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.
1 Κριτὴς σοφὸς παιδεύσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡγεμονία συνετοῦ τεταγμένη ἔσται.
1 A wise judge will instruct his people. The government of a man of understanding will be well ordered.
2 Κατὰ τὸν κριτὴν τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ οὕτως καὶ οἱ λειτουργοὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἡγούμενον τῆς πόλεως πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες αὐτήν.
2 As is the judge of his people, so are his officials. As the city’s ruler is, so are all those who dwell in it.
3 Βασιλεὺς ἀπαίδευτος ἀπολεῖ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πόλις οἰκισθήσεται ἐν συνέσει δυναστῶν.
3 An undisciplined king will destroy his people. A city will be established through the understanding of the powerful.
4 Ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου ἐξουσία τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὸν χρήσιμον ἐγερεῖ εἰς καιρὸν ἐπʼ αὐτῆς.
4 The government of the earth is in the Lord’s hand. In due time, he will raise up over it the right person at the right time.
5 Ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου εὐοδία ἀνδρὸς, καὶ προσώπῳ γραμματέως ἐπιθήσει δόξαν αὐτοῦ.
5 A man’s prosperity is in the Lord’s hand. He will lay his honor upon the person of the scribe.
6 Ἐπὶ παντὶ ἀδικήματι μὴ μηνιάσῃς τῷ πλησίον, καὶ μὴ πράσσε μηδὲν ἐν ἔργοις ὕβρεως.
6 Don’t be angry with your neighbor for every wrong. Do nothing by works of violence.
7 Μισητὴ ἔναντι Κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων ὑπερηφανία, καὶ ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων πλημμελήσει ἄδικα.
7 Pride is hateful before the Lord and men. Arrogance is abhorrent in the judgment of both.
8 Βασιλεία ἀπὸ ἔθνους εἰς ἔθνος μετάγεται, διὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ὕβρεις καὶ χρήματα.
8 Sovereignty is transferred from nation to nation because of injustice, violence, and greed for money.
9 Τί ὑπερηφανεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός; ὅτι ἐν ζωῇ ἔῤῥιψα τὰ ἐνδόσθια αὐτοῦ.
9 Why are dirt and ashes proud? Because in life, my body decays.
10 Μακρὸν ἀῤῥώστημα σκώπτει ἰατρὸς, καὶ βασιλεὺς σήμερον, καὶ αὔριον τελευτήσει.
10 A long disease mocks the physician. The king of today will die tomorrow.
11 Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ἀποθανεῖν ἄνθρωπον, κληρονομήσει ἑρπετὰ καὶ θηρία καὶ σκώληκας.
11 For when a man is dead, he will inherit maggots, vermin, and worms.
12 Ἀρχὴ ὑπερηφανίας, ἀνθρώπου ἀφισταμένου ἀπὸ Κυρίου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ποιήσαντος αὐτὸν ἀπέστη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ.
12 It is the beginning of pride when a man departs from the Lord. His heart has departed from him who made him.
13 Ὅτι ἀρχὴ ὑπερηφανίας ἁμαρτία, καὶ ὁ κρατῶν αὐτῆς ἐξομβρήσει βδέλυγμα· διὰ τοῦτο παρεδόξασε Κύριος τὰς ἐπαγωγὰς, καὶ κατέστρεψεν εἰς τέλος αὐτούς.
13 For the beginning of pride is sin. He who keeps it will pour out abomination. For this cause the Lord brought upon them strange calamities and utterly overthrew them.
14 Θρόνους ἀρχόντων καθεῖλεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἐκάθισε πρᾳεῖς ἀντʼ αὐτῶν.
14 The Lord cast down the thrones of rulers and set the lowly in their place.
15 Ῥίζας ἐθνῶν ἐξέτιλεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἐφύτευσε ταπεινοὺς ἀντʼ αὐτῶν.
15 The Lord plucked up the roots of nations and planted the lowly in their place.
16 χώρας ἐθνῶν κατέστρεψεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτὰς ἕως θεμελίων γῆς.
