
quam septem circumspectores sedentes in excelso ad speculandum. 19
Et in his omnibus deprecare Altissimum,
ut dirigat in veritate viam tuam.

20 ἀρχὴ παντὸς ἔργου λόγος καὶ πρὸ πάσης πράξεως βουλή 21 ἴχνος ἀλλοιώσεως καρδίας τέσσαρα μέρη ἀνατέλλει ἀγαθὸν καὶ κακόν ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος καὶ ἡ κυριεύουσα ἐνδελεχῶς αὐτῶν γλῶσσά ἐστιν 22 ἔστιν ἀνὴρ πανοῦργος πολλῶν παιδευτής καὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ ψυχῇ ἐστιν ἄχρηστος 23 ἔστιν σοφιζόμενος ἐν λόγοις μισητός οὗτος πάσης τροφῆς καθυστερήσει 24 οὐ γὰρ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ παρὰ κυρίου χάρις ὅτι πάσης σοφίας ἐστερήθη 25 ἔστιν σοφὸς τῇ ἰδίᾳ ψυχῇ καὶ οἱ καρποὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ στόματος πιστοί 26 ἀνὴρ σοφὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λαὸν παιδεύσει καὶ οἱ καρποὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ πιστοί 27 ἀνὴρ σοφὸς πλησθήσεται εὐλογίας καὶ μακαριοῦσιν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ ὁρῶντες 28 ζωὴ ἀνδρὸς ἐν ἀριθμῷ ἡμερῶν καὶ αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ Ισραηλ ἀναρίθμητοι 29 ὁ σοφὸς ἐν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ κληρονομήσει πίστιν καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

20 For every undertaking, every act of thine let just consideration prepare thee, and trustworthy counsel. 21 Ill counsel may make the heart veer round; four points its compass has, good and evil, life and death; and it is ever the tongue that sways it.[3]

Shrewdness there is that can much impart, yet is its own enemy. 22 And there is experience that imparts much to others, and is its own friend besides. 23 There is quibbling talk that will earn thee enemies, and an empty belly; 24 no power to win men the Lord has given it, so empty is it of all wisdom. 25 But there is wisdom that befriends the owner of it, earning high meed of praise; 26 if thus thou art wise, wisdom thou shalt impart to thy fellows, and shalt not miss thy own reward; 27 blessings the wise man reaps from all around, to see him is to praise him. 28 Man’s days are numbered, Israel’s none can number, 29 and among our people the wise man wins an inheritance of honour, a deathless renown.

20

Ante omnia opera verbum verax præcedat te,
et ante omnem actum consilium stabile. 21
Verbum nequam immutabit cor:
ex quo partes quatuor oriuntur:
bonum et malum, vita et mors:
et dominatrix illorum est assidua lingua.
Est vir astutus multorum eruditor,
et animæ suæ inutilis est. 22
Vir peritus multos erudivit,
et animæ suæ suavis est. 23
Qui sophistice loquitur odibilis est:
in omni re defraudabitur. 24
Non est illi data a Domino gratia,
omni enim sapientia defraudatus est. 25
Est sapiens animæ suæ sapiens,
et fructus sensus illius laudabilis. 26
Vir sapiens plebem suam erudit,
et fructus sensus illius fideles sunt. 27
Vir sapiens implebitur benedictionibus,
et videntes illum laudabunt. 28
Vita viri in numero dierum:
dies autem Israël innumerabiles sunt. 29
Sapiens in populo hæreditabit honorem,
et nomen illius erit vivens in æternum.

30 τέκνον ἐν ζωῇ σου πείρασον τὴν ψυχήν σου καὶ ἰδὲ τί πονηρὸν αὐτῇ καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτῇ 31 οὐ γὰρ πάντα πᾶσιν συμφέρει καὶ οὐ πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐν παντὶ εὐδοκεῖ 32 μὴ ἀπληστεύου ἐν πάσῃ τρυφῇ καὶ μὴ ἐκχυθῇς ἐπὶ ἐδεσμάτων 33 ἐν πολλοῖς γὰρ βρώμασιν ἔσται νόσος καὶ ἡ ἀπληστία ἐγγιεῖ ἕως χολέρας 34 δ{I'} ἀπληστίαν πολλοὶ ἐτελεύτησαν ὁ δὲ προσέχων προσθήσει ζωήν

30 Son, as thy life goes on, make trial of thy appetites, and if harmful they be, give them no liberty; 31 not all things all men suit, nor please. 32 When there is feasting, thy greed restrain; do not fall upon all the meats thou seest; 33 much feasting breeds infirmity, gluttony the bile, 34 and many have died of surfeiting; the temperate live long.

30

Fili, in vita tua tenta animam tuam,
et si fuerit nequam non des illi potestatem: 31
non enim omnia omnibus expediunt,
et non omni animæ omne genus placet. 32
Noli avidus esse in omni epulatione,
et non te effundas super omnem escam: 33
in multis enim escis erit infirmitas,
et aviditas appropinquabit usque ad choleram. 34
Propter crapulam multi obierunt:
qui autem abstinens est adjiciet vitam.

[1] This is usually rendered, ‘he will take up his shield against an enemy’, but this, without further qualification, seems meaningless.

[2] The words ‘if thou wilt’ are not in the original; but the context evidently demands them in the Latin version; the Greek provides no difficulty; since it gives a negative, ‘Do not consult …’.

[3] The text here is uncertain, and the meaning obscure. The Latin seems to demand some such rendering as that given above.

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