1 Many have sinned for a small matter; And he that seeketh for abundance will turn his eyes away. 2 As a nail sticketh fast between the joinings of the stones; So doth sin stick close between buying and selling. 3 Unless a man hold himself diligently in the fear of the Lord, His house shall soon be overthrown. 4 As when one sifteth with a sieve, the refuse remaineth; So the filth of man in his talk. 5 The furnace proveth the potter’s vessels; So the trial of man is in his reasoning. 6 The fruit declareth if the tree have been dressed; So is the utterance of a conceit in the heart of man. 7 Praise no man before thou hearest him speak; For this is the trial of men. 8 If thou followest righteousness, thou shalt obtain her, And put her on, as a glorious long robe. 9 The birds will resort unto their like; So will truth return unto them that practice in her. 10 As the lion lieth in wait for the prey; So sin for them that work iniquity. 11 The discourse of a godly man is always with wisdom; But a fool changeth as the moon. 12 If thou be among the indiscreet, observe the time; But be continually among men of understanding. 13 The discourse of fools is irksome, And their sport is the wantonness of sin. 14 The talk of him that sweareth much maketh the hair stand upright; And their brawls make one stop his ears. 15 The strife of the proud is bloodshedding, And their revilings are grievous to the ear. 16 Whoso discovereth secrets loseth his credit; And shall never find friend to his mind. 17 Love thy friend, and be faithful unto him: But if thou betrayest his secrets, follow no more after him. 18 For as a man hath destroyed his enemy; So hast thou lost the love of thy neighbor. 19 As one that letteth a bird go out of his hand, So hast thou let thy neighbor go, and shalt not get him again. 20 Follow after him no more, for he is too far off; He is as a roe escaped out of the snare. 21 As for a wound, it may be bound up; And after reviling there may be reconcilement: But he that betrayeth secrets is without hope. 22 He that winketh with the eyes worketh evil: And he that knoweth him will depart from him. 23 When thou art present, he will speak sweetly, And will admire thy words: But at the last he will writhe his mouth, And slander thy sayings. 24 I have hated many things, but nothing like him; For the Lord will hate him. 25 Whoso casteth a stone on high casteth it on his own head; And a deceitful stroke shall make wounds. 26 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: And he that setteth a trap shall be taken therein. 27 He that worketh mischief, it shall fall upon him, And he shall not know whence it cometh. 28 Mockery and reproach are from the proud; But vengeance, as a lion, shall lie in wait for him. 29 They that rejoice at the fall of the righteous shall be taken in the snare; And anguish shall consume them before they die. 30 Malice and wrath, even these are abominations; And the sinful man shall have them both.
Sirach · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Sirach 27 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
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).
… manifest: for the day shall declare it,"--the day, no doubt, of tribulation--"because," says he, "it shall be revealed by fire." He calls tribulation fire, just as it is elsewhere said, "The furnace proves the vessels of the potter, and the trial of affliction righteous men." And "The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
What Scripture says is very true, "As for a fool he changeth as the moon." I believe also that the variations of the moon do not take place without exerting great influence upon the organization of animals and of all living things.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
For "the furnace proveth the potter's vessels, and the trial of tribulation righteous men." Joseph therefore was tempted with the allurement of debauchery, but he was not brought into temptation.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)