Sirach · Catholic Public Domain Version
Sirach 3 Catholic Public Domain Version
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 The sons of wisdom are the Church of the just: and their generation is obedience and love.
1 Hear me, your father, O my children, and do what you hear, that you all may be safe.
2 Sons, listen to the judgment of your father, and act accordingly, so that you may be saved.
2 For the Lord honors the father over the children, and has confirmed the judgment of the mother over her sons.
3 For God has honored the father in the sons, and, when seeking the judgment of the mother, he has confirmed it in the children.
3 He who honors his father will make atonement for sins.
4 He who loves God will plead with him on behalf of sins, and will keep himself away from sin, and will be heeded in the prayers of his days.
4 He who gives glory to his mother is as one who lays up treasure.
5 And, like one who stores up treasure, so also is he who honors his mother.
5 Whoever honors his father will have joy in his own children. He will be heard in the day of his prayer.
6 He who honors his father will find happiness in his own children, and he will be heeded in the day of his prayer.
6 He who gives glory to his father will have length of days. He who listens to the Lord will bring rest to his mother,
7 He who honors his father will live a long life. And he who obeys his father will be a refreshment to his mother.
7 and will serve under his parents, as to masters.
8 He who fears the Lord honors his parents, and he will serve them as masters, for it is they who conceived him.
8 Honor your father in deed and word, that a blessing may come upon you from him.
9 In word and deed, and in all things, honor your father with patience,
9 For the blessing of the father establishes the houses of children, but the curse of the mother roots out the foundations.
10 so that a blessing may come to you from him, and so that his blessing may remain to the very end.
10 Don’t glorify yourself in the dishonor of your father, for your father’s dishonor is no glory to you.
11 The blessing of the father strengthens the houses of the sons; but the curse of the mother uproots even its foundation.
11 For the glory of a man is from the honor of his father, and a mother in dishonor is a reproach to her children.
12 Do not boast in the disgrace of your father; for his shame is not your glory.
12 My son, help your father in his old age, and don’t grieve him as long as he lives.
13 For the glory of a man is from the honor of his father, and a father without honor is a discredit to the son.
13 If he fails in understanding, have patience with him. Don’t dishonor him in your full strength.
14 Son, support your father in his old age, and do not grieve him in his life.
14 For the kindness to your father will not be forgotten. Instead of sins it will be added to build you up.
15 And if his mind should fail, show kindness; and do not spurn him when you are in your strength. For almsgiving to the father will never be forgotten.
15 In the day of your affliction it will be remembered for you, as fair weather upon ice, so your sins will also melt away.
16 For even in return for the sin of the mother, good will be repaid to you.
16 He who forsakes his father is as a blasphemer. He who provokes his mother is cursed by the Lord.
17 And you will be built up in justice, and you will be remembered in the day of tribulation. And your sins will dissolve like ice in warm weather.
17 My son, go on with your business in humility; so you will be loved by an acceptable man.
18 What an evil form has he who forsakes his father! And whoever exasperates his mother is accursed by God.
18 The greater you are, humble yourself the more, and you will find favor before the Lord.
19 Son, perform your works in meekness, and you shall be loved beyond the glory of men.
19 Not in this translation
20 However great you may be, humble yourself in all things, and you will find grace in the presence of God.
20 For the power of the Lord is great, and he is glorified by those who are lowly.
21 For only the power of God is great, and he is honored by the humble.
21 Don’t seek things that are too hard for you, and don’t search out things that are above your strength.
22 You should not seek the things that are too high for you, and you should not examine the things that are beyond your ability. But as for the things that God has entrusted to you, consider these always. But you should not be curious in too many of his works.
22 Think about the things that have been commanded you, for you have no need of the things that are secret.
23 For it is not necessary for you to see with your own eyes the things that are hidden.
23 Don’t be overly busy in tasks that are beyond you, for more things are shown to you than men can understand.
24 In unnecessary matters, do not choose to be an examiner of many different things, and you should not be curious about too many of his works.
24 For the conceit of many has led them astray. Evil opinion has caused their judgment to slip.
25 For many things have been revealed to you, beyond the understanding of men.
25 There is no light without eyes. There is no wisdom without knowledge.
26 Yet uncertainty in these things has also undermined many persons and has detained their minds in vanity.
26 A stubborn heart will do badly at the end. He who loves danger will perish in it.
27 A hardened heart will have evil in the very end, and he who loves peril will perish in it.
27 A stubborn heart will be burdened with troubles. The sinner will heap sin upon sins.
28 A heart advancing in two directions will not have success, and the depraved heart will be scandalized in this way.
28 The calamity of the proud has no healing, for a weed of wickedness has taken root in him.
29 A wicked heart will be burdened with sorrows, and a sinner will add further sins.
29 The heart of the prudent will understand a proverb. A wise man desires the ear of a listener.
30 The synagogue of the arrogant will not be healed. For the stalk of sinfulness will take root in them, and it will not be understood.
30 Water will quench a flaming fire; almsgiving will make atonement for sins.
31 The heart of the wise is understood by wisdom, and a good ear will listen to wisdom with all its desire.
31 He who repays good turns is mindful of that which comes afterward. In the time of his falling he will find a support.
32 A wise and understanding heart will abstain from sins, and will have success in works of justice.
32 Not in this translation
33 Water extinguishes a burning fire, and almsgiving withstands sins.
33 Not in this translation
34 And God is the watchman for him who repays a kindness. He remembers him afterwards, and in the time of his fall, he will find a firm support.
34 Not in this translation
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).
For Thou hast commanded, saying, Go on with thy business in meekness, and thou shalt be beloved by all men; and good cattle, which neither if they eat, shall they over-abound, nor if they do not eat, have they any want; and good serpents, not destructive to do hurt, but "wise" to take heed; and exploring only so much of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Seek not the things that are too deep for thee, neither search out the things that are above thy strength: what is commanded thee, think thereupon.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
It is written, "As water quencheth fire, so alms quencheth sin." Again it is written, "Shut up alms in the heart of a poor man, and it shall make supplication for thee before the Lord." Again it is written, "Hear, O king, my counsel, and redeem thy sins by alms." And many other testimonies of the Divine oracles are there, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
… abundance of graces is to be feared, that no man may pride himself in the gift of God, but may rather preserve humility, and may do what is written: "The greater thou art, the more humble thyself, and thou shalt find favour before the Lord:" how deeply pride in God's gift should be feared, we must again and again impress …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)