1 [Qui vivet in æternum creavit omnia simul. Deus solus justificabitur, et manet invictus rex in æternum. 2 Quis sufficit enarrare opera illius? 3 quis enim investigabit magnalia ejus? 4 virtutem autem magnitudinis ejus quis enuntiabit? aut quis adjiciet enarrare misericordiam ejus? 5 Non est minuere neque adjicere, nec est invenire magnalia Dei. 6 Cum consummaverit homo, tunc incipiet: et cum quieverit, aporiabitur. 7 Quid est homo? et quæ est gratia illius? et quid bonum aut quid nequam illius? 8 Numerus dierum hominum, ut multum centum anni, quasi gutta aquæ maris deputati sunt: et sicut calculus arenæ, sic exigui anni in die ævi. 9 Propter hoc patiens est Deus in illis, et effundit super eos misericordiam suam. 10 Vidit præsumptionem cordis eorum, quoniam mala est: et cognovit subversionem illorum, quoniam nequam est. 11 Ideo adimplevit propitiationem suam in illis, et ostendit eis viam æquitatis. 12 Miseratio hominis circa proximum suum: misericordia autem Dei super omnem carnem. 13 Qui misericordiam habet, docet et erudit quasi pastor gregem suum. 14 Miseretur excipientis doctrinam miserationis, et qui festinat in judiciis ejus.] 15 [Fili, in bonis non des querelam, et in omni dato non des tristitiam verbi mali. 16 Nonne ardorem refrigerabit ros? sic et verbum melius quam datum. 17 Nonne ecce verbum super datum bonum? sed utraque cum homine justificato. 18 Stultus acriter improperabit: et datus indisciplinati tabescere facit oculos. 19 Ante judicium para justitiam tibi, et antequam loquaris, disce. 20 Ante languorem adhibe medicinam: et ante judicium interroga teipsum, et in conspectu Dei invenies propitiationem. 21 Ante languorem humilia te, et in tempore infirmitatis ostende conversationem tuam. 22 Non impediaris orare semper, et ne verearis usque ad mortem justificari, quoniam merces Dei manet in æternum. 23 Ante orationem præpara animam tuam, et noli esse quasi homo qui tentat Deum. 24 Memento iræ in die consummationis, et tempus retributionis in conversatione faciei. 25 Memento paupertatis in tempore abundantiæ, et necessitatum paupertatis in die divitiarum. 26 A mane usque ad vesperam immutabitur tempus, et hæc omnia citata in oculis Dei. 27 Homo sapiens in omnibus metuet, et in diebus delictorum attendet ab inertia. 28 Omnis astutus agnoscit sapientiam, et invenienti eam dabit confessionem. 29 Sensati in verbis et ipsi sapienter egerunt, et intellexerunt veritatem et justitiam, et impleverunt proverbia et judicia.] 30 [Post concupiscentias tuas non eas, et a voluntate tua avertere. 31 Si præstes animæ tuæ concupiscentias ejus, faciat te in gaudium inimicis tuis. 32 Ne oblecteris in turbis nec in modicis: assidua enim est commissio illorum. 33 Ne fueris mediocris in contentione ex fœnore, et est tibi nihil in sacculo: eris enim invidus vitæ tuæ.]
Sirach 18 Clementine Vulgate
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).
I heard another voice of Thine, "Go not after thy lusts, but refrain thyself from thine appetites." And by Thy favour have I heard this saying likewise, which I have much delighted in, "Neither if we eat, are we the better; neither if we eat not, are we the worse;" which is to say, that neither shall the one make …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
"For a word," it is said, "is better than a gift." Dost thou not consider that thou art thrusting the sword into thyself, and art receiving a more grievous wound, when he, being reviled, silently withdraws, with groans and many tears?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (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)
"Go not," it is said, "after thy lusts, and refrain thyself from thine appetites." And, touching an harlot again, it is said in opposition to this proverb, "Give not heed to a bad woman: for honey droppeth from the lips of a woman that is an harlot, which, for a season, is luscious unto thy throat; but afterwards thou shalt …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)