Wisdom of Sirach 4

1 ΤΕΚΝΟΝ, τὴν ζωὴν τοῦ πτωχοῦ μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς καὶ μὴ παρελκύσῃς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπιδεεῖς.

1 My son, defraud not the poor of his living, and make not the needy eyes to wait long.

2 ψυχὴν πεινῶσαν μὴ λυπήσῃς καὶ μὴ παροργίσῃς ἄνδρα ἐν ἀπορίᾳ αὐτοῦ.

2 Make not an hungry soul sorrowful; neither provoke a man in his distress.

3 καρδίαν παρωργισμένην μὴ προσταράξῃς καὶ μὴ παρελκύσῃς δόσιν προσδεομένου.

3 Add not more trouble to an heart that is vexed; and defer not to give to him that is in need.

4 ἱκέτην θλιβόμενον μὴ ἀπαναίνου καὶ μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ πτωχοῦ.

4 Reject not the supplication of the afflicted; neither turn away your face from a poor man.

5 ἀπὸ δεομένου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς ὀφθαλμὸν καὶ μὴ δῷς τόπον ἀνθρώπῳ καταράσασθαί σε·

5 Turn not away your eye from the needy, and give him none occasion to curse you:

6 καταρωμένου γάρ σε ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, τῆς δεήσεως αὐτοῦ ἐπακούσεται ὁ ποιήσας αὐτόν.

6 For if he curse you in the bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him.

7 προσφιλῇ συναγωγῇ σεαυτὸν ποίει καὶ μεγιστᾶνι ταπείνου τὴν κεφαλήν σου.

7 Get yourself the love of the congregation, and bow your head to a great man.

8 κλῖνον πτωχῷ τὸ οὖς σου καὶ ἀποκρίθητι αὐτῷ εἰρηνικὰ ἐν πραυ±τητι.

8 Let it not grieve you to bow down your ear to the poor, and give him a friendly answer with meekness.

9 ἐξελοῦ ἀδικούμενον ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδικοῦντος καὶ μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνειν σε.

9 Deliver him that suffers wrong from the hand of the oppressor; and be not faint-hearted when you sit in judgement.

10 γίνου ὀρφανοῖς ὡς πατὴρ καὶ ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν· καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς υἱὸς Ὑψίστου, καὶ ἀγαπήσει σε μᾶλλον ἢ μήτηρ σου.

10 Be as a father to the fatherless, and instead of an husband to their mother: so shall you be as the son of the most High, and he shall love you more than your mother does.

11 Ἡ σοφία υἱοὺς αὐτῆς ἀνύψωσε καὶ ἐπιλαμβάνεται τῶν ζητούντων αὐτήν.

11 Wisdom exalts her children, and lays hold of them that seek her.

12 ὁ ἀγαπῶν αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ζωήν, καὶ οἱ ὀρθρίζοντες πρὸς αὐτὴν ἐμπλησθήσονται εὐφροσύνης.

12 He that loves her loves life; and they that seek to her early shall be filled with joy.

13 ὁ κρατῶν αὐτῆς κληρονομήσει δόξαν, καὶ οὗ εἰσπορεύεται, εὐλογήσει Κύριος.

13 He that holds her fast shall inherit glory; and wherever she enters, the Lord will bless.

14 οἱ λατρεύοντες αὐτῇ λειτουργήσουσιν ἁγίῳ, καὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Κύριος.

14 They that serve her shall minister to the Holy One: and them that love her the Lord does love.

15 ὁ ὑπακούων αὐτῆς κρινεῖ ἔθνη, καὶ ὁ προσέχων αὐτῇ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθώς.

15 Whoso gives ear to her shall judge the nations: and he that attends to her shall dwell securely.

16 ἐὰν ἐμπιστεύσῃ, κατακληρονομήσει αὐτήν, καὶ ἐν κατασχέσει ἔσονται αἱ γενεαὶ αὐτοῦ·

16 If a man commit himself to her, he shall inherit her; and his generation shall hold her in possession.

17 ὅτι διεστραμμένως πορεύεται μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν πρώτοις, φόβον δὲ καὶ δειλίαν ἐπάξει ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν καὶ βασανίσει αὐτὸν ἐν παιδείᾳ αὐτῆς, ἕως οὗ ἐμπιστεύσῃ τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πειράσῃ αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασιν αὐτῆς.

17 For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline, until she may trust his soul, and try him by her laws.

18 καὶ πάλιν ἐπανήξει κατ᾿ εὐθεῖαν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εὐφρανεῖ αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποκαλύψει αὐτῷ τὰ κρυπτὰ αὐτῆς.

18 Then will she return the straight way to him, and comfort him, and show him her secrets.

19 ἐὰν ἀποπλανηθῇ, ἐγκαταλείψει αὐτὸν καὶ παραδώσει αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας πτώσεως αὐτοῦ.

19 But if he go wrong, she will forsake him, and give him over to his own ruin.

20 Συντήρησον καιρὸν καὶ φύλαξαι ἀπὸ πονηροῦ καὶ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς σου μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς·

20 Observe the opportunity, and beware of evil; and be not ashamed when it concerns your soul.

21 ἔστι γὰρ αἰσχύνη ἐπάγουσα ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη δόξα καὶ χάρις.

21 For there is a shame that brings sin; and there is a shame which is glory and grace.

22 μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ μὴ ἐντραπῇς εἰς πτῶσίν σου.

22 Accept no person against your soul, and let not the reverence of any man cause you to fall.

23 μὴ κωλύσῃς λόγον ἐν καιρῷ σωτηρίας·

23 And refrain not to speak, when there is occasion to do good, and hide not your wisdom in her beauty.

24 ἐν γὰρ λόγῳ γνωσθήσεται σοφία καὶ παιδεία ἐν ρήματι γλώσσης.

24 For by speech wisdom shall be known: and learning by the word of the tongue.

25 μὴ ἀντίλεγε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀπαιδευσίας σου ἐντράπηθι.

25 In no wise speak against the truth; but be abashed of the error of your ignorance.

26 μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς ὁμολογῆσαι ἐφ᾿ ἁμαρτίαις σου καὶ μὴ βιάζου ροῦν ποταμοῦ.

26 Be not ashamed to confess your sins; and force not the course of the river.

27 καὶ μὴ ὑποστρώσῃς σεαυτὸν ἀνθρώπῳ μωρῷ καὶ μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον δυνάστου.

27 Make not yourself an underling to a foolish man; neither accept the person of the mighty.

28 ἕως τοῦ θανάτου ἀγώνισαι περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς πολεμήσει ὑπὲρ σοῦ.

28 Strive for the truth to death, and the Lord shall fight for you.

29 μὴ γίνου ταχὺς ἐν γλώσσῃ σου καὶ νωθρὸς καὶ παρειμένος ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις σου.

29 Be not hasty in your tongue, and in your deeds slack and remiss.

30 μὴ ἴσθι ὡς λέων ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου καὶ φαντασιοκοπῶν ἐν τοῖς οἰκέταις σου.

30 Be not as a lion in your house, nor frantick amongst your servants.

31 μὴ ἔστω ἡ χείρ σου ἐκτεταμένη εἰς τὸ λαβεῖν καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀποδιδόναι συνεσταλμένη.

31 Let not your hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when you should repay.