Sirach · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Sirach 11 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 Σοφία ταπεινοῦ ἀνύψωσε κεφαλὴν, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ μεγιστάνων καθίσει αὐτόν.
1 The wisdom of the lowly will lift up his head, and make him sit in the midst of great men.
2 Μὴ αἰνέσεις ἄνδρα ἐν κάλλει αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ βδελύξῃ ἄνθρωπον ἐν ὁράσει αὐτοῦ.
2 Don’t commend a man for his good looks. Don’t abhor a man for his outward appearance.
3 Μικρὰ ἐν πετεινοῖς μέλισσα, καὶ ἀρχὴ γλυκασμάτων ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῆς.
3 The bee is little among flying creatures, but what it produces is the best of confections.
4 Ἐν περιβολῇ ἱματίων μὴ καυχήσῃ, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ δόξης μὴ ἐπαίρου, ὅτι θαυμαστὰ τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, καὶ κρυπτὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀνθρώποις.
4 Don’t boast about the clothes you wear, and don’t exalt yourself in the day of honor; for the Lord’s works are wonderful, and his works are hidden among men.
5 Πολλοὶ τύραννοι ἐκάθισαν ἐπὶ ἐδάφους, ὁ δὲ ἀνυπονόητος ἐφόρεσε διάδημα.
5 Many kings have sat down upon the ground, but one who was never thought of has worn a crown.
6 Πολλοὶ δυνάσται ἠτιμάσθησαν σφόδρα, καὶ ἔνδοξοι παρεδόθησαν εἰς χεῖρας ἑτέρων.
6 Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced. Men of renown have been delivered into other men’s hands.
7 Πρὶν ἐξετάσῃς μὴ μέμψῃ· νόησον πρῶτον καὶ τότε ἐπιτιμα.
7 Don’t blame before you investigate. Understand first, and then rebuke.
8 Πρὶν ἢ ἀκοῦσαι μὴ ἀποκρίνου, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λόγων μὴ παρεμβάλλου.
8 Don’t answer before you have heard. Don’t interrupt while someone else is speaking.
9 Περὶ πράγματος οὗ οὐκ ἔστι σοι χρεία, μὴ ἔριζε, καὶ ἐν κρίσει ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ συνέδρευε.
9 Don’t argue about a matter that doesn’t concern you. Don’t sit with sinners when they judge.
10 Τέκνον, μὴ περὶ πολλὰ ἔστωσαν αἱ πράξεις σου· ἐὰν πληθυνῇς, οὐκ ἀθωωθήσῃ· καὶ ἐὰν διώκῃς, οὐ μὴ καταλάβῃς, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγῃς διαδράς.
10 My son, don’t be busy about many matters; for if you meddle much, you will not be unpunished. If you pursue, you will not overtake, and you will not escape by fleeing.
11 Ἔστι κοπιῶν καὶ πονῶν καὶ σπεύδων, καὶ τόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑστερεῖται.
11 There is one who toils, labors, and hurries, and is even more behind.
12 Ἔστι νωθρὸς καὶ προσδεόμενος ἀντιλήψεως, ὑστερῶν ἰσχύϊ, καὶ πτωχείᾳ περισσεύει, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου ἐπέβλεψαν αὐτῷ εἰς ἀγαθὰ, καὶ ἀνώρθωσεν αὐτὸν ἐκ ταπεινώσεως αὐτοῦ·
12 There is one who is sluggish, and needs help, lacking in strength, and who abounds in poverty, but the Lord’s eyes looked upon him for good, and he raised him up from his low condition,
13 Καὶ ἀνύψωσε κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπεθαύμασαν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ πολλοί.
13 and lifted up his head so that many marveled at him.
14 Ἀγαθὰ καὶ κακά, ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος, πτωχεία καὶ πλοῦτος παρὰ Κυρίου ἐστί.
14 Good things and bad, life and death, poverty and riches, are from the Lord. 15 Not in this translation
17 Δόσις Κυρίου παραμένει εὐσεβέσι, καὶ ἡ εὐδοκία αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εὐοδωθήσεται.
17 The Lord’s gift remains with the godly. His good pleasure will prosper forever.
18 Ἔστι πλουτῶν ἀπὸ προσοχῆς καὶ σφιγγίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὕτη ἡ μερὶς τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ.
