1 [Noli fieri pro amico inimicus proximo: improperium enim et contumeliam malus hæreditabit: et omnis peccator invidus et bilinguis.] 2 [Non te extollas in cogitatione animæ tuæ velut taurus, ne forte elidatur virtus tua per stultitiam: 3 et folia tua comedat, et fructus tuos perdat, et relinquaris velut lignum aridum in eremo. 4 Anima enim nequam disperdet qui se habet, et in gaudium inimicis dat illum, et deducet in sortem impiorum.] 5 [Verbum dulce multiplicat amicos et mitigat inimicos, et lingua eucharis in bono homine abundat. 6 Multi pacifici sint tibi: et consiliarius sit tibi unus de mille. 7 Si possides amicum, in tentatione posside eum, et ne facile credas ei. 8 Est enim amicus secundum tempus suum, et non permanebit in die tribulationis. 9 Et est amicus qui convertitur ad inimicitiam, et est amicus qui odium et rixam et convitia denudabit. 10 Est autem amicus socius mensæ, et non permanebit in die necessitatis. 11 Amicus si permanserit fixus, erit tibi quasi coæqualis, et in domesticis tuis fiducialiter aget. 12 Si humiliaverit se contra te, et a facie tua absconderit se, unanimem habebis amicitiam bonam. 13 Ab inimicis tuis separare, et ab amicis tuis attende. 14 Amicus fidelis protectio fortis: qui autem invenit illum, invenit thesaurum. 15 Amico fideli nulla est comparatio, et non est digna ponderatio auri et argenti contra bonitatem fidei illius. 16 Amicus fidelis medicamentum vitæ et immortalitatis: et qui metuunt Dominum, invenient illum. 17 Qui timet Deum æque habebit amicitiam bonam, quoniam secundum illum erit amicus illius.] 18 [Fili, a juventute tua excipe doctrinam, et usque ad canos invenies sapientiam. 19 Quasi is qui arat et seminat accede ad eam, et sustine bonos fructus illius. 20 In opere enim ipsius exiguum laborabis, et cito edes de generationibus illius. 21 Quam aspera est nimium sapientia indoctis hominibus ! et non permanebit in illa excors. 22 Quasi lapidis virtus probatio erit in illis: et non demorabuntur projicere illam. 23 Sapientia enim doctrinæ secundum nomen est ejus, et non est multis manifestata: quibus autem cognita est, permanet usque ad conspectum Dei. 24 Audi, fili, et accipe consilium intellectus, et ne abjicias consilium meum. 25 Injice pedem tuum in compedes illius, et in torques illius collum tuum. 26 Subjice humerum tuum, et porta illam, et ne acedieris vinculis ejus. 27 In omni animo tuo accede ad illam, et in omni virtute tua conserva vias ejus. 28 Investiga illam, et manifestabitur tibi: et continens factus, ne derelinquas eam: 29 in novissimis enim invenies requiem in ea, et convertetur tibi in oblectationem. 30 Et erunt tibi compedes ejus in protectionem fortitudinis et bases virtutis, et torques illius in stolam gloriæ: 31 decor enim vitæ est in illa, et vincula illius alligatura salutaris. 32 Stolam gloriæ indues eam, et coronam gratulationis superpones tibi. 33 Fili, si attenderis mihi, disces: et si accommodaveris animum tuum, sapiens eris. 34 Si inclinaveris aurem tuam, excipies doctrinam: et si dilexeris audire, sapiens eris. 35 In multitudine presbyterorum prudentium sta, et sapientiæ illorum ex corde conjungere, ut omnem narrationem Dei possis audire, et proverbia laudis non effugiant a te. 36 Et si videris sensatum, evigila ad eum, et gradus ostiorum illius exterat pes tuus. 37 Cogitatum tuum habe in præceptis Dei, et in mandatis illius maxime assiduus esto: et ipse dabit tibi cor, et concupiscentia sapientiæ dabitur tibi.]
Sirach 6 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).
… followed Him, not as those who were not again to leave Him, but to see where He dwelt, and to fulfill the Scripture: "Let thy foot wear out the threshold of His doors; arise to come to Him continually, and be instructed in His precepts." He showed them where He dwelt: they came and remained with Him.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
… may "come in in the sight of the Lord." They also may be understood to be fettered, who are enchained with the precepts of wisdom, the which being patiently supported are turned into ornaments: whence it hath been written, "Put thy feet into her fetters." "According to the greatness," he saith, "of Thy arm, receive Thou unto adoption the sons …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
But since these also, as it is said, put their "feet in the fetters" of wisdom, are taught wisdom (he means the feet of the heart, not of the body), and bound by its golden chains depart not from the path of God, and become not runaways from him; whichever reading we adopt, the truth in the meaning is safe.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)