Sirach 23 Clementine Vulgate
1 [Domine, pater et dominator vitæ meæ, ne derelinquas me in consilio eorum, nec sinas me cadere in illis.
1 O Lord, Father and Master of my life, don’t abandon me to their counsel. Don’t let me fall because of them.
2 Quis superponet in cogitatu meo flagella, et in corde meo doctrinam sapientiæ, ut ignorationibus eorum non parcant mihi, et non appareant delicta eorum,
2 Who will set scourges over my thought, and a discipline of wisdom over my heart, that they spare me not for my errors, and not overlook their sins?
3 et ne adincrescant ignorantiæ meæ, et multiplicentur delicta mea, et peccata mea abundent, et incidam in conspectu adversariorum meorum, et gaudeat super me inimicus meus?
3 Otherwise my errors might be multiplied, and my sins abound, I fall before my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over me.
4 Domine, pater et Deus vitæ meæ, ne derelinquas me in cogitatu illorum.
4 O Lord, Father and God of my life, don’t give me a haughty eyes,
5 Extollentiam oculorum meorum ne dederis mihi, et omne desiderium averte a me.
5 and turn away evil desire from me.
6 Aufer a me ventris concupiscentias, et concubitus concupiscentiæ ne apprehendant me, et animæ irreverenti et infrunitæ ne tradas me.]
6 Let neither gluttony nor lust overtake me. Don’t give me over to a shameless mind.
7 [Doctrinam oris audite, filii: et qui custodierit illam non periet labiis, nec scandalizabitur in operibus nequissimis.
7 Listen, my children, to the discipline of the mouth. He who keeps it will not be caught.
8 In vanitate sua apprehenditur peccator: et superbus et maledicus scandalizabitur in illis.
8 The sinner will be overpowered through his lips. By them, the insulter and the arrogant will stumble.
9 Jurationi non assuescat os tuum: multi enim casus in illa.
9 Don’t accustom your mouth to an oath, and don’t be accustomed to naming the Holy One,
10 Nominatio vero Dei non sit assidua in ore tuo, et nominibus sanctorum non admiscearis, quoniam non erit immunis ab eis.
10 for as a servant who is continually scourged will not lack bruises, so he also who swears and continually utters the Name will not be cleansed from sin.
11 Sicut enim servus interrogatus assidue a livore non minuitur, sic omnis jurans et nominans in toto a peccato non purgabitur.
11 A man of many oaths will be filled with iniquity. The scourge will not depart from his house. If he offends, his sin will be upon him. If he disregards it, he has sinned doubly. If he has sworn falsely, he will not be justified, for his house will be filled with calamities.
12 Vir multum jurans implebitur iniquitate, et non discedet a domo illius plaga.
12 There is a manner of speech that is clothed with death. Let it not be found in the heritage of Jacob, for all these things will be far from the godly, and they will not wallow in sins.
13 Et si frustraverit, delictum illius super ipsum erit: et si dissimulaverit, delinquit dupliciter:
13 Don’t accustom your mouth to gross rudeness, for it involves sinful speech.
14 et si in vacuum juraverit, non justificabitur: replebitur enim retributione domus illius.
14 Remember your father and your mother, for you sit in the midst of great men, that you be not forgetful before them, and become a fool by your bad habit; so you may wish that you had not been born, and curse the day of your birth.
15 Est et alia loquela contraria morti: non inveniatur in hæreditate Jacob.
15 A man who is accustomed to abusive language won’t be corrected all the days of his life.
16 Etenim a misericordibus omnia hæc auferentur, et in delictis non volutabuntur.
16 Two sorts of people multiply sins, and the third will bring wrath: a hot passion, like a burning fire, will not be quenched until it is consumed; a fornicator in the body of his flesh will never cease until he has burned out the fire.
