Sirach · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Sirach 5 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
1 Set thy heart upon thy goods; and say not, I have enough for my life.
1 Don’t set your heart upon your goods. Don’t say, “They are sufficient for me.”
2 Follow not thine own mind and thy strength, to walk in the ways of thy heart:
2 Don’t follow your own mind and your strength to walk in the desires of your heart.
3 And say not, Who shall controul me for my works? for the Lord will surely revenge thy pride.
3 Don’t say, “Who will have dominion over me?” for the Lord will surely take vengeance on you.
4 Say not, I have sinned, and what harm hath happened unto me? for the Lord is longsuffering, he will in no wise let thee go.
4 Don’t say, “I sinned, and what happened to me?” for the Lord is patient.
5 Concerning propitiation, be not without fear to add sin unto sin:
5 Don’t be so confident of atonement that you add sin upon sins.
6 And say not His mercy is great; he will be pacified for the multitude of my sins: for mercy and wrath come from him, and his indignation resteth upon sinners.
6 Don’t say, “His compassion is great. He will be pacified for the multitude of my sins,” for mercy and wrath are with him, and his indignation will rest on sinners.
7 Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day: for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed, and perish in the day of vengeance.
7 Don’t wait to turn to the Lord. Don’t put off from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come on you, and you will perish in the time of vengeance.
8 Set not thine heart upon goods unjustly gotten, for they shall not profit thee in the day of calamity.
8 Don’t set your heart upon unrighteous gains, for you will profit nothing in the day of calamity.
9 Winnow not with every wind, and go not into every way: for so doth the sinner that hath a double tongue.
9 Don’t winnow with every wind. Don’t walk in every path. This is what the sinner who has a double tongue does.
10 Be stedfast in thy understanding; and let thy word be the same.
10 Be steadfast in your understanding. Let your speech be consistent.
11 Be swift to hear; and let thy life be sincere; and with patience give answer.
11 Be swift to hear and answer with patience.
12 If thou hast understanding, answer thy neighbour; if not, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.
12 If you have understanding, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your hand over your mouth.
13 Honour and shame is in talk: and the tongue of man is his fall.
13 Glory and dishonor is in talk. A man’s tongue may be his downfall.
14 Be not called a whisperer, and lie not in wait with thy tongue: for a foul shame is upon the thief, and an evil condemnation upon the double tongue.
14 Don’t be called a whisperer. Don’t lie in wait with your tongue; for shame is on the thief, and an evil condemnation is on him who has a double tongue.
15 Be not ignorant of any thing in a great matter or a small.
15 Don’t be ignorant in a great or small matter.
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).
… despaired wrongly, and were lost in their despair, and called them back to hope; so doth He go forth to these also who would perish through an evil hope; and by another book He saith to them, "Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord." As He had said to the others, "In whatsoever day a man shall turn from …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)