Sirach · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Sirach 11 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Sirach is not in RV1909.
1 The wisdom of the humble shall exalt his head, and shall make him sit in the midst of great men.
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2 Praise not a man for his beauty, neither despise a man for his look.
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3 The bee is small among flying things, but her fruit hath the chiefest sweetness.
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4 Glory not in apparel at any time, and be not exalted in the day of thy honour: for the works of the Highest only are wonderful, and his works are glorious, and secret, and hidden.
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5 Many tyrants have sat on the throne, and he whom no man would think on, hath worn the crown.
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6 Many mighty men have been greatly brought down, and the glorious have been delivered into the hand of others.
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7 Before thou inquire, blame no man: and when thou hast inquired, reprove justly.
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8 Before thou hear, answer not a word: and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse.
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9 Strive not in a matter which doth not concern thee, and sit not in judgment with sinners.
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10 My son, meddle not with many matters: and if thou be rich, thou shalt not be free from sin: for if thou pursue after thou shalt not overtake: and if thou run before thou shalt not escape.
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11 There is an ungodly man that laboureth, and maketh haste, and is in sorrow, and is so much the more in want.
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12 Again, there is an inactive man that wanteth help, is very weak in ability, and full of poverty:
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13 Yet the eye of God hath looked upon him for good, and hath lifted him up from his low estate, and hath exalted his head: and many have wondered at him, and have glorified God.
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14 Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from God.
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15 Wisdom and discipline, and the knowledge of the law are with God. Love and the ways of good things are with him.
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16 Error and darkness are created with sinners: and they that glory in evil things, grow old in evil.
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17 The gift of God abideth with the just, and his advancement shall have success for ever.
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18 There is one that is enriched by living sparingly, and this is the portion of his reward.
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19 In that he saith: I have found me rest, and now I will eat of my goods alone:
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20 And he knoweth not what time shall pass, and that death approacheth, and that he must leave all to others, and shall die.
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21 Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and grow old in the work of thy commandments.
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22 Abide not in the works of sinners. But trust in God, and stay in thy place.
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23 For it is easy in the eyes of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich.
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24 The blessing of God maketh haste to reward the just, and in a swift hour his blessing beareth fruit.
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25 Say not: What need I, and what good shall I have by this?
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26 Say not: I am sufficient for myself: and what shall I be made worse by this?
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27 In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils: and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things:
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28 For it is easy before God in the day of death to reward every one according to his ways.
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29 The affliction of an hour maketh one forget great delights, and in the end of a man is the disclosing of his works.
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30 Praise not any man before death, for a man is known by his children.
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31 Bring not every man into thy house: for many are the snares of the deceitful.
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32 For as corrupted bowels send forth stinking breath, and as the partridge is brought into the cage, and as the roe into the snare: so also is the heart of the proud, and as a spy that looketh on the fall of his neighbour.
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33 For he lieth in wait and turneth good into evil, and on the elect he will lay a blot.
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34 Of one spark cometh a great fire, and of one deceitful man much blood: and a sinful man lieth in wait for blood.
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35 Take heed to thyself of a mischievous man, for he worketh evils: lest he bring upon thee reproach for ever.
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36 Receive a stranger in, and he shall overthrow thee with a whirlwind, and shall turn thee out of thy 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)