16 The Lord overthrew the lands of nations and destroyed them to the foundations of the earth.
17 Ἐξήρανεν ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ γῆς τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν.
17 He took some of them away and destroyed them, and made their memory to cease from the earth.
18 Οὐκ ἔκτισται ἀνθρώποις ὑπερηφανία, οὐδὲ ὀργὴ θυμοῦ γεννήμασιν γυναικῶν.
18 Pride has not been created for men, nor wrathful anger for the offspring of women.
19 Σπέρμα ἔντιμον ποίον; σπέρμα ἀνθρώπου· σπέρμα ἔντιμον ποῖον; οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον· σπέρμα ἄτιμον ποῖον; σπέρμα ἀνθρώπου· σπέρμα ἄτιμον ποῖον; οἱ παραβαίνοντες ἐντολάς.
19 Whose offspring has honor? Human offspring who fear the Lord. Whose offspring has no honor? Human offspring who break the commandments.
20 Ἐν μέσῳ ἀδελφῶν ὁ ἡγούμενος αὐτῶν ἔντιμος, καὶ οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ.
20 In the midst of kindred he who rules them has honor. Those who fear the Lord have honor in his eyes. 21 Not in this translation
22 Πλούσιος καὶ ἔνδοξος καὶ πτωχὸς, τὸ καύχημα αὐτῶν φόβος Κυρίου.
22 The rich man, the honorable, and the poor all glory in the fear of the Lord.
23 Οὐ δίκαιον ἀτιμάσαι πτωχὸν συνετὸν, καὶ οὐ καθήκει δοξάσαι ἄνδρα ἁμαρτωλόν.
23 It is not right to dishonor a poor man who has understanding. It is not fitting to glorify a man who is a sinner.
24 Μεγιστὰν καὶ κριτὴς καὶ δυνάστης δοξασθήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῶν τις μείζων τοῦ φοβουμένου τὸν Κύριον.
24 The prince, the judge, and the mighty man will be honored. There is not one of them greater than he who fears the Lord.
25 Οἰκέτῃ σοφῷ ἐλεύθεροι λειτουργήσουσι, καὶ ἀνὴρ ἐπιστήμων οὐ γογγύσει.
25 Free men will minister to a wise servant. A man who has knowledge will not complain.
26 Μὴ σοφίζου ποιῆσαι τὸ ἔργον σου, καὶ μὴ δοξάζου ἐν καιρῷ στενοχωρίας σου.
26 Don’t flaunt your wisdom in doing your work. Don’t boast in the time of your distress.
27 Κρείσσων ἐργαζόμενος ἐν πᾶσιν, ἢ περιπατῶν, ἢ δοξαζόμενος καὶ ἀπορῶν ἄρτων.
27 Better is he who labors and abounds in all things, than he who boasts and lacks bread.
28 Τέκνον, ἐν πρᾳΰτητι δόξασον τὴν ψυχήν σου, καὶ δὸς αὐτῇ τιμὴν κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῆς.
28 My son, glorify your soul in humility, and ascribe to yourself honor according to your worthiness.
29 Τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίς δικαιώσει; καὶ τίς δοξάσει τὸν ἀτιμάζοντα τὴν ζωὴν αὐτοῦ;
29 Who will justify him who sins against his own soul? Who will honor him who dishonors his own life?
30 Πτωχὸς δοξάζεται διʼ ἐπιστήμην αὐτοῦ, καὶ πλούσιος δοξάζεται διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ.
30 A poor man is honored for his knowledge. A rich man is honored for his riches.
31 Ὁ δὲ δοξαζόμενος ἐν πτωχείᾳ, καὶ ἐν πλούτῳ ποσαχῶς; καὶ ὁ ἄδοξος ἐν πλούτῳ, καὶ ἐν πτωχείᾳ ποσαχῶς;
31 But he who is honored in poverty, how much more in riches? He who is dishonored in riches, how much more in poverty?
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)