1 [Fili, eleemosynam pauperis ne defraudes, et oculos tuos ne transvertas a paupere. 2 Animam esurientem ne despexeris, et non exasperes pauperem in inopia sua. 3 Cor inopis ne afflixeris, et non protrahas datum angustianti. 4 Rogationem contribulati ne abjicias, et non avertas faciem tuam ab egeno. 5 Ab inope ne avertas oculos tuos propter iram: et non relinquas quærentibus tibi retro maledicere. 6 Maledicentis enim tibi in amaritudine animæ, exaudietur deprecatio illius: exaudiet autem eum qui fecit illum. 7 Congregationi pauperum affabilem te facito: et presbytero humilia animam tuam, et magnato humilia caput tuum. 8 Declina pauperi sine tristitia aurem tuam, et redde debitum tuum, et responde illi pacifica in mansuetudine. 9 Libera eum qui injuriam patitur de manu superbi, et non acide feras in anima tua. 10 In judicando esto pupillis misericors ut pater, et pro viro matri illorum: 11 et eris tu velut filius Altissimi obediens, et miserebitur tui magis quam mater.] 12 [Sapientia filiis suis vitam inspirat: et suscipit inquirentes se, et præibit in via justitiæ. 13 Et qui illam diligit, diligit vitam, et qui vigilaverint ad illam complectentur placorem ejus. 14 Qui tenuerint illam, vitam hæreditabunt: et quo introibit benedicet Deus. 15 Qui serviunt ei obsequentes erunt sancto: et eos qui diligunt illam, diligit Deus. 16 Qui audit illam judicabit gentes: et qui intuetur illam permanebit confidens. 17 Si crediderit ei, hæreditabit illam, et erunt in confirmatione creaturæ illius: 18 quoniam in tentatione ambulat cum eo, et in primis eligit eum. 19 Timorem, et metum, et probationem inducet super illum: et cruciabit illum in tribulatione doctrinæ suæ, donec tentet eum in cogitationibus suis, et credat animæ illius. 20 Et firmabit illum, et iter adducet directum ad illum, et lætificabit illum: 21 et denudabit absconsa sua illi, et thesaurizabit super illum scientiam et intellectum justitiæ. 22 Si autem oberraverit, derelinquet eum, et tradet eum in manus inimici sui.] 23 [Fili, conserva tempus, et devita a malo. 24 Pro anima tua ne confundaris dicere verum: 25 est enim confusio adducens peccatum, et est confusio adducens gloriam et gratiam. 26 Ne accipias faciem adversus faciem tuam, nec adversus animam tuam mendacium. 27 Ne reverearis proximum tuum in casu suo, 28 nec retineas verbum in tempore salutis. Non abscondas sapientiam tuam in decore suo: 29 in lingua enim sapientia dignoscitur: et sensus, et scientia, et doctrina in verbo sensati, et firmamentum in operibus justitiæ. 30 Non contradicas verbo veritatis ullo modo, et de mendacio ineruditionis tuæ confundere. 31 Non confundaris confiteri peccata tua, et ne subjicias te omni homini pro peccato. 32 Noli resistere contra faciem potentis, nec coneris contra ictum fluvii. 33 Pro justitia agonizare pro anima tua, et usque ad mortem certa pro justitia: et Deus expugnabit pro te inimicos tuos. 34 Noli citatus esse in lingua tua, et inutilis, et remissus in operibus tuis. 35 Noli esse sicut leo in domo tua, evertens domesticos tuos, et opprimens subjectos tibi. 36 Non sit porrecta manus tua ad accipiendum, et ad dandum collecta.]
Sirach 4 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).
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)