Sirach · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Sirach 7 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 Μὴ ποίει κακὰ, καὶ οὐ μὴ σε καταλάβῃ κακόν.
1 Do no evil, so no evil will overtake you.
2 Ἀπόστηθι ἀπὸ ἀδίκου, καὶ ἐκκλινεῖ ἀπὸ σοῦ.
2 Depart from wrong, and it will turn away from you.
3 Υἱὲ μὴ σπεῖρε ἐπʼ αὔλακας ἀδικίας, καὶ οὐ μὴ θερίσῃς αὐτὰς ἑπταπλασίως.
3 My son, don’t sow upon the furrows of unrighteousness, and you won’t reap them sevenfold.
4 Μὴ ζήτει παρὰ Κυρίου ἡγεμονίαν, μηδὲ παρὰ βασιλέως καθέδραν δόξης.
4 Don’t seek preeminence from the Lord, nor the seat of honor from the king.
5 Μὴ δικαιοῦ ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ παρὰ βασιλεῖ μὴ σοφίζου·
5 Don’t justify yourself in the presence of the Lord, and don’t display your wisdom before the king.
6 μὴ ζήτει γενέσθαι κριτὴς, μὴ οὐκ ἐξισχύσεις ἐξάραι ἀδικίας. μήποτε εὐλαβηθῇς ἀπὸ προσώπου δυνάστου, καὶ θήσεις σκάνδαλον ἐν εὐθύτητί σου.
6 Don’t seek to be a judge, lest you not be able to take away iniquities, lest perhaps you fear the person of a mighty man, and lay a stumbling block in the way of your uprightness.
7 Μὴ ἁμάρτανε εἰς πλῆθος πόλεως, καὶ μὴ καταβάλῃς σεαυτὸν ἐν ὄχλῳ.
7 Don’t sin against the multitude of the city. Don’t disgrace yourself in the crowd.
8 Μὴ καταδεσμεύσῃς δὶς ἁμαρτίαν, ἐν γὰρ τῇ μιᾷ οὐκ ἀθῶος ἔσῃ.
8 Don’t commit a sin twice, for even in one you will not be unpunished.
9 Μὴ εἴπῃς, τῷ πλήθει τῶν δώρων μου ἐπόψεται, καὶ ἐν τῷ προσενέγκαι με Θεῷ ὑψίστῳ προσδέξεται.
9 Don’t say, “He will look upon the multitude of my gifts. When I make an offering to the Most High God, he will accept it.”
10 Μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου, καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην ποιῆσαι μὴ παρίδῃς.
10 Don’t be faint-hearted in your prayer. Don’t neglect to give alms.
11 Μὴ καταγέλα ἄνθρωπον ὄντα ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, ἔστι γὰρ ὁ ταπεινῶν καὶ ἀνυψῶν.
11 Don’t laugh a man to scorn when he is in the bitterness of his soul, for there is one who humbles and exalts.
12 Μὴ ἀροτρία ψεῦδος ἐπʼ ἀδελφῷ σου, μηδὲ φίλῳ τὸ ὅμοιον ποίει.
12 Don’t devise a lie against your brother, or do the same to a friend.
13 Μὴ θέλε ψεύδεσθαι πᾶν ψεῦδος, ὁ γὰρ ἐνδελεχισμὸς αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰς ἀγαθόν.
13 Refuse to utter a lie, for that habit results in no good.
14 Μὴ ἀδολέσχει ἐν πλήθει πρεσβυτέρων, καὶ μὴ δευτερώσῃς λόγον ἐν προσευχῇ σου.
14 Don’t babble in the assembly of elders. Don’t repeat your words in your prayer.
15 Μὴ μισήσῃς ἐπίπονον ἐργασίαν, καὶ γεωργίαν ὑπὸ ὑψίστου ἐκτισμένην.
15 Don’t hate hard labor or farm work, which the Most High has created.
16 Μὴ προσλογίζου σεαυτὸν ἐν πλήθει ἁμαρτωλῶν·
16 Don’t number yourself among the multitude of sinners. Remember that wrath will not wait.
17 Ταπείνωσον σφόδρα τὴν ψυχήν σου.
17 Humble your soul greatly, for the punishment of the ungodly man is fire and the worm.
17a Μνήσθητι ὅτι ὀργὴ οὐ χρονιεῖ,
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17b ὅτι ἐκδίκησις ἀσεβοῦς πῦρ καὶ σκώληξ.
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18 Μὴ ἀλλάξῃς φίλον ἕνεκεν ἀδιαφόρου, μήδʼ ἀδελφὸν γνήσιον ἐν χρυσίῳ Σουφείρ.
18 Don’t exchange a friend for something, neither a true brother for the gold of Ophir.
19 Μὴ ἀστόχει γυναικὸς σοφῆς καὶ ἀγαθῆς, καὶ γὰρ χάρις αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ τὸ χρυσίον.
