Sirach · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Sirach 20 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 Ἔστιν ἔλεγχος ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ὡραῖος, καὶ ἔστι σιωπῶν καὶ αὐτὸς φρόνιμος.
1 There is a reproof that is not timely; and there is a person who is wise enough to keep silent.
2 Ὡς καλὸν ἐλέγξαι ἢ θυμοῦσθαι,
2 How good is it to reprove, rather than to be angry. He who confesses will be kept back from harm.
3 καὶ ὁ ἀνθομολογούμενος ἀπὸ ἐλαττώσεως κωλυθήσεται.
3 Not in this translation
4 Ἐπιθυμία εὐνούχου ἀποπαρθενῶσαι νεανίδα, οὕτως ὁ ποιῶν ἐν βίᾳ κρίματα.
4 As is the lust of a eunuch to deflower a virgin, so is he who executes judgments with violence.
5 Εστι σιωπῶν εὑρισκόμενος σοφὸς, καὶ ἔστι μισητὸς ἀπὸ πολλῆς λαλιᾶς.
5 There is one who keeps silent and is found wise; and there is one who is hated for his much talk.
6 Ἔστι σιωπῶν, οὐ γὰρ ἔχει ἀπόκρισιν, καὶ ἔστι σιωπῶν εἰδὼς καιρόν.
6 There is one who keeps silent, for he has no answer to make; And there is one who keeps silent, knowing when to speak.
7 Ἄνθρωπος σοφὸς σιγήσει ἕως καιροῦ, ὁ δὲ λαπιστὴς καὶ ἄφρων ὑπερβήσεται καιρόν.
7 A wise man will be silent until his time has come, but the braggart and fool will miss his time.
8 Ὁ πλεονάζων λόγῳ βδελυχθήσεται, καὶ ὁ ἐνεξουσιαζόμενος μισηθήσεται.
8 He who uses many words will be abhorred. He who takes authority for himself will be hated in it.
9 Ἔστιν εὐοδία ἐν κακοῖς ἀνδρί, καὶ ἔστιν εὕρεμα εἰς ἐλάττωσιν.
9 There is a prosperity that a man finds in misfortunes; and there is a gain that turns to loss.
10 Ἔστι δόσις ἣ οὐ λυσιτελήσει σοι, καὶ ἔστι δόσις ἧς τὸ ἀνταπόδομα διπλοῦν.
10 There is a gift that will not profit you; and there is a gift that pays back double.
11 Ἔστιν ἐλάττωσις ἕνεκεν δόξης, καὶ ἔστιν ὃς ἀπὸ ταπεινώσεως ᾖρε κεφαλήν.
11 There are losses because of glory; and there is one who has lifted up his head from a low estate.
12 Ἔστιν ἀγοράζων πολλὰ ὀλίγου, καὶ ἀποτιννύων αὐτὰ ἑπταπλάσιον.
12 There is one who buys much for a little, and pays for it again sevenfold.
13 Ὁ σοφὸς ἐν λόγῳ ἑαυτὸν προσφιλῆ ποιήσει, χάριτες δὲ μωρῶν ἐκχυθήσονται.
13 He who is wise in words will make himself beloved; but the pleasantries of fools will be wasted.
14 Δόσις ἄφρονος οὐ λυσιτελήσει σοι, οἱ γὰρ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἀνθʼ ἑνὸς πολλοί.
14 The gift of a fool will not profit you, for he looks for repayment many times instead of one.
15 Ὀλίγα δώσει καὶ πολλὰ ὀνειδίσει, καὶ ἀνοίξει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ὡς κήρυξ· σήμερον δανειεῖ καὶ αὔριον ἀπαιτήσει· μισητὸς ἄνθρωπος ὁ τοιοῦτος.
15 He will give little and insult much. He will open his mouth like a crier. Today he will lend, and tomorrow he will ask for it back. Such a one is a hateful man.
16 Μωρὸς ἐρεῖ, οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι φίλος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι χάρις τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς μου· οἱ ἔσθοντες τὸν ἄρτον μου, φαῦλοι γλώσσῃ.
16 The fool will say, “I have no friend, and I have no thanks for my good deeds. Those who eat my bread have an evil tongue.”
