Sirach · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Sirach 19 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
1 A labouring man that is given to drunkenness shall not be rich: and he that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little.
1 A worker who is a drunkard will not become rich. He who despises small things will fall little by little.
2 Wine and women will make men of understanding to fall away: and he that cleaveth to harlots will become impudent.
2 Wine and women will make men of understanding go astray. He who joins with prostitutes is reckless.
3 Moths and worms shall have him to heritage, and a bold man shall be taken away.
3 Decay and worms will have him as their heritage. A reckless soul will be taken away.
4 He that is hasty to give credit is lightminded; and he that sinneth shall offend against his own soul.
4 He who is hasty to trust is shallow-hearted. He who sins offends against his own soul.
5 Whoso taketh pleasure in wickedness shall be condemned: but he that resisteth pleasures crowneth his life.
5 He who rejoices in wickedness will be condemned.
6 He that can rule his tongue shall live without strife; and he that hateth babbling shall have less evil.
6 He who hates gossip has less wickedness.
7 Rehearse not unto another that which is told unto thee, and thou shalt fare never the worse.
7 Never repeat what is told you, and you won’t lose anything.
8 Whether it be to friend or foe, talk not of other men’s lives; and if thou canst without offence, reveal them not.
8 Whether it is of friend or foe, don’t tell it. Unless it is a sin to you, don’t reveal it.
9 For he heard and observed thee, and when time cometh he will hate thee.
9 For if he has heard you and observed you, when the time comes, he will hate you.
10 If thou hast heard a word, let it die with thee; and be bold, it will not burst thee.
10 Have you heard something? Let it die with you. Be brave: it will not make you burst!
11 A fool travaileth with a word, as a woman in labour of a child.
11 A fool will travail in pain with a word, as a woman in labor with a child.
12 As an arrow that sticketh in a man’s thigh, so is a word within a fool’s belly.
12 As an arrow that sticks in the flesh of the thigh, so is gossip in a fool.
13 Admonish a friend, it may be he hath not done it: and if he have done it, that he do it no more.
13 Question a friend; it may be he didn’t do it. If he did something, it may be that he may do it no more.
14 Admonish thy friend, it may be he hath not said it: and if he have, that he speak it not again.
14 Question your neighbor; it may be he didn’t say it. If he has said it, it may be that he may not say it again.
15 Admonish a friend: for many times it is a slander, and believe not every tale.
15 Question a friend; for many times there is slander. Don’t trust every word.
16 There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart; and who is he that hath not offended with his tongue?
16 There is one who slips, and not from the heart. Who is he who hasn’t sinned with his tongue?
17 Admonish thy neighbour before thou threaten him; and not being angry, give place to the law of the most High.
17 Reprove your neighbor before you threaten him; and give place to the law of the Most High.
18 The fear of the Lord is the first step to be accepted [of him], and wisdom obtaineth his love.
18 Not in this translation
19 The knowledge of the commandments of the Lord is the doctrine of life: and they that do things that please him shall receive the fruit of the tree of immortality.
19 Not in this translation
20 The fear of the Lord is all wisdom; and in all wisdom is the performance of the law, and the knowledge of his omnipotency.
20 All wisdom is the fear of the Lord. In all wisdom is the doing of the law.
21 If a servant say to his master, I will not do as it pleaseth thee; though afterward he do it, he angereth him that nourisheth him.
21 Not in this translation
22 The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, neither at any time the counsel of sinners prudence.
22 The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom. The prudence of sinners is not counsel.
23 There is a wickedness, and the same an abomination; and there is a fool wanting in wisdom.
23 There is a wickedness, and it is an abomination. There is a fool lacking in wisdom.
24 He that hath small understanding, and feareth God, is better than one that hath much wisdom, and transgresseth the law of the most High.
24 Better is one who has little understanding, and fears God, than one who has much intelligence and transgresses the law.
25 There is an exquisite subtilty, and the same is unjust; and there is one that turneth aside to make judgment appear; and there is a wise man that justifieth in judgment.
25 There is an exquisite subtlety, and it is unjust. And there is one who perverts favor to gain a judgment.
26 There is a wicked man that hangeth down his head sadly; but inwardly he is full of deceit,
26 There is one who does wickedly, who hangs down his head with mourning; but inwardly he is full of deceit,
27 Casting down his countenance, and making as if he heard not: where he is not known, he will do thee a mischief before thou be aware.
27 bowing down his face, and pretending to be deaf in one ear. Where he isn’t known, he will take advantage of you.
28 And if for want of power he be hindered from sinning, yet when he findeth opportunity he will do evil.
28 And if for lack of power he is hindered from sinning, if he finds opportunity, he will do mischief.
29 A man may be known by his look, and one that hath understanding by his countenance, when thou meetest him.
29 A man will be known by his appearance. One who has understanding will be known by his face when you meet him.
30 A man’s attire, and excessive laughter, and gait, shew what he is.
30 A man’s attire, grinning laughter, and the way he walks show what he is.
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).
And so unto that little, adding daily littles (for "he that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little"), she contracted such a habit as, to drink off eagerly her little cup nearly full of wine.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)