Sirach 30 Clementine Vulgate
1 [Qui diligit filium suum assiduat illi flagella, ut lætetur in novissimo suo, et non palpet proximorum ostia.
1 He who loves his son will continue to lay stripes upon him, that he may have joy from him in the end.
2 Qui docet filium suum laudabitur in illo, et in medio domesticorum in illo gloriabitur.
2 He who chastises his son will have profit from him, and will brag about him among his acquaintances.
3 Qui docet filium suum in zelum mittit inimicum, et in medio amicorum gloriabitur in illo.
3 He who teaches his son will provoke his enemy to jealousy. Before friends, he will rejoice in him.
4 Mortuus est pater ejus, et quasi non est mortuus: similem enim reliquit sibi post se.
4 His father dies, and is as though he had not died; for he has left one behind him like himself.
5 In vita sua vidit, et lætatus est in illo: in obitu suo non est contristatus, nec confusus est coram inimicis:
5 In his life, he saw his son and rejoiced. When he died, it was without regret.
6 reliquit enim defensorem domus contra inimicos, et amicis reddentem gratiam.
6 He left behind him an avenger against his enemies, and one to repay kindness to his friends.
7 Pro animabus filiorum colligabit vulnera sua, et super omnem vocem turbabuntur viscera ejus.
7 He who makes too much of his son will bind up his wounds. His heart will be troubled at every cry.
8 Equus indomitus evadit durus, et filius remissus evadet præceps.
8 An unbroken horse becomes stubborn. An unrestrained son becomes headstrong.
9 Lacta filium, et paventem te faciet: lude cum eo, et contristabit te.
9 Pamper your child, and he will make you afraid. Play with him, and he will grieve you.
10 Non corrideas illi, ne doleas, et in novissimo obstupescent dentes tui.
10 Don’t laugh with him, lest you have sorrow with him, and you gnash your teeth in the end.
11 Non des illi potestatem in juventute, et ne despicias cogitatus illius.
11 Give him no liberty in his youth, and don’t ignore his follies.
12 Curva cervicem ejus in juventute, et tunde latera ejus dum infans est, ne forte induret, et non credat tibi, et erit tibi dolor animæ.
12 Bow down his neck in his youth, and beat him on the sides while he is a child, lest he become stubborn, and be disobedient to you, and there be sorrow to your soul.
13 Doce filium tuum, et operare in illo, ne in turpitudinem illius offendas.]
13 Chastise your son, and give him work, lest his shameless behavior be an offense to you.
14 [Melior est pauper sanus, et fortis viribus, quam dives imbecillis et flagellatus malitia.
14 Better is a poor man who is healthy and fit, than a rich man who is afflicted in his body.
15 Salus animæ in sanctitate justitiæ melior est omni auro et argento: et corpus validum quam census immensus.
15 Health and fitness are better than all gold, and a strong body better than wealth without measure.
16 Non est census super censum salutis corporis, et non est oblectamentum super cordis gaudium.
16 There is no wealth better than health of body. There is no gladness above the joy of the heart.
17 Melior est mors quam vita amara, et requies æterna quam languor perseverans.
17 Death is better than a bitter life, and eternal rest than a continual sickness.
18 Bona abscondita in ore clauso, quasi appositiones epularum circumpositæ sepulchro.
18 Good things poured out upon a mouth that is closed are like food offerings laid upon a grave.
19 Quid proderit libatio idolo? nec enim manducabit, nec odorabit.
19 What does an offering profit an idol? For it can’t eat or smell. So is he who is punished by the Lord,
20 Sic qui effugatur a Domino, portans mercedes iniquitatis:
20 seeing with his eyes and groaning, like a eunuch embracing a virgin and groaning.
21 videns oculis et ingemiscens, sicut spado complectens virginem, et suspirans.
21 Don’t give your soul to sorrow. Don’t afflict yourself deliberately.
22 Tristitiam non des animæ tuæ, et non affligas temetipsum in consilio tuo.
22 Gladness of heart is the life of a man. Cheerfulness of a man lengthens his days.
23 Jucunditas cordis, hæc est vita hominis, et thesaurus sine defectione sanctitatis: et exsultatio viri est longævitas.
23 Love your own soul, and comfort your heart. Remove sorrow far from you, for sorrow has destroyed many, and there is no profit in it.
24 Miserere animæ tuæ placens Deo, et contine: congrega cor tuum in sanctitate ejus, et tristitiam longe repelle a te.
24 Envy and wrath shorten life. Anxiety brings old age before its time.
25 Multos enim occidit tristitia, et non est utilitas in illa.
25 Those who are cheerful and merry will benefit from their food.
26 Zelus et iracundia minuunt dies, et ante tempus senectam adducet cogitatus.
26 Not in this translation
27 Splendidum cor et bonum in epulis est: epulæ enim illius diligenter fiunt.]
27 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).
What mean pedagogues, masters, the birch, the strap, the cane, the schooling which Scripture says must be given a child, "beating him on the sides lest he wax stubborn," and it be hardly possible or not possible at all to subdue him?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… spares it not, preserves." To which effect also a certain wise man said, "If thou beat thy son with a rod, he shall not die, but thou shalt deliver his soul from death." And again, "He that refresheth his son, shall bind up his wounds." This takes place in the camp also.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)