Sirach · Revised Version with Apocrypha
Sirach 4 Revised Version with Apocrypha
1 My son, deprive not the poor of his living, And make not the needy eyes to wait long.
1 My son, don’t deprive the poor of his living. Don’t make the needy eyes wait long.
2 Make not a hungry soul sorrowful; Neither provoke a man in his distress.
2 Don’t make a hungry soul sorrowful, or provoke a man in his distress.
3 To a heart that is provoked add not more trouble; And defer not to give to him that is in need.
3 Don’t add more trouble to a heart that is provoked. Don’t put off giving to him who is in need.
4 Reject not a suppliant in his affliction; And turn not away thy face from a poor man.
4 Don’t reject a suppliant in his affliction. Don’t turn your face away from a poor man.
5 Turn not away thine eye from one that asketh [of thee, ] And give none occasion to a man to curse thee:
5 Don’t turn your eye away from one who asks. Give no occasion to a man to curse you.
6 For if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul, He that made him will hear his supplication.
6 For if he curses you in the bitterness of his soul, he who made him will hear his supplication.
7 Get thyself the love of the congregation; And to a great man bow thy head.
7 Endear yourself to the assembly. Bow your head to a great man.
8 Incline thine ear to a poor man, And answer him with peaceable words in meekness.
8 Incline your ear to a poor man. Answer him with peaceful words in humility.
9 Deliver him that is wronged from the hand of him that wrongeth him; And be not fainthearted in giving judgement.
9 Deliver him who is wronged from the hand of him who wrongs him; Don’t be hesitant in giving judgment.
10 Be as a father unto the fatherless, And instead of a husband unto their mother: So shalt thou be as a son of the Most High, And he shall love thee more than thy mother doth.
10 Be as a father to the fatherless, and like a husband to their mother. So you will be as a son of the Most High, and he will love you more than your mother does.
11 Wisdom exalteth her sons, And taketh hold of them that seek her.
11 Wisdom exalts her sons, and takes hold of those who seek her.
12 He that loveth her loveth life; And they that seek to her early shall be filled with gladness.
12 He who loves her loves life. Those who seek her early will be filled with gladness.
13 He that holdeth her fast shall inherit glory; And where he entereth, the Lord will bless.
13 He who holds her fast will inherit glory. Where he enters, the Lord will bless.
14 They that do her service shall minister to the Holy One; And them that love her the Lord doth love.
14 Those who serve her minister to the Holy One. The Lord loves those who love her.
15 He that giveth ear unto her shall judge the nations; And he that giveth heed unto her shall dwell securely.
15 He who listens to her will judge the nations. He who heeds her will dwell securely.
16 If he trust her, he shall inherit her; And his generations shall have her in possession.
16 If he trusts her, he will inherit her, and his generations will possess her.
17 For at the first she will walk with him in crooked ways, And will bring fear and dread upon him, And torment him with her discipline, Until she may trust his soul, and try him by her judgements:
17 For at the first she will walk with him in crooked ways, and will bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline, until she may trust his soul, and try him by her judgments.
18 Then will she return again the straight way unto him, And will gladden him, and reveal to him her secrets.
18 Then she will return him again to the straight way, and will gladden him, and reveal to him her secrets.
19 If he go astray, she will forsake him, And give him over to his fall.
19 If he goes astray, she will forsake him, and hand him over to his fall.
20 Observe the opportunity, and beware of evil; And be not ashamed concerning thy soul.
20 Watch for the opportunity, and beware of evil. Don’t be ashamed of your soul.
21 For there is a shame that bringeth sin; And there is a shame [that is ] glory and grace.
21 For there is a shame that brings sin, and there is a shame that is glory and grace.
22 Accept not the person [of any ] against thy soul; And reverence no man unto thy falling.
22 Don’t show partiality, discrediting your soul. Don’t revere any man to your falling.
23 Refrain not speech, when it tendeth to safety; And hide not thy wisdom for the sake of fair-seeming.
23 Don’t refrain from speaking when it is for safety. Don’t hide your wisdom for the sake of seeming fair.
24 For by speech wisdom shall be known; And instruction by the word of the tongue.
24 For wisdom will be known by speech, and instruction by the word of the tongue.
25 Speak not against the truth; And be abashed for thine ignorance.
25 Don’t speak against the truth and be shamed for your ignorance.
26 Be not ashamed to make confession of thy sins; And force not the current of the river.
26 Don’t be ashamed to confess your sins. Don’t fight the river’s current.
27 Lay not thyself down for a fool to tread upon; And accept not the person of one that is mighty.
27 Don’t lay yourself down for a fool to tread upon. Don’t be partial to one who is mighty.
28 Strive for the truth unto death, and the Lord God shall fight for thee.
28 Strive for the truth to death, and the Lord God will fight for you.
29 Be not hasty in thy tongue, And in thy deeds slack and remiss.
29 Don’t be hasty with your tongue, or slack and negligent in your deeds.
30 Be not as a lion in thy house, Nor fanciful among thy servants.
30 Don’t be like a lion in your house, or suspicious of your servants.
31 Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, and closed when thou shouldest repay.
31 Don’t let your hand be stretched out to receive, and closed when you should repay.
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).
Now "all consummation" appeareth to me in this place to signify, the striving even unto death for the truth, and the endurance of every evil for the true and chief good: the end of which consummation is to excel in the kingdom of Christ, which hath no end; and there to have without death, without pain, and with great honour, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
"For a word is a better thing than a gift," and "answer the poor man peaceably with meekness." And all the rest of thy time too adorn it with the rehearsing of the laws of God; "Yea, let all thy communication be in the law of the Most High." Having thus adorned ourselves, let us come to our King, and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Let not thine hand be only stretched out to receive, but let it be also ready to work.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)