1 Κριτὴς σοφὸς παιδεύσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡγεμονία συνετοῦ τεταγμένη ἔσται. 2 Κατὰ τὸν κριτὴν τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ οὕτως καὶ οἱ λειτουργοὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἡγούμενον τῆς πόλεως πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες αὐτήν. 3 Βασιλεὺς ἀπαίδευτος ἀπολεῖ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πόλις οἰκισθήσεται ἐν συνέσει δυναστῶν. 4 Ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου ἐξουσία τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὸν χρήσιμον ἐγερεῖ εἰς καιρὸν ἐπʼ αὐτῆς. 5 Ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου εὐοδία ἀνδρὸς, καὶ προσώπῳ γραμματέως ἐπιθήσει δόξαν αὐτοῦ. 6 Ἐπὶ παντὶ ἀδικήματι μὴ μηνιάσῃς τῷ πλησίον, καὶ μὴ πράσσε μηδὲν ἐν ἔργοις ὕβρεως. 7 Μισητὴ ἔναντι Κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων ὑπερηφανία, καὶ ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων πλημμελήσει ἄδικα. 8 Βασιλεία ἀπὸ ἔθνους εἰς ἔθνος μετάγεται, διὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ὕβρεις καὶ χρήματα. 9 Τί ὑπερηφανεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός; ὅτι ἐν ζωῇ ἔῤῥιψα τὰ ἐνδόσθια αὐτοῦ. 10 Μακρὸν ἀῤῥώστημα σκώπτει ἰατρὸς, καὶ βασιλεὺς σήμερον, καὶ αὔριον τελευτήσει. 11 Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ἀποθανεῖν ἄνθρωπον, κληρονομήσει ἑρπετὰ καὶ θηρία καὶ σκώληκας. 12 Ἀρχὴ ὑπερηφανίας, ἀνθρώπου ἀφισταμένου ἀπὸ Κυρίου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ποιήσαντος αὐτὸν ἀπέστη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ. 13 Ὅτι ἀρχὴ ὑπερηφανίας ἁμαρτία, καὶ ὁ κρατῶν αὐτῆς ἐξομβρήσει βδέλυγμα· διὰ τοῦτο παρεδόξασε Κύριος τὰς ἐπαγωγὰς, καὶ κατέστρεψεν εἰς τέλος αὐτούς. 14 Θρόνους ἀρχόντων καθεῖλεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἐκάθισε πρᾳεῖς ἀντʼ αὐτῶν. 15 Ῥίζας ἐθνῶν ἐξέτιλεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἐφύτευσε ταπεινοὺς ἀντʼ αὐτῶν. 16 χώρας ἐθνῶν κατέστρεψεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτὰς ἕως θεμελίων γῆς. 17 Ἐξήρανεν ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ γῆς τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν. 18 Οὐκ ἔκτισται ἀνθρώποις ὑπερηφανία, οὐδὲ ὀργὴ θυμοῦ γεννήμασιν γυναικῶν. 19 Σπέρμα ἔντιμον ποίον; σπέρμα ἀνθρώπου· σπέρμα ἔντιμον ποῖον; οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον· σπέρμα ἄτιμον ποῖον; σπέρμα ἀνθρώπου· σπέρμα ἄτιμον ποῖον; οἱ παραβαίνοντες ἐντολάς. 20 Ἐν μέσῳ ἀδελφῶν ὁ ἡγούμενος αὐτῶν ἔντιμος, καὶ οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ. 22 Πλούσιος καὶ ἔνδοξος καὶ πτωχὸς, τὸ καύχημα αὐτῶν φόβος Κυρίου. 23 Οὐ δίκαιον ἀτιμάσαι πτωχὸν συνετὸν, καὶ οὐ καθήκει δοξάσαι ἄνδρα ἁμαρτωλόν. 24 Μεγιστὰν καὶ κριτὴς καὶ δυνάστης δοξασθήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῶν τις μείζων τοῦ φοβουμένου τὸν Κύριον. 25 Οἰκέτῃ σοφῷ ἐλεύθεροι λειτουργήσουσι, καὶ ἀνὴρ ἐπιστήμων οὐ γογγύσει. 26 Μὴ σοφίζου ποιῆσαι τὸ ἔργον σου, καὶ μὴ δοξάζου ἐν καιρῷ στενοχωρίας σου. 27 Κρείσσων ἐργαζόμενος ἐν πᾶσιν, ἢ περιπατῶν, ἢ δοξαζόμενος καὶ ἀπορῶν ἄρτων. 28 Τέκνον, ἐν πρᾳΰτητι δόξασον τὴν ψυχήν σου, καὶ δὸς αὐτῇ τιμὴν κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῆς. 29 Τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίς δικαιώσει; καὶ τίς δοξάσει τὸν ἀτιμάζοντα τὴν ζωὴν αὐτοῦ; 30 Πτωχὸς δοξάζεται διʼ ἐπιστήμην αὐτοῦ, καὶ πλούσιος δοξάζεται διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ. 31 Ὁ δὲ δοξαζόμενος ἐν πτωχείᾳ, καὶ ἐν πλούτῳ ποσαχῶς; καὶ ὁ ἄδοξος ἐν πλούτῳ, καὶ ἐν πτωχείᾳ ποσαχῶς;
Sirach · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Sirach 10 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
There is no verse 21 in this translation; the verses after it keep their usual numbers.
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).
Nor ought blessedness to begin at any other point whatever, if indeed it is to attain unto the highest wisdom; "but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;" for, on the other hand also, "pride" is entitled "the beginning of all sin." Let the proud, therefore, seek after and love the kingdoms of the earth; but "blessed …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
Let him hear it said to him, "Why is earth and ashes proud?" Even if the devil is proud, he is not "earth and ashes." Therefore was it said, "But ye shall die like men, and shall fall as one of the princes." Ye do not consider that ye are mortals, and ye are proud as the devil.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
That his earth has reference to the inner man, and that man is cast forth thence by pride, may be particularly seen in that which is written, "Why is earth and ashes proud? Because, in his life, he cast forth his bowels." For, whence he hath been cast forth, he is not unreasonably said to have cast forth himself.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)