📜 SIRACH
📖 CHAPTER 1
All wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with him forever.
Who can number the sand of the sea, and the drops of rain, and the days of eternity?
Who can find out the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the deep, and wisdom?
Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting.
The word of God most high is the fountain of wisdom; and her ways are everlasting commandments.
📖 CHAPTER 2
My son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation.
Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure.
For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity.
📖 CHAPTER 3
Hear me your father, O children, and do thereafter, that ye may be safe.
For the Lord hath given the father honor over the children, and hath confirmed the authority of the mother over the sons.
📖 CHAPTER 4
My son, defraud not the poor of his living.
And make not the needy eyes to wait long.
📖 CHAPTER 5
Set not thy heart upon thy goods.
And say not, I have enough for my life.
Follow not thine own mind and strength.
📖 CHAPTER 6
Instead of a friend become not an enemy.
For thereby thou shalt inherit an ill name.
📖 CHAPTER 7
Do no evil, so shall no harm come unto thee.
Depart from the unjust, and iniquity shall turn away from thee.
📖 CHAPTER 8
Strive not with a mighty man, lest thou fall into his hands.
📖 CHAPTER 9
Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom.
📖 CHAPTER 10
A wise judge will instruct his people.
And the government of a prudent man is well ordered.
📖 CHAPTER 11
Wisdom lifteth up the head of him that is of low degree, and maketh him to sit among great men.
Commend not a man for his beauty; neither abhor a man for his outward appearance.
The bee is little among such as fly; but her fruit is the chief of sweet things.
📖 CHAPTER 12
When thou wilt do good, know to whom thou doest it; so shalt thou be thanked for thy benefits.
Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompense.
📖 CHAPTER 13
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith.
And he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.
📖 CHAPTER 14
Blessed is the man that hath not slipped with his mouth, and is not pricked with the multitude of sins.
Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him.
📖 CHAPTER 15
Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away.
For thou oughtest not to do the things that he hateth.
He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt.
📖 CHAPTER 16
Desire not a multitude of unprofitable children.
Better is a little that the righteous hath, than great riches of the ungodly.
📖 CHAPTER 17
God created man of the earth, and turned him into it again.
He gave them a few days, and a short time, and power also over the things therein.
📖 CHAPTER 18
He that liveth forever hath created all things in general.
The Lord only is righteous, and there is none other but he.
📖 CHAPTER 19
The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, neither at any time the counsel of sinners prudence.
📖 CHAPTER 20
There is a reproof that is not comely: again, some man holdeth his tongue, and he is wise.
📖 CHAPTER 21
My son, hast thou sinned? do so no more.
📖 CHAPTER 22
A slothful man is compared to a filthy stone.
📖 CHAPTER 23
Whoso setteth his heart to think upon the law of the Most High shall be occupied in meditation thereof.
📖 CHAPTER 24
Wisdom shall praise herself, and shall glory in the midst of her people.
📖 CHAPTER 25
There be three things that please me, and they are beautiful before God and men:
The unity of brethren, the love of neighbors, and a man and a wife that agree together.
📖 CHAPTER 26
Blessed is the man that hath a virtuous wife, for the number of his days shall be double.
A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband, and he shall fulfill the years of his life in peace.
A good wife is a good portion, which shall be given in the portion of them that fear the Lord.
📖 CHAPTER 27
Many have sinned for a small matter; and he that seeketh for abundance will turn his eyes away.
As a nail sticketh fast between the joinings of the stones; so doth sin stick close between buying and selling.
📖 CHAPTER 28
He that revengeth shall find vengeance from the Lord.
Forgive thy neighbor the hurt that he hath done unto thee.
Remember thy end, and let enmity cease.
📖 CHAPTER 29
He that is merciful will lend unto his neighbor.
And he that strengtheneth his hand keepeth the commandments.
📖 CHAPTER 30
He that loveth his son causeth him oft to feel the rod.
Better is a poor man, being sound and strong of constitution, than a rich man that is afflicted in his body.
📖 CHAPTER 31
Watching for riches consumeth the flesh.
Better is he that laboreth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boasteth himself, and wanteth bread.
📖 CHAPTER 32
If thou be made the master of a feast, lift not thyself up, but be among them as one of the rest.
📖 CHAPTER 33
There shall no evil happen unto him that feareth the Lord.
A wise man hateth not the law; but he that is a hypocrite therein is as a ship in a storm.
📖 CHAPTER 34
The hopes of a man void of understanding are vain and false.
📖 CHAPTER 35
He that keepeth the law bringeth offerings enough.
To depart from wickedness is a thing pleasing to the Lord.
📖 CHAPTER 36
Have mercy upon us, O Lord God of all, and behold us.
Send thy fear upon all the nations that seek not after thee.
📖 CHAPTER 37
Every friend saith, I am his friend also: but there is a friend, which is only a friend in name.
📖 CHAPTER 38
Honor a physician with the honor due unto him.
For the Lord hath created him.
📖 CHAPTER 39
He that giveth his mind to the law of the Most High shall seek out the wisdom of all the ancient.
📖 CHAPTER 40
Great travail is created for every man.
A heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam.
From the day that they go out of their mother’s womb, till the day that they return to the mother of all things.
📖 CHAPTER 41
O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions,
Unto the man that hath nothing to vex him, and that hath prosperity in all things.
O death, acceptable is thy sentence unto the needy, and unto him whose strength faileth.
📖 CHAPTER 42
Be not ashamed of the law of the Most High, and his covenant.
Be not ashamed to justify the ungodly.
📖 CHAPTER 43
The pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven, with his glorious show;
The sun when it appeareth, declaring at his rising a marvelous instrument, the work of the Most High.
Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runneth hastily.
📖 CHAPTER 44
Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us.
The Lord hath wrought great glory by them through his great power from the beginning.
📖 CHAPTER 45
Moses was beloved of God and men.
He made him equal to the saints in glory.
📖 CHAPTER 46
Jesus the son of Nave was valiant in the wars.
He was the successor of Moses in prophecies.
📖 CHAPTER 47
After him arose Nathan to prophesy in the time of David.
So was David honored.
He played with lions as with kids.
📖 CHAPTER 48
Then stood up Elias the prophet as fire.
He brought a sore famine upon them.
📖 CHAPTER 49
The memory of Josias is like the composition of the perfume.
Sweet as honey in all mouths.
📖 CHAPTER 50
Great was Simon the high priest.
He repaired the house again.
When he put on the robe of honor, he was like the morning star.
📖 CHAPTER 51
I will thank thee, O Lord and King, and praise thee, O God my Savior:
I do give praise unto thy name.
For thou art my defender and helper.