The Bible Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 42
Wisdom of Sirach 42
Σοφία Σειράχ
1 ΜΗ περὶ τούτων αἰσχυνθῇς, καὶ μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν·
Of these things be not thou ashamed, and accept no person to sin thereby: (Brenton's own wording of 1851; the updated edition leaves this verse out)
2 περὶ νόμου Ὑψίστου καὶ διαθήκης καὶ περὶ κρίματος δικαιῶσαι τὸν ἀσεβῆ,
Of the law of the most High, and his covenant; and of judgement to justify the ungodly;
3 περὶ λόγου κοινωνοῦ καὶ ὁδοιπόρων καὶ περὶ δόσεως κληρονομίας ἑταίρων,
Of reckoning with your partners and travellers; or of the gift of the heritage of friends;
4 περὶ ἀκριβείας ζυγοῦ καὶ σταθμίων, περὶ κτήσεως πολλῶν καὶ ὀλίγων,
Of exactness of balance and weights; or of getting much or little;
5 περὶ διαφόρου πράσεως ἐμπόρων καὶ περὶ παιδείας τέκνων πολλῆς καὶ οἰκέτῃ πονηρῷ πλευρὰν αἱμάξαι.
And of merchants' indifferent selling; of much correction of children; and to make the side of an evil servant to bleed.
6 ἐπὶ γυναικὶ πονηρᾷ καλὸν σφραγίς, καὶ ὅπου χεῖρες πολλαί, κλεῖσον·
Sure keeping is good, where an evil wife is; and shut up, where many hands are.
7 ὃ ἐὰν παραδίδως, ἐν ἀριθμῷ καὶ σταθμῷ, καὶ δόσις καὶ λῆψις, πάντα ἐν γραφῇ·
Deliver all things in number and weight; and put all in writing that you give out, or receive in.
8 περὶ παιδείας ἀνοήτου καὶ μωροῦ καὶ ἐσχατογήρου κρινομένου πρὸς νέους· καὶ ἔσῃ πεπαιδευμένος ἀληθινῶς καὶ δεδοκιμασμένος ἔναντι παντὸς ζῶντος.
Be not ashamed to inform the unwise and foolish, and the extreme aged that contends with those that are young: thus shall you be truly learnt, and approved of all men living.
9 Θυγάτηρ πατρὶ ἀπόκρυφος ἀγρυπνία, καὶ ἡ μέριμνα αὐτῆς ἀφιστᾷ ὕπνον· ἐν νεότητι αὐτῆς μήποτε παρακμάσῃ, καὶ συνῳκηκυῖα μήποτε μισηθῇ·
A daughter is a wakeful care to a father; and the care for her takes away sleep: when she is young, lest she pass away the flower of her age; and being married, lest she should be hated:
10 ἐν παρθενίᾳ μήποτε βεβηλωθῇ καὶ ἐν τοῖς πατρικοῖς αὐτῆς ἔγκυος γένηται· μετὰ ἀνδρὸς οὖσα μήποτε παραβῇ, καὶ συνῳκηκυῖα, μήποτε στειρωθῇ.
In her virginity, lest she should be defiled and gotten with child in her father's house; and having an husband, lest she should misbehave herself; and when she is married, lest she should be barren.
11 ἐπὶ θυγατρὶ ἀδιατρέπτῳ στερέωσον φυλακήν, μήποτε ποιήσῃ σε ἐπίχαρμα ἐχθροῖς, λαλιὰν ἐν πόλει καὶ ἔκκλητον λαοῦ, καὶ καταισχύνῃ σε ἐν πλήθει πολλῶν.
Keep a sure watch over a shameless daughter, lest she make you a laughing stock to your enemies, and a byword in the city, and a reproach amongst the people, and make you ashamed before the multitude.
12 παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ μὴ ἔμβλεπε ἐν κάλλει καὶ ἐν μέσῳ γυναικῶν μὴ συνέδρευε·
Behold not every body's beauty, and sit not in the midst of women.
13 ἀπὸ γὰρ ἱματίων ἐκπορεύεται σὴς καὶ ἀπὸ γυναικὸς πονηρία γυναικός.
For from garments comes a moth, and from women wickedness.
14 κρείσσων πονηρία ἀνδρὸς ἢ ἀγαθοποιὸς γυνή, καὶ γυνὴ καταισχύνουσα εἰς ὀνειδισμόν.
Better is the churlishness of a man than a courteous woman, a woman, I say, which brings shame and reproach.
15 Μνησθήσομαι δὴ τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, καὶ ἃ ἑώρακα ἐκδιηγήσομαι· ἐν λόγοις Κυρίου τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ.
I will now remember the works of the Lord, and declare the things that I have seen: In the words of the Lord are his works.
16 ἥλιος φωτίζων κατὰ πᾶν ἐπέβλεψε, καὶ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ πλῆρες τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ.
The sun that gives light looks upon all things, and the work thereof is full of the glory of the Lord.
17 οὐκ ἐνεποίησε τοῖς ἁγίοις Κύριος ἐκδιηγήσασθαι πάντα τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ, ἃ ἐστερέωσε Κύριος ὁ παντοκράτωρ στηριχθῆναι ἐν δόξῃ αὐτοῦ τὸ πᾶν.
The Lord has not given power to the saints to declare all his marvellous works, which the Almighty Lord firmly settled, that whatever is might be established for his glory.
18 ἄβυσσον καὶ καρδίαν ἐξίχνευσε καὶ ἐν πανουργεύμασιν αὐτῶν διενοήθη· ἔγνω γὰρ ὁ Κύριος πᾶσαν εἴδησιν καὶ ἐνέβλεψεν εἰς σημεῖον αἰῶνος,
He seeks out the deep, and the heart, and considers their crafty devices: for the Lord knows all that may be known, and he sees the signs of the world.
19 ἀπαγγέλλων τὰ παρεληλυθότα καὶ ἐπεσόμενα καὶ ἀποκαλύπτων ἴχνη ἀποκρύφων.
He declares the things that are past, and for to come, and reveals the steps of hidden things.
20 οὐ παρῆλθεν αὐτὸν πᾶν διανόημα, οὐκ ἐκρύβη ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ εἷς λόγος.
No thought escapes him, neither any word is hidden from him.
21 τὰ μεγαλεῖα τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ ἐκόσμησε, καὶ ὡς ἔστι πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· οὔτε προσετέθη οὔτε ἠλαττώθη, καὶ οὐ προσεδεήθη οὐδενὸς συμβούλου.
He has garnished the excellent works of his wisdom, and he is from everlasting to everlasting: to him may nothing be added, neither can he be diminished, and he has no need of any counsellor.
22 ὡς πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐπιθυμητὰ καὶ ὡς σπινθῆρός ἐστι θεωρῆσαι.
Oh how desirable are all his works! and that a man may see even to a spark.
23 πάντα ταῦτα ζῇ καὶ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐν πάσαις χρείαις, καὶ πάντα ὑπακούει.
All these things live and remain for ever for all uses, and they are all obedient.
24 πάντα δισσά, ἓν κατέναντι τοῦ ἑνός, καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὐδὲν ἐλλεῖπον·
All things are double one against another: and he has made nothing imperfect.
25 ἓν τοῦ ἑνὸς ἐστερέωσε τὰ ἀγαθά, καὶ τίς πλησθήσεται ὁρῶν δόξαν αὐτοῦ;
One thing establishes the good or another: and who shall be filled with beholding his glory?
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.