Sirach · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Sirach 28 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
1 He that revengeth shall find vengeance from the Lord, And he will surely keep his sins [in remembrance].
1 He who takes vengeance will find vengeance from the Lord, and he will surely make his sins firm.
2 Forgive thy neighbor the hurt that he hath done unto thee, So shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest.
2 Forgive your neighbor the hurt that he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
3 One man beareth hatred against another, And doth he seek pardon from the Lord?
3 Does anyone harbor anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?
4 He showeth no mercy to a man, which is like himself: And doth he ask forgiveness of his own sins?
4 Upon a man like himself he has no mercy, and does he make supplication for his own sins?
5 If he that is but flesh nourish hatred, Who will entreat for pardon of his sins?
5 He himself, being flesh, nourishes wrath. Who will make atonement for his sins?
6 Remember thy end, and let thy enmity cease; [Remember] corruption and death, and abide in the commandments.
6 Remember your last end, and stop enmity. Remember corruption and death, and be true to the commandments.
7 Remember the commandments, and bear no malice to thy neighbor: [Remember] the covenant of the Highest, and wink at ignorance.
7 Remember the commandments, and don’t be angry with your neighbor. Remember the covenant of the Highest, and overlook ignorance.
8 Abstain from strife, and thou shalt diminish thy sins: For a furious man will kindle strife.
8 Abstain from strife, and you will diminish your sins, for a passionate man will kindle strife.
9 A sinful man disquieteth friends, And maketh debate among them that be at peace.
9 A man who is a sinner will trouble friends and sow discord among those who are at peace.
10 As the matter of the fire is, so it burneth: And as a man’s strength is, so is his wrath; And according to his riches his anger riseth; And the stronger they are which contend, the more they will be inflamed.
10 As is the fuel of the fire, so it will burn; and as the stoutness of the strife is, so it will burn. As is the strength of the man, so will be his wrath; and as is his wealth, so he will exalt his anger.
11 A hasty contention kindleth a fire: And a hasty fighting sheddeth blood.
11 A contention begun in haste kindles a fire; and hasty fighting sheds blood.
12 If thou blow the spark, it shall burn: If thou spit upon it, it shall be quenched: And both these come out of thy mouth.
12 If you blow on a spark, it will burn; and if you spit upon it, it will be quenched. Both of these come out of your mouth.
13 Curse the whisperer and double-tongued: For such have destroyed many that were at peace.
13 Curse the whisperer and double-tongued, for he has destroyed many who were at peace.
14 A backbiting tongue hath disquieted many, And driven them from nation to nation: Strong cities hath it pulled down, And overthrown the houses of great men.
14 A slanderer has shaken many, and dispersed them from nation to nation. It has pulled down strong cities and overthrown the houses of great men.
15 A backbiting tongue hath cast out virtuous women, And deprived them of their labors.
15 A slanderer has cast out brave women and deprived them of their labors.
16 Whoso hearkeneth unto it shall never find rest, And never dwell quietly.
16 He who listens to it will not find rest, nor will he live quietly.
17 The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh: But the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones.
17 The stroke of a whip makes a mark in the flesh, but the stroke of a tongue will break bones.
18 Many have fallen by the edge of the sword: But not so many as have fallen by the tongue.
18 Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, yet not so many as those who have fallen because of the tongue.
19 Well is he that is defended from it, And hath not passed through the venom thereof, Who hath not drawn the yoke thereof, Nor hath been bound in her bands.
19 Happy is he who is sheltered from it, who has not passed through its wrath, who has not drawn its yoke, and has not been bound with its bands.
20 For the yoke thereof is a yoke of iron, And the bands thereof are bands of brass.
20 For its yoke is a yoke of iron, and its bands are bands of brass.
21 The death thereof is an evil death, The grave were better than it.
21 Its death is an evil death, and Hades is better than it.
22 It shall not have rule over them that fear God, Neither shall they be burned with the flame thereof.
22 It will not have rule over godly men. They will not be burned in its flame.
23 Such as forsake the Lord shall fall into it; And it shall burn in them, and not be quenched; It shall be sent upon them as a lion, And devour them as a leopard.
23 Those who forsake the Lord will fall into it. It will burn among them, and won’t be quenched. It will be sent against them like a lion. It will destroy them like a leopard.
24 Look that thou hedge thy possession about with thorns, And bind up thy silver and gold,
24 As you hedge your possession about with thorns, and secure your silver and your gold,
25 And weigh thy words in a balance, And make a door and bar for thy mouth.
25 so make a balance and a weight for your words, and make a door and a bar for your mouth.
26 Beware thou slide not by it, Lest thou fall before him that lieth in wait.
26 Take heed lest you slip with it, lest you fall before one who lies in wait.
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).
One man keepeth anger against another, and doth he seek healing of God?" "And yet He allowed, eye for eye,' and tooth for tooth,' how then doth He find fault?" Because He allowed even those things, not that we should do them one to another, but that through the fear of suffering, we might abstain from the commission of crime.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)