17 Ποσάκις, καὶ ὅσοι καταγελάσονται αὐτοῦ;
17 How often, and of how many, will he be laughed to scorn!
18 Ὀλίσθημα ἀπὸ ἐδάφους μᾶλλον ἢ ἀπὸ γλώσσης, οὕτως πτῶσις κακῶν κατὰ σπουδὴν ἥξει.
18 A slip on a pavement is better than a slip with the tongue. So the fall of the wicked will come speedily.
19 Ἄνθρωπος ἄχαρις, μύθος ἄκαιρος, ἐν στόματι ἀπαιδεύτων ἐνδελεχισθήσεται.
19 A man without grace is a tale out of season. It will be continually in the mouth of the ignorant.
20 Ἀπὸ στόματος μωροῦ ἀποδοκιμασθήσεται παραβολὴ, οὐ γὰρ μὴ εἴπῃ αὐτὴν ἐν καιρῷ αὐτῆς.
20 A parable from a fool’s mouth will be rejected; for he won’t tell it at the proper time.
21 Ἔστι κωλυόμενος ἁμαρτάνειν ἀπὸ ἐνδείας, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀναπαύσει αὐτοῦ οὐ κατανυγήσεται.
21 There is one who is hindered from sinning through lack. When he rests, he will not be troubled.
22 Ἔστιν ἀπολλύων τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ διʼ αἰσχύνην, καὶ ἀπὸ ἄφρονος προσώπου ἀπολεῖ αὐτήν.
22 There is one who destroys his soul through bashfulness. By a foolish countenance, he will destroy it.
23 Ἔστι χάριν αἰσχύνης ἐπαγγελλόμενος φίλῳ, καὶ ἐκτήσατο αὐτὸν ἐχθρὸν δωρεάν.
23 There is one who for bashfulness makes promises to his friend; and he makes him his enemy for nothing.
24 Μῶμος πονηρὸς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ψεῦδος, ἐν στόματι ἀπαιδεύτων ἐνδελεχισθήσεται.
24 A lie is an ugly blot on a person. It will be continually in the mouth of the ignorant.
25 Αἱρετὸν κλέπτης, ἢ ὁ ἐνδελεχίζων ψεύδει, ἀμφότεροι δὲ ἀπώλειαν κληρονομήσουσιν.
25 A thief is better than a man who is continually lying, but they both will inherit destruction.
26 Ἦθος ἀνθρώπου ψευδοῦς ἀτιμία, καὶ ἡ αἰσχύνη αὐτοῦ μετʼ αὐτοῦ ἐνδελεχῶς. ΛΟΓΟΙ ΠΑΡΑΒΟΛΩΝ.
26 The destination of a liar is dishonor. His shame is with him continually.
27 Ο σοφὸς ἐν λόγοις προάξει ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ἄνθρωπος φρόνιμος ἀρέσει μεγιστᾶσιν.
27 He who is wise in words will advance himself. And one who is prudent will please great men.
28 Ὁ ἐργαζόμενος γῆν ἀνυψώσει θημωνίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ ἀρέσκων μεγιστᾶσιν ἐξιλάσεται ἀδικίαν.
28 He who tills his land will raise his harvest high. He who pleases great men will get pardon for iniquity.
29 Ξένια καὶ δῶρα ἀποτυφλοῖ ὀφθαλμοὺς σοφῶν, καὶ ὡς φιμὸς ἐν στόματι ἀποτρέπει ἐλεγμούς.
29 Favors and gifts blind the eyes of the wise, and as a muzzle on the mouth, turn away reproofs.
30 Σοφία κεκρυμμένη καὶ θησαυρὸς ἀφανὴς, τίς ὠφέλεια ἐν ἀμφοτέροις;
30 Wisdom that is hidden, and treasure that is out of sight— what profit is in either of them?
31 Κρείσσων ἄνθρωπος ἀποκρύπτων τὴν μωρίαν αὐτοῦ, ἢ ἄνθρωπος ἀποκρύπτων τὴν σοφίαν αὐτοῦ.
31 Better is a man who hides his folly than a man who hides his wisdom. 32 Not in this translation
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).
For he hath plenty, and is with her, but cannot satisfy all his desire; but the same result takes place as some wise man mentions; "The lust of eunuch to deflower a virgin;" and, "Like an eunuch embracing a virgin and groaning;" so are all the rich.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)