17 Indisciplinatæ loquelæ non assuescat os tuum: est enim in illa verbum peccati.
17 All bread is sweet to a fornicator. He will not cease until he dies.
18 Memento patris et matris tuæ: in medio enim magnatorum consistis:
18 A man who goes astray from his own marriage bed says in his heart, “Who sees me? Darkness is around me, and the walls hide me. No one sees me. Of whom am I afraid? The Most High will not remember my sins.”
19 ne forte obliviscatur te Deus in conspectu illorum, et assiduitate tua infatuatus, improperium patiaris, et maluisses non nasci, et diem nativitatis tuæ maledicas.
19 The eyes of men are his terror. He doesn’t know that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, seeing all the ways of men, and looking into secret places.
20 Homo assuetus in verbis improperii in omnibus diebus suis non erudietur.]
20 All things were known to him before they were created, and also after they were completed.
21 [Duo genera abundant in peccatis, et tertium adducit iram et perditionem.
21 This man will be punished in the streets of the city. He will be seized where he least expects it.
22 Anima calida quasi ignis ardens, non extinguetur donec aliquid glutiat:
22 So also is a wife who leaves her husband, and produces an heir by another man.
23 et homo nequam in ore carnis suæ non desinet donec incendat ignem.
23 For first, she was disobedient in the law of the Most High. Second, she trespassed against her own husband. Third, she played the adulteress in fornication, and had children by another man.
24 Homini fornicario omnis panis dulcis: non fatigabitur transgrediens usque ad finem.
24 She shall be brought out into the congregation. Her punishment will extend to her children.
25 Omnis homo qui transgreditur lectum suum, contemnens in animam suam, et dicens: Quis me videt?
25 Her children will not take root. Her branches will bear no fruit.
26 Tenebræ circumdant me, et parietes cooperiunt me, et nemo circumspicit me: quem vereor? delictorum meorum non memorabitur Altissimus.
26 She will leave her memory for a curse. Her reproach won’t be blotted out.
27 Et non intelligit quoniam omnia videt oculus illius, quoniam expellit a se timorem Dei hujusmodi hominis timor, et oculi hominum timentes illum:
27 And those who are left behind will know that there is nothing better than the fear of the Lord, and nothing sweeter than to heed the commandments of the Lord.
28 et non cognovit quoniam oculi Domini multo plus lucidiores sunt super solem, circumspicientes omnes vias hominum, et profundum abyssi, et hominum corda, intuentes in absconditas partes.
28 Not in this translation
29 Domino enim Deo antequam crearentur omnia sunt agnita: sic et post perfectum respicit omnia.
29 Not in this translation
30 Hic in plateis civitatis vindicabitur, et quasi pullus equinus fugabitur, et ubi non speravit apprehendetur.
30 Not in this translation
31 Et erit dedecus omnibus, eo quod non intellexerit timorem Domini.
31 Not in this translation
32 Sic et mulier omnis relinquens virum suum, et statuens hæreditatem ex alieno matrimonio:
32 Not in this translation
33 primo enim in lege Altissimi incredibilis fuit: secundo in virum suum deliquit: tertio in adulterio fornicata est, et ex alio viro filios statuit sibi.
33 Not in this translation
34 Hæc in ecclesiam adducetur, et in filios ejus respicietur:
34 Not in this translation
35 non tradent filii ejus radices, et rami ejus non dabunt fructum:
35 Not in this translation
36 derelinquet in maledictum memoriam ejus, et dedecus illius non delebitur.
36 Not in this translation
37 Et agnoscent qui derelicti sunt, quoniam nihil melius est quam timor Dei, et nihil dulcius quam respicere in mandatis Domini.
37 Not in this translation
38 Gloria magna est sequi Dominum: longitudo enim dierum assumetur ab eo.]
38 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).
Another have I heard entreating that he might receive,--"Take from me," saith he, "the greediness of the belly;" by which it appeareth, O my holy God, that Thou givest when what Thou commandest to be done is done.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)