Sirach · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Sirach 11 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
Sirach is not in RV1909.
1 Wisdom lifteth up the head of him that is of low degree, And maketh him to sit among great men.
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2 Commend not a man for his beauty; Neither abhor a man for his outward appearance.
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3 The bee is little among such as fly; But her fruit is the chief of sweet things.
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4 Boast not of thy clothing and raiment, And exalt not thyself in the day of honor: For the works of the Lord are wonderful, And his works among men are hidden.
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5 Many kings have sat down upon the ground; And one that was never thought of hath worn the crown.
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6 Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced; And the honorable delivered into other men’s hands.
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7 Blame not before thou hast examined the truth: Understand first, and then rebuke.
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8 Answer not before thou hast heard the cause: Neither interrupt men in the midst of their talk.
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9 Strive not in a matter that concerneth thee not; And sit not in judgment with sinners.
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10 My son, meddle not with many matters: For if thou meddle much, thou shalt not be innocent; And if thou follow after, thou shalt not obtain, Neither shalt thou escape by fleeing.
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11 There is one that laboreth, and taketh pains, and maketh haste, And is so much the more behind.
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12 Again, there is another that is slow, and hath need of help, Wanting ability, and full of poverty; Yet the eye of the Lord looked upon him for good, And set him up from his low estate,
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13 And lifted up his head from misery; So that many that saw it marveled at him.
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14 Prosperity and adversity, life and death, Poverty and riches, come of the Lord.
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17 The gift of the Lord remaineth with the godly, And his favor bringeth prosperity forever.
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18 There is that waxeth rich by his wariness and pinching, And this is the portion of his reward:
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19 Whereas he saith, I have found rest, And now will eat continually of my goods; And [yet] he knoweth not what time shall come upon him, And that he must leave those things to others, and die.
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20 Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, And wax old in thy work.
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21 Marvel not at the works of sinners; But trust in the Lord, and abide in thy labor: For it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord on the sudden to make a poor man rich.
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22 The blessing of the Lord is in the reward of the godly, And suddenly he maketh his blessing to flourish.
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23 Say not, What profit is there of my service? And what good things shall I have hereafter?
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24 Again, say not, I have enough, and possess many things, And what evil can come to me hereafter?
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25 In the day of prosperity there is a forgetfulness of affliction: And in the day of affliction there is no more remembrance of prosperity.
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26 For it is an easy thing unto the Lord in the day of death To reward a man according to his ways.
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27 The affliction of an hour maketh a man forget pleasure: And in his end his deeds shall be discovered.
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28 Judge none blessed before his death: For a man shall be known in his children.
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29 Bring not every man into thy house: For the deceitful man hath many trains.
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30 Like as a partridge taken [and kept] in a cage, so is the heart of the proud: And like as a spy, watcheth he for thy fall:
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31 For he lieth in wait, and turneth good into evil, And in things worthy praise will lay blame upon thee.
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32 Of a spark of fire a heap of coals is kindled: And a sinful man layeth wait for blood.
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33 Take heed of a mischievous man, for he worketh wickedness: Lest he bring upon thee a perpetual blot.
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34 Receive a stranger into thy house, and he will disturb thee, And turn thee out of thine own.
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What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Only do not thou feel secure in praising any sort of life: "judge no man blessed before his death."
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)