Sirach · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Sirach 22 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Sirach is not in RV1909.
1 A slothful man is compared to a filthy stone, and every one will hiss him out to his disgrace.
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2 A slothful man is compared to the filth of a dunghill: every man that takes it up will shake his hand.
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3 An evilnurtured man is the dishonour of his father that begat him: and a [foolish] daughter is born to his loss.
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4 A wise daughter shall bring an inheritance to her husband: but she that liveth dishonestly is her father’s heaviness.
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5 She that is bold dishonoureth both her father and her husband, but they both shall despise her.
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6 A tale out of season [is as] musick in mourning: but stripes and correction of wisdom are never out of time.
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7 Whoso teacheth a fool is as one that glueth a potsherd together, and as he that waketh one from a sound sleep.
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8 He that telleth a tale to a fool speaketh to one in a slumber: when he hath told his tale, he will say, What is the matter?
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9 If children live honestly, and have wherewithal, they shall cover the baseness of their parents.
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10 But children, being haughty, through disdain and want of nurture do stain the nobility of their kindred.
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11 Weep for the dead, for he hath lost the light: and weep for the fool, for he wanteth understanding: make little weeping for the dead, for he is at rest: but the life of the fool is worse than death.
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12 Seven days do men mourn for him that is dead; but for a fool and an ungodly man all the days of his life.
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13 Talk not much with a fool, and go not to him that hath no understanding: beware of him, lest thou have trouble, and thou shalt never be defiled with his fooleries: depart from him, and thou shalt find rest, and never be disquieted with madness.
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14 What is heavier than lead? and what is the name thereof, but a fool?
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15 Sand, and salt, and a mass of iron, is easier to bear, than a man without understanding.
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16 As timber girt and bound together in a building cannot be loosed with shaking: so the heart that is stablished by advised counsel shall fear at no time.
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17 A heart settled upon a thought of understanding is as a fair plaistering on the wall of a gallery.
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18 Pales set on an high place will never stand against the wind: so a fearful heart in the imagination of a fool cannot stand against any fear.
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19 He that pricketh the eye will make tears to fall: and he that pricketh the heart maketh it to shew her knowledge.
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20 Whoso casteth a stone at the birds frayeth them away: and he that upbraideth his friend breaketh friendship.
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21 Though thou drewest a sword at thy friend, yet despair not: for there may be a returning [to favour].
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22 If thou hast opened thy mouth against thy friend, fear not; for there may be a reconciliation: except for upbraiding, or pride, or disclosing of secrets, or a treacherous wound: for for these things every friend will depart.
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23 Be faithful to thy neighbour in his poverty, that thou mayest rejoice in his prosperity: abide stedfast unto him in the time of his trouble, that thou mayest be heir with him in his heritage: for a mean estate is not always to be contemned: nor the rich that is foolish to be had in admiration.
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24 As the vapour and smoke of a furnace goeth before the fire; so reviling before blood.
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25 I will not be ashamed to defend a friend; neither will I hide myself from him.
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26 And if any evil happen unto me by him, every one that heareth it will beware of him.
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27 Who shall set a watch before my mouth, and a seal of wisdom upon my lips, that I fall not suddenly by them, and that my tongue destroy me not?
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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).
It is written, "The mourning for the dead is seven days; for a fool and an ungodly man all the days of his life." What!
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)