Wisdom of Sirach 23

Σοφία Σειράχ

1 ΚΥΡΙΕ, πάτερ καὶ δέσποτα ζωῆς μου, μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς με ἐν βουλῇ αὐτῶν, μὴ ἀφῇς με πεσεῖν ἐν αὐτοῖς.

O Lord, Father and Governor of all my whole life, leave me not to their counsels, and let me not fall by them.

2 τίς ἐπιστήσει ἐπὶ τοῦ διανοήματός μου μάστιγας καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς καρδίας μου παιδείαν σοφίας, ἵνα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγνοήμασί μου μὴ φείσωνται καὶ οὐ μὴ παρῇ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν,

Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over my heart? that they spare me not for my ignorances, and it pass not by my sins:

3 ὅπως μὴ πληθύνωσιν αἱ ἄγνοιαί μου καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μου πλεονάσωσι καὶ πεσοῦμαι ἔναντι τῶν ὑπεναντίων καὶ ἐπιχαρεῖταί μοι ὁ ἐχθρός μου;

Lest my ignorances increase, and my sins abound to my destruction, and I fall before my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over me, whose hope is far from your mercy.

4 Κύριε, πάτερ καὶ Θεὲ ζωῆς μου, μετεωρισμὸν ὀφθαλμῶν μὴ δῷς μοι

O Lord, Father and God of my life, give me not a proud look, but turn away from your servants always a haughty mind.

5 καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν ἀπόστρεψον ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ·

Turn away from me vain hopes and concupiscence, and you shall hold him up that is desirous always to serve you.

6 κοιλίας ὄρεξις καὶ συνουσιασμὸς μὴ καταλαβέτωσάν με, καὶ ψυχῇ ἀναιδεῖ μὴ παραδῷς με.

Let not the greediness of the belly nor lust of the flesh take hold of me; and give not over me your servant into an impudent mind.

Hear, O you⌃ children, the discipline of the mouth: he that keeps it shall never be taken in his lips. (Brenton's 23:7, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

The sinner shall be left in his foolishness: both the evil speaker and the proud shall fall thereby. (Brenton's 23:8, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

Accustom not your mouth to swearing; neither use yourself to the naming of the Holy One. (Brenton's 23:9, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blue mark: so he that swears and names God continually shall not be faultless. (Brenton's 23:10, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

A man that uses much swearing shall be filled with iniquity, and the plague shall never depart from his house: if he shall offend, his sin shall be upon him: and if he acknowledge not his sin, he makes a double offence: and if he swear in vain, he shall not be innocent, but his house shall be full of calamities. (Brenton's 23:11, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

There is a word that is clothed about with death: God grant that it be not found in the heritage of Jacob; for all such things shall be far from the godly, and they shall not wallow in their sins. (Brenton's 23:12, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

Use not your mouth to intemperate swearing, for therein is the word of sin. (Brenton's 23:13, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

Remember your father and your mother, when you sit amongst great men. Be not forgetful before them, and so you by your custom become a fool, and wish that you had not been born, and curse they day of your nativity. (Brenton's 23:14, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words will never be reformed all the days of his life. (Brenton's 23:15, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

16 Δύο εἴδη πληθύνουσιν ἁμαρτίας, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐπάξει ὀργήν·

Two sorts of men multiply sin, and the third will bring wrath: a hot mind is as a burning fire, it will never be quenched till it be consumed: a fornicator in the body of his flesh will never cease till he has kindled a fire.

All bread is sweet to a whoremonger, he will not leave off till he die. (Brenton's 23:17, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

17 ψυχὴ θερμὴ ὡς πῦρ καιόμενον, οὐ μὴ σβεσθῇ ἕως ἂν καταποθῇ· ἄνθρωπος πόρνος ἐν σώματι σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ, οὐ μὴ παύσηται ἕως ἂν ἐκκαύσῃ πῦρ· ἀνθρώπω πόρνῳ πᾶς ἄρτος ἡδύς, οὐ μὴ κοπάσῃ ἕως ἂν τελευτήσῃ.

In the English, this verse is part of verse 16.

18 ἄνθρωπος παραβαίνων ἀπὸ τῆς κλίνης αὐτοῦ, λέγων ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ· τίς με ὁρᾷ; σκότος κύκλῳ μου, καὶ οἱ τοῖχοί με καλύπτουσι, καὶ οὐθείς με ὁρᾷ· τί εὐλαβοῦμαι; τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου οὐ μὴ μνησθήσεται ὁ Ὓψιστος.

A man that breaks wedlock, saying thus in his heart, Who sees me? I am compassed about with darkness, the walls cover me, and no body sees me; what need I to fear? the most High will not remember my sins:

19 καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἀνθρώπων ὁ φόβος αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω ὅτι ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου μυριοπλασίως ἡλίου φωτεινότεροι, ἐπιβλέποντες πάσας ὁδοὺς ἀνθρώπων καὶ κατανοοῦντες εἰς ἀπόκρυφα μέρη.

Such a man only fears the eyes of men, and knows not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, beholding all the ways of men, and considering the most secret parts.

20 πρὶν ἢ κτισθῆναι τὰ πάντα, ἔγνωσται αὐτῷ, οὕτως καὶ μετὰ τὸ συντελεσθῆναι.

He knew all things ere ever they were created; so also after they were perfected he looked upon them all.

21 οὗτος ἐν πλατείαις πόλεως ἐκδικηθήσεται, καὶ οὗ οὐχ ὑπενόησεν πιασθήσεται.

This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and where he suspects not he shall be taken.

22 Οὕτως καὶ γυνὴ καταλιποῦσα τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ παριστῶσα κληρονόμον ἐξ ἀλλοτρίου·

Thus shall it go also with the wife that leaves her husband, and brings in an heir by another.

23 πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἐν νόμῳ Ὑψίστου ἠπείθησε, καὶ δεύτερον εἰς ἄνδρα ἑαυτῆς ἐπλημμέλησε, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν πορνείᾳ ἐμοιχεύθη, ἐξ ἀλλοτρίου ἀνδρὸς τέκνα παρέστησεν.

For first, she has disobeyed the law of the most High; and secondly, she has trespassed against her own husband; and thirdly, she has played the whore in adultery, and brought children by another man.

24 αὕτη εἰς ἐκκλησίαν ἐξαχθήσεται, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἐπισκοπὴ ἔσται.

She shall be brought out into the congregation, and inquisition shall be made of her children.

25 οὐ διαδώσουσι τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς εἰς ρίζαν, καὶ οἱ κλάδοι αὐτῆς οὐ δώσουσι καρπόν.

Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit.

26 καταλείψει εἰς κατάραν τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς, καὶ τὸ ὄνειδος αὐτῆς οὐκ ἐξαλειφθήσεται.

She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her reproach shall not be blotted out.

27 καὶ ἐπιγνώσονται οἱ καταλειφθέντες ὅτι οὐθὲν κρεῖττον φόβου Κυρίου καὶ οὐθὲν γλυκύτερον τοῦ προσέχειν ἐντολαῖς Κυρίου.

And they that remain shall know that there is nothing better than the fear of the Lord, and that there is nothing sweeter than to take heed to the commandments of the Lord.

It is great glory to follow the Lord, and to be received of him is long life. (Brenton's 23:28, which the Greek of this edition does not have)

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.