18 One grows rich by his diligence and self-denial, and this is the portion of his reward:
19 Ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν αὐτὸν, εὗρον ἀνάπαυσιν, καὶ νῦν φάγωμαι ἐκ τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου, καὶ οὐκ οἶδε τίς καιρὸς παρελεύσεται, καὶ καταλείψει αὐτὰ ἑτέροις, καὶ ἀποθανεῖται.
19 when he says, “I have found rest, and now I will eat of my goods!” he doesn’t know how much time will pass until he leaves them to others and dies.
20 Στῆθι ἐν διαθήκῃ σου καὶ ὁμίλει ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ σου παλαιώθητι.
20 Be steadfast in your covenant and be doing it, and grow old in your work.
21 Μὴ θαύμαζε ἐν ἔργοις ἁμαρτωλοῦ, πίστευε τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἔμμενε τῷ πόνῳ σου· ὅτι κοῦφον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Κυρίου διὰ τάχους ἐξάπινα πλουτίσαι πένητα.
21 Don’t marvel at the works of a sinner, but trust the Lord and stay in your labor; for it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord to swiftly and suddenly make a poor man rich.
22 Εὐλογία Κυρίου ἐν μισθῷ εὐσεβοῦς, καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ ταχινῇ ἀναθάλλει εὐλογίαν αὐτοῦ.
22 The Lord’s blessing is in the reward of the godly. He makes his blessing flourish in an hour that comes swiftly.
23 Μὴ εἴπῃς, τίς ἐστί μου χρεία; καὶ τίνα ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἔσται μου τὰ ἀγαθά;
23 Don’t say, “What use is there of me? What further good things can be mine?”
24 Μὴ εἴπῃς, αὐτάρκη μοι ἐστὶ, καὶ τί ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν κακωθήσομαι;
24 Don’t say, “I have enough. What harm could happen to me now?”
25 Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀγαθῶν ἀμνησία κακῶν, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῶν οὐ μνησθήσεται ἀγαθῶν·
25 In the day of good things, bad things are forgotten. In the day of bad things, a man will not remember things that are good.
26 ὅτι κοῦφον ἔναντι Κυρίου ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τελευτῆς ἀποδοῦναι ἀνθρώπῳ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ.
26 For it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord to reward a man in the day of death according to his ways.
27 Κάκωσις ὥρας ἐπιλησμονὴν ποιεῖ τρυφῆς, καὶ ἐν συντελείᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀποκάλυψις ἔργων αὐτοῦ.
27 The affliction of an hour causes delights to be forgotten. In the end, a man’s deeds are revealed.
28 Πρὸ τελευτῆς μὴ μακάριζε μηδένα, καὶ ἐν τέκνοις αὐτῶυ γνωσθήσεται ἀνήρ.
28 Call no man happy before his death. A man will be known in his children.
29 Μὴ πάντα ἄνθρωπον εἴσαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, πολλὰ γὰρ τὰ ἔνεδρα τοῦ δολίου.
29 Don’t bring every man into your house, for many are the tricks of a deceitful man.
30 Πέρδιξ θηρευτὴς ἐν καρτάλλῳ, οὕτως καρδία ὑπερηφάνου, καὶ ὡς ὁ κατάσκοπος ἐπιβλέπει πτῶσιν.
30 Like a decoy partridge in a cage, so is the heart of a proud man. Like a spy, he looks for your weakness.
31 Τὰ γὰρ ἀγαθὰ εἰς κακὰ μεταστρέφων ἐνεδρεύει, καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἱρετοῖς ἐπιθήσει μῶμον.
31 For he lies in wait to turn things that are good into evil, and assigns blame in things that are praiseworthy.
32 Ἀπὸ σπινθῆρος πυρὸς πληθύνεται ἀνθρακία, καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλὸς εἰς αἷμα ἐνεδρεύει.
32 From a spark of fire, a heap of many coals is kindled, and a sinful man lies in wait to shed blood.
33 Πρόσεχε ἀπὸ κακούργου, πονηρὰ γὰρ τεκταίνει, μήποτε μῶμον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα δῷ σοι.
33 Take heed of an evil-doer, for he plans wicked things, lest perhaps he ruin your reputation forever.
34 Ἐνοίκισον ἀλλότριον, καὶ διαστρέψει σε ἐν ταραχαῖς, καὶ ἀπαλλοτριώσει σε τῶν ἰδίων σου.
34 Receive a stranger into your house, and he will distract you with arguments and estrange you from your own family.
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).
Only do not thou feel secure in praising any sort of life: "judge no man blessed before his death."
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)