1 [Propter inopiam multi deliquerunt: et qui quærit locupletari avertit oculum suum. 2 Sicut in medio compaginis lapidum palus figitur, sic et inter medium venditionis et emptionis angustiabitur peccatum: 3 conteretur cum delinquente delictum. 4 Si non in timore Domini tenueris te instanter, cito subvertetur domus tua.] 5 [Sicut in percussura cribri remanebit pulvis, sic aporia hominis in cogitatu illius. 6 Vasa figuli probat fornax, et homines justos tentatio tribulationis. 7 Sicut rusticatio de ligno ostendit fructum illius, sic verbum ex cogitatu cordis hominis. 8 Ante sermonem non laudes virum: hæc enim tentatio est hominum. 9 Si sequaris justitiam, apprehendes illam, et indues quasi poderem honoris: et inhabitabis cum ea, et proteget te in sempiternum, et in die agnitionis invenies firmamentum. 10 Volatilia ad sibi similia conveniunt: et veritas ad eos qui operantur illam revertetur. 11 Leo venationi insidiatur semper: sic peccata operantibus iniquitates. 12 Homo sanctus in sapientia manet sicut sol: nam stultus sicut luna mutatur. 13 In medio insensatorum serva verbum tempori: in medio autem cogitantium assiduus esto. 14 Narratio peccantium odiosa, et risus illorum in deliciis peccati. 15 Loquela multum jurans horripilationem capiti statuet, et irreverentia ipsius obturatio aurium. 16 Effusio sanguinis in rixa superborum, et maledictio illorum auditus gravis. 17 Qui denudat arcana amici fidem perdit, et non inveniet amicum ad animum suum. 18 Dilige proximum, et conjungere fide cum illo. 19 Quod si denudaveris absconsa illius, non persequeris post eum. 20 Sicut enim homo qui perdit amicum suum, sic et qui perdit amicitiam proximi sui. 21 Et sicut qui dimittit avem de manu sua, sic dereliquisti proximum tuum, et non eum capies. 22 Non illum sequaris, quoniam longe abest: effugit enim quasi caprea de laqueo, quoniam vulnerata est anima ejus: 23 ultra eum non poteris colligare. Et maledicti est concordatio: 24 denudare autem amici mysteria, desperatio est animæ infelicis.] 25 [Annuens oculo fabricat iniqua, et nemo eum abjiciet. 26 In conspectu oculorum tuorum condulcabit os suum, et super sermones tuos admirabitur: novissime autem pervertet os suum, et in verbis tuis dabit scandalum. 27 Multa odivi, et non coæquavi ei, et Dominus odiet illum. 28 Qui in altum mittit lapidem, super caput ejus cadet: et plaga dolosa dolosi dividet vulnera. 29 Et qui foveam fodit incidet in eam: et qui statuit lapidem proximo offendet in eo: et qui laqueum alii ponit, peribit in illo. 30 Facienti nequissimum consilium, super ipsum devolvetur, et non agnoscet unde adveniat illi. 31 Illusio et improperium superborum, et vindicta sicut leo insidiabitur illi. 32 Laqueo peribunt qui oblectantur casu justorum, dolor autem consumet illos antequam moriantur.] 33 [Ira et furor utraque execrabilia sunt, et vir peccator continens erit illorum.]
Sirach 27 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).
… manifest: for the day shall declare it,"--the day, no doubt, of tribulation--"because," says he, "it shall be revealed by fire." He calls tribulation fire, just as it is elsewhere said, "The furnace proves the vessels of the potter, and the trial of affliction righteous men." And "The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
What Scripture says is very true, "As for a fool he changeth as the moon." I believe also that the variations of the moon do not take place without exerting great influence upon the organization of animals and of all living things.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
For "the furnace proveth the potter's vessels, and the trial of tribulation righteous men." Joseph therefore was tempted with the allurement of debauchery, but he was not brought into temptation.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)