1 [Noli attendere ad possessiones iniquas, et ne dixeris: Est mihi sufficiens vita: nihil enim proderit in tempore vindictæ et obductionis. 2 Ne sequaris in fortitudine tua concupiscentiam cordis tui, 3 et ne dixeris: Quomodo potui? aut, Quis me subjiciet propter facta mea? Deus enim vindicans vindicabit. 4 Ne dixeris: Peccavi: et quid mihi accidit triste? Altissimus enim est patiens redditor. 5 De propitiatio peccato noli esse sine metu, neque adjicias peccatum super peccatum. 6 Et ne dicas: Miseratio Domini magna est, multitudinis peccatorum meorum miserebitur: 7 misericordia enim et ira ab illo cito proximant, et in peccatores respicit ira illius. 8 Non tardes converti ad Dominum, et ne differas de die in diem: 9 subito enim veniet ira illius, et in tempore vindictæ disperdet te. 10 Noli anxius esse in divitiis injustis: non enim proderunt tibi in die obductionis et vindictæ.] 11 [Non ventiles te in omnem ventum, et non eas in omnem viam: sic enim omnis peccator probatur in duplici lingua. 12 Esto firmus in via Domini, et in veritate sensus tui et scientia: et prosequatur te verbum pacis et justitiæ. 13 Esto mansuetus ad audiendum verbum, ut intelligas, et cum sapientia proferas responsum verum. 14 Si est tibi intellectus, responde proximo: sin autem, sit manus tua super os tuum, ne capiaris in verbo indisciplinato, et confundaris. 15 Honor et gloria in sermone sensati: lingua vero imprudentis subversio est ipsius. 16 Non appelleris susurro, et lingua tua ne capiaris et confundaris: 17 super furem enim est confusio et pœnitentia, et denotatio pessima super bilinguem: susurratori autem odium, et inimicitia, et contumelia. 18 Justifica pusillum et magnum similiter.]
Sirach 5 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).
… despaired wrongly, and were lost in their despair, and called them back to hope; so doth He go forth to these also who would perish through an evil hope; and by another book He saith to them, "Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord." As He had said to the others, "In whatsoever day a man shall turn from …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)