1 Ἐὰν εὖ ποιῇς, γνῶθι τίνι ποιεῖς, καὶ ἔσται χάρις τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς σου. 2 Εὐποίησον εὐσεβεῖ, καὶ εὑρήσεις ἀνταπόδομα, καὶ εἰ μὴ παρʼ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ ὑψίστου. 3 Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὰ τῷ ἐνελεχίζοντι εἰς κακὰ, καὶ τῷ ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ χαριζομένῳ. 4 Δὸς τῷ εὐσεβεῖ, καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ. 5 Εὐποίησον τῷ ταπεινῷ, καὶ μὴ δῷς ἀσεβεῖ· ἐμπόδισον τοὺς ἄρτους αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτῷ ἵνα μὴ ἐν αὐτοῖς σε δυναστεύσῃ· διπλάσια γὰρ κακὰ εὑρήσεις ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς οἷς ἂν ποιήσῃς αὐτῷ. 6 Ὅτι καὶ ὁ ὕψιστος ἐμίσησεν ἁμαρτωλούς, καὶ τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν ἀποδώσει ἐκδίκησιν. 7 Δὸς τῷ ἀγαθῷ, καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ. 8 Οὐκ ἐκδικηθησεται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ὁ φίλος, καὶ οὐ κρυβήσεται ἐν κακοῖς ὁ ἐχθρός. 9 Ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδρὸς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν λύπῃ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ φίλος διαχωρισθήσεται. 10 Μὴ πιστεύσῃς τῷ ἐχθρῷ σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ὡς γὰρ ὁ χαλκὸς ἰοῦται, οὕτως ἡ πονηρία αὐτοῦ. 11 Καὶ ἐὰν ταπεινωθῇ καὶ πορεύηται συγκεκυφὼς, ἐπίστησον τὴν ψυχήν σου καὶ φύλαξαι ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσῃ αὐτῷ ὡς ἐκμεμαχὼς ἔσοπτρον, καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τέλος κατίωσε. 12 Μὴ στήσῃς αὐτὸν παρὰ σεαυτὸν, μὴ ἀνατρέψας σε στῇ ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον σου· μὴ καθίσης αὐτὸν ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, μήποτε ζητήσῃ τὴν καθέδραν σου, καὶ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτῳ ἐπιγνώσῃ τοὺς λόγους μου, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ῥημάτων μου κατανυγήσῃ. 13 Τίς ἐλεήσει ἐπαοιδὸν ὀφιόδηκτον, καὶ πάντας τοὺς προσάγοντας θηρίοις; 14 Οὕτως τὸν προσπορεύομενον ἀνδρὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ καὶ συμφυρόμενον ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτοῦ. 15 Ὥραν μετὰ σοῦ διαμενεῖ, καὶ ἐὰν ἐκκλίνῃς, οὐ μὴ καρτερήσῃ. 16 Καὶ ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ γλυκανεῖ ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδία αὐτοῦ βουλεύσεται ἀνατρέψαι σε εἰς βόθρον· ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ δακρύσει ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ ἐὰν εὕρῃ καιρὸν, οὐκ ἐμπλησθήσεται ἀφʼ αἵματος. 17 Κακὰ ἂν ὑπαντήσῃ σοι, εὑρήσεις αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ πρότερόν σου, καὶ ὡς βοηθῶν ὑποσχάσει πτέρναν σου. 18 Κινήσει τὴν κεφαλὴναὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπικροτήσει ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πολλὰ διαψιθυρίσει, καὶ ἀλλοιώσει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ.
Sirach · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Sirach 12 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.
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: "Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner." The latter clause of this sentence seems to forbid benevolence; for it says, "help not a sinner." Understand, therefore, that "sinner" is put figuratively for sin, so that it is his sin you are not to help.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
"But who," it is said, "will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent?" For we ought, knowing its cruel tyranny, to flee that slavery, and destroy that grievous longing.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
"Help not a sinner:" and, "give not to the ungodly;" and yet, "give unto every man that asketh of thee." But it is a sinner who asketh of me.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)