Sirach · World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
Sirach 3 World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
Notes on this text (1)
- "World English Bible" is a trademark of eBible.org; the text is shown unaltered.
Sirach is not in RV1909.
1 Hear me, your father, O my children, and do what you hear, that you all may be safe.
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2 For the Lord honors the father over the children, and has confirmed the judgment of the mother over her sons.
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3 He who honors his father will make atonement for sins.
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4 He who gives glory to his mother is as one who lays up treasure.
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5 Whoever honors his father will have joy in his own children. He will be heard in the day of his prayer.
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6 He who gives glory to his father will have length of days. He who listens to the Lord will bring rest to his mother,
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7 and will serve under his parents, as to masters.
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8 Honor your father in deed and word, that a blessing may come upon you from him.
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9 For the blessing of the father establishes the houses of children, but the curse of the mother roots out the foundations.
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10 Don’t glorify yourself in the dishonor of your father, for your father’s dishonor is no glory to you.
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11 For the glory of a man is from the honor of his father, and a mother in dishonor is a reproach to her children.
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12 My son, help your father in his old age, and don’t grieve him as long as he lives.
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13 If he fails in understanding, have patience with him. Don’t dishonor him in your full strength.
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14 For the kindness to your father will not be forgotten. Instead of sins it will be added to build you up.
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15 In the day of your affliction it will be remembered for you, as fair weather upon ice, so your sins will also melt away.
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16 He who forsakes his father is as a blasphemer. He who provokes his mother is cursed by the Lord.
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17 My son, go on with your business in humility; so you will be loved by an acceptable man.
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18 The greater you are, humble yourself the more, and you will find favor before the Lord.
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19 Not in this translation
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20 For the power of the Lord is great, and he is glorified by those who are lowly.
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21 Don’t seek things that are too hard for you, and don’t search out things that are above your strength.
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22 Think about the things that have been commanded you, for you have no need of the things that are secret.
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23 Don’t be overly busy in tasks that are beyond you, for more things are shown to you than men can understand.
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24 For the conceit of many has led them astray. Evil opinion has caused their judgment to slip.
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25 There is no light without eyes. There is no wisdom without knowledge.
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26 A stubborn heart will do badly at the end. He who loves danger will perish in it.
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27 A stubborn heart will be burdened with troubles. The sinner will heap sin upon sins.
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28 The calamity of the proud has no healing, for a weed of wickedness has taken root in him.
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29 The heart of the prudent will understand a proverb. A wise man desires the ear of a listener.
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30 Water will quench a flaming fire; almsgiving will make atonement for sins.
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31 He who repays good turns is mindful of that which comes afterward. In the time of his falling he will find a support.
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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).
For Thou hast commanded, saying, Go on with thy business in meekness, and thou shalt be beloved by all men; and good cattle, which neither if they eat, shall they over-abound, nor if they do not eat, have they any want; and good serpents, not destructive to do hurt, but "wise" to take heed; and exploring only so much of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Seek not the things that are too deep for thee, neither search out the things that are above thy strength: what is commanded thee, think thereupon.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
It is written, "As water quencheth fire, so alms quencheth sin." Again it is written, "Shut up alms in the heart of a poor man, and it shall make supplication for thee before the Lord." Again it is written, "Hear, O king, my counsel, and redeem thy sins by alms." And many other testimonies of the Divine oracles are there, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
… abundance of graces is to be feared, that no man may pride himself in the gift of God, but may rather preserve humility, and may do what is written: "The greater thou art, the more humble thyself, and thou shalt find favour before the Lord:" how deeply pride in God's gift should be feared, we must again and again impress …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)