19 Don’t deprive yourself of a wise and good wife, for her grace is worth more than gold.
20 Μὴ κακώσῃς οἰκέτην ἐργαζόμενον ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, μηδὲ μίσθιον διδόντα ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ.
20 Don’t abuse a servant who works faithfully, or a hireling who gives you his life.
21 Οἰκέτην συνετὸν ἀγαπάτω σου ἡ ψυχὴ, μὴ στερήσῃς αὐτὸν ἐλευθερίας.
21 Let your soul love a wise servant. Don’t defraud him of liberty.
22 Κτήνη σοί ἐστιν; ἐπισκέπτου αὐτά· καὶ εἰ ἔστι σοι χρήσιμα, ἐμμενέτω σοι.
22 Do you have cattle? Look after them. If they are profitable to you, let them stay by you.
23 Τέκνα σοί ἐστι, παίδευσον αὐτὰ, καὶ κάμψον ἐκ νεότητος τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῶν.
23 Do you have children? Correct them, and make them obedient from their youth.
24 Θυγατέρες σοί εἰσι; πρόσεχε τῷ σώματι αὐτῶν, καὶ μὴ ἱλαρώσῃς πρὸς αὐτὰς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου.
24 Do you have daughters? Take care of their bodies, and don’t be overly indulgent toward them.
25 Ἔκδου θυγατέρα, καὶ ἔσῃ τετελεκὼς ἔργον μέγα, καὶ ἀνδρὶ συνετῷ δώρησαι αὐτήν.
25 Give your daughter in marriage, and you will have accomplished a great matter. Give her to a man of understanding.
26 Γυνή σοι ἐστὶ κατὰ ψυχήν; μὴ ἐκβάλῃς αὐτήν.
26 Do you have a wife who pleases you? Don’t cast her out. But don’t trust yourself to one who is hateful.
27 Ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ δόξασον τὸν πατέρα σου, καὶ μητρὸς ὠδῖνας μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ.
27 Honor your father with your whole heart, and don’t forget the birth pangs of your mother.
28 Μνήσθητι ὅτι διʼ αὐτῶν ἐγενήθης, καὶ τί ἀνταποδώσεις αὐτοῖς καθὼς αὐτοὶ σοί;
28 Remember that you were born of them. What will you repay them for the things that they have done for you?
29 Ἐν ὅλῃ ψυχῇ σου εὐλαβοῦ τὸν Κύριον, καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ θαύμαζε.
29 Fear the Lord with all your soul; and revere his priests.
30 Ἐν ὅλῃ δυνάμει ἀγάπησον τὸν ποιήσαντά σε, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς.
30 With all your strength love him who made you. Don’t forsake his ministers.
31 Φοβοῦ τὸν Κύριον, καὶ δόξασον ἱερέα, καὶ δὸς τὴν μερίδα αὐτῷ, καθὼς ἐντέταλταί σοι, ἀπαρχὴν, καὶ περὶ πλημμελείας, καὶ δόσιν βραχιόνων, καὶ θυσίαν ἁγιασμοῦ, καὶ ἀπαρχὴν ἁγίων.
31 Fear the Lord and honor the priest. Give him his portion, even as it is commanded you: the first fruits, the trespass offering, the gift of the shoulders, the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first fruits of holy things.
32 Καὶ πτωχῷ ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρά σου, ἵνα τελειωθῇ ἡ εὐλογία σου.
32 Also stretch out your hand to the poor man, that your blessing may be complete.
33 Χάρις δόματος ἔναντι παντὸς ζῶντος, καὶ ἐπὶ νεκρῷ μὴ ἀποκωλύσῃς χάριν.
33 A gift has grace in the sight of every living man. Don’t withhold grace for a dead man.
34 Μὴ ὑστέρει ἀπὸ κλαιόντων, καὶ μετὰ πενθούντων πένθησον.
34 Don’t avoid those who weep, and mourn with those who mourn.
35 Μὴ ὄκνει ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ἄῤῥωστον, ἐκ γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων ἀγαπηθήσῃ.
35 Don’t be slow to visit a sick man, for by such things you will gain love.
36 Ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις σου μιμνήσκου τὰ ἔσχατά σου, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεις.
36 In all your words, remember eternity, and you will never sin.
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).
But ordinary phraseology would not have allowed the saying, "Be unwilling to make any manner of lie," had there not been also an evil will, whose wickedness separates if from that which the angels celebrated, "Peace on earth, of good will to men." For "good" is superfluous if there is no other kind of will but good will.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For we read in the ancient Scriptures, "The vengeance of the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms." It might have been more briefly said, "The vengeance of the ungodly." Why, then, was it said, "The flesh of the ungodly," unless because both the fire and the worm are to be the punishment of the flesh?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)