1 Πὰς φίλος ἐρεῖ, ἐφιλίασα αὐτῷ κᾷγώ· ἀλλʼ ἔστι φίλος ὀνόματι μόνον φίλος. 2 Οὐχὶ λύπη ἔνι ἕως θανάτου, ἑταῖρος καὶ φίλος τρεπόμενος εἰς ἔχθραν; 3 Ὦ πονηρὸν ἐνθύμημα, πόθεν ἐνεκυλίσθης καλύψαι τὴν ξηρὰν ἐν δολιότητι; 4 Ἑταῖρος φίλου ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ ἥδεται, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως ἔσται ἀπέναντι· 5 Ἐταῖρος φίλῳ συμπονεῖ χάριν γαστρὸς, ἔναντι πολέμου λήψεται ἀσπίδα. 6 Μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ φίλου ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ σου, καὶ μὴ ἀμνημονήσῃς αὐτοῦ ἐν χρήμασί σου. 7 Πᾶς σύμβουλος ἐξαίρει βουλὴν, ἀλλʼ ἔστι συμβουλεύων εἰς ἑαυτόν. 8 Ἀπὸ συμβούλου φύλαξον τὴν ψυχήν σου, καὶ γνῶθι πρότερον τίς αὐτοῦ χρεία· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ βουλεύσεται· μήποτε βάλῃ ἐπὶ σοὶ κλῆρον, 9 καὶ εἴπῃ σοι, καλὴ ἡ ὁδός σου· καὶ στήσεται ἐξ ἐναντίας ἰδεῖν τὸ συμβησόμενόν σοι. 10 Μὴ βουλεύου μετὰ τοῦ ὑποβλεπομένου σε, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ζηλούντων σε κρύψον βουλήν. 11 Μετὰ γυναικὸς περὶ ἀντιζήλου αὐτῆς, καὶ μετὰ δειλοῦ περὶ πολέμου· μετὰ ἐμπόρου περὶ μεταβολίας, καὶ μετὰ ἀγοράζοντος περὶ πράσεως· μετὰ βασκάνου περὶ εὐχαριστίας, καὶ μετὰ ἀνελεήμονος περὶ χρηστοηθείας· μετὰ ὀκνηροῦ περὶ παντὸς ἔργου, καὶ μετὰ μισθίου ἐφεστίου περὶ συντελείας, οἰκέτῃ ἀργῷ περὶ πολλῆς ἐργασίας· μὴ ἔπεχε ἐπὶ τούτοις περὶ πάσης συμβουλίας. 12 Ἀλλʼ ἢ μετὰ ἀνδρὸς εὐσεβοῦς ἐνδελέχιζε, ὃν ἂν ἐπιγνῷς συντηροῦντα ἐντολάς· ὃς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ψυχήν σου, καὶ ἐὰν πταίσῃς, συναλγήσει σοι. 13 Καὶ βουλὴν καρδίας στῆσον, οὐ γάρ ἐστί σοι πιστότερος αὐτῆς· 14 ψυχὴ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ἀπαγγέλλειν ἐνίοτε εἴωθεν, ἢ ἑπτὰ σκοποὶ ἐπὶ μετεώρου καθήμενοι ἐπὶ σκοπῆς. 15 Καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τούτοις δεήθητι ὑψίστου, ἵνα εὐθύνῃ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ τὴν ὁδόν σου. 16 Ἀρχὴ παντὸς ἔργου λόγος, καὶ πρὸ πάσης πράξεως βουλή. 17 Ἴχνος ἀλλοιώσεως καρδίας. 18 Τέσσαρα μέρη ἀνατέλλει, ἀγαθὸν καὶ κακὸν, ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος, καὶ κυριεύουσα ἐνδελεχῶς αὐτῶν γλῶσσά ἐστιν. 19 Ἔστιν ἀνὴρ πανοῦργος καὶ πολλῶν παιδευτὴς, καὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ ψυχῇ ἄχρηστός ἐστιν. 20 Ἔστι σοφιζόμενος ἐν λόγοις μισητὸς, οὗτος πάσης τροφῆς καθυστερήσει, 21 οὐ γὰρ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ παρὰ Κυρίου χάρις, ὅτι πάσης σοφίας ἐστερήθη. 22 Ἔστι σοφὸς τῇ ἰδίᾳ ψυχῇ, καὶ οἱ καρποὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ στόματος πιστοί. 23 Ἀνὴρ σοφὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λαὸν παιδεύσει, καὶ οἱ καρποὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ πιστοί. 24 Ἀνὴρ σοφὸς πλησθήσεται εὐλογίας, καὶ μακαριοῦσιν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ ὁρῶντες. 25 Ζωὴ ἀνδρὸς ἐν ἀριθμῷ ἡμερῶν, καὶ αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἀναρίθμητοι. 26 Ὁ σοφὸς ἐν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ κληρονομήσει πίστιν, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. 27 Τέκνον, ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου πείρασον τὴν ψυχήν σου, καὶ ἴδε τί πονηρὸν αὐτῇ, καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτῇ. 28 Οὐ γὰρ πάντα πᾶσι συμφέρει, καὶ οὐ πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐν παντὶ εὐδοκεῖ. 29 Μὴ ἀπληστεύου ἐν πάσῃ τρυφῇ, καὶ μὴ ἐκχυθῇς ἐπὶ ἐδεσμάτων· 30 ἐν πολλοῖς γὰρ βρώμασιν ἔσται πόνος, καὶ ἡ ἀπληστία ἐγγιεῖ ἕως χολέρας. 31 Διʼ ἀπληστίαν πολλοὶ ἐτελεύτησαν, ὁ δὲ προσέχων προσθήσει ζωήν.
Sirach · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Sirach 37 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).
… to this also, the first draws his conclusion: "Then you are not a man." Now of this sort of ensnaring arguments, Scripture, as I judge, expresses detestation in that place where it is said, "There is one that showeth wisdom in words, and is hated;" although, indeed, a style of speech which is not intended to entrap, but only aims …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
The man who speaks wisely and eloquently, but lives wickedly, may, it is true, instruct many who are anxious to learn; though, as it is written, he "is unprofitable to himself." Wherefore, also, the apostle says: "Whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached." Now Christ is the truth; yet we see that the truth can be preached, though …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)