Sirach · World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
Sirach 5 World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
Notes on this text (1)
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WEBBE World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 Don’t set your heart upon your goods. Don’t say, “They are sufficient for me.”
1 Don’t set your heart upon your goods. Don’t say, “They are sufficient for me.”
2 Don’t follow your own mind and your strength to walk in the desires of your heart.
2 Don’t follow your own mind and your strength to walk in the desires of your heart.
3 Don’t say, “Who will have dominion over me?” for the Lord will surely take vengeance on you.
3 Don’t say, “Who will have dominion over me?” for the Lord will surely take vengeance on you.
4 Don’t say, “I sinned, and what happened to me?” for the Lord is patient.
4 Don’t say, “I sinned, and what happened to me?” for the Lord is patient.
5 Don’t be so confident of atonement that you add sin upon sins.
5 Don’t be so confident of atonement that you add sin upon sins.
6 Don’t say, “His compassion is great. He will be pacified for the multitude of my sins,” for mercy and wrath are with him, and his indignation will rest on sinners.
6 Don’t say, “His compassion is great. He will be pacified for the multitude of my sins,” for mercy and wrath are with him, and his indignation will rest on sinners.
7 Don’t wait to turn to the Lord. Don’t put off from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come on you, and you will perish in the time of vengeance.
7 Don’t wait to turn to the Lord. Don’t put off from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come on you, and you will perish in the time of vengeance.
8 Don’t set your heart upon unrighteous gains, for you will profit nothing in the day of calamity.
8 Don’t set your heart upon unrighteous gains, for you will profit nothing in the day of calamity.
9 Don’t winnow with every wind. Don’t walk in every path. This is what the sinner who has a double tongue does.
9 Don’t winnow with every wind. Don’t walk in every path. This is what the sinner who has a double tongue does.
10 Be steadfast in your understanding. Let your speech be consistent.
10 Be steadfast in your understanding. Let your speech be consistent.
11 Be swift to hear and answer with patience.
11 Be swift to hear and answer with patience.
12 If you have understanding, answer your neighbour; but if not, put your hand over your mouth.
12 If you have understanding, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your hand over your mouth.
13 Glory and dishonour is in talk. A man’s tongue may be his downfall.
13 Glory and dishonor is in talk. A man’s tongue may be his downfall.
14 Don’t be called a whisperer. Don’t lie in wait with your tongue; for shame is on the thief, and an evil condemnation is on him who has a double tongue.
14 Don’t be called a whisperer. Don’t lie in wait with your tongue; for shame is on the thief, and an evil condemnation is on him who has a double tongue.
15 Don’t be ignorant in a great or small matter.
15 Don’t be ignorant in a great or small matter.
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)