Sirach Chapters

Foreword By the Translator From Hebrew To Greek

•  The Law, the Prophets, and the other Writings, which came later, have taught us so many great lessons that it seems fitting to praise Israel for its reputation in knowledge and wisdom. But it would not be enough to keep these truths for our own instruction: those who love wisdom want to be helpful in what they say and write to those who are not so familiar with her teachings.

My grandfather, Jesus, who devoted himself constantly to reading the Law, the Prophets, and the later Writings of our fathers and had acquired a thorough familiarity with them, began to write something about their teachings and wisdom so that those people desiring to gain knowledge might take advantage of his writings and make even greater progress in living according to the law.

Therefore, you are invited to read this book with kind consideration and attention and to show indulgence where I may have poorly conveyed the meaning despite my painstaking efforts in interpretation. Those things in this book written in Hebrew lose their force when translated into another language. In fact, this book and the Law itself, the Prophets, and the other Writings differ considerably from the original text.

When I went to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of King Euergetes and settled there, I found an example of this important teaching. I judged it necessary to exercise great care and make serious efforts in translating this book.

Therefore, during this time, I have devoted many sleepless nights and much study to finishing this book and publishing it for those who, though they live abroad, wish to become lovers of wisdom and to conform their manner of living to the Law.

Wisdom Comes From God

1 | •  ¹All wisdom comes from the Lord and endures with him forever.

²The grains of sand, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity, who can count them?

³The height of heaven, the extent of the earth, and the depths of the abyss, who can measure them?

⁴Wisdom was created before all things, and the prudent intellect before the beginning of time.

⁶To whom was the source of Wisdom revealed? Who has known her secret designs?

⁸One alone is wise and greatly to be feared. The One who is seated upon his throne.

⁹The Lord himself created Wisdom. He looked at her and knew her value. He poured her out over all his works, ¹⁰upon all mortal beings, by his goodness. He lavished her on those who love him.

¹¹The fear of the Lord is our glory and honor; it is joy and a triumphant crown.

¹²The fear of the Lord gladdens the heart; it gives joy, delight, and long life.

¹³For the one who fears the Lord, all will go well at the end of his life, and he will be blessed on the day of his death.

¹⁴The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; he put wisdom into the hearts of his faithful ones before their birth.

¹⁵Founded from eternity, she has made her home among people and will remain faithful to their descendants.

¹⁶The fear of the Lord is the fullness of wisdom. It will fill you with its fruits.

¹⁷It will fill your whole house with desirable things.

It will fill your houses with its riches.

¹⁸The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom.

¹⁹Wherever it is, peace and good health flourish; knowledge and prudence rain down. Wisdom exalts those who possess her.

²⁰The fear of the Lord is the root of wisdom. Its branches are long life.

²²Unjust violence cannot be justified; it will destroy itself by its own excesses.

²³The patient man will hold out until the appointed time, but finally, joy will be given to him.

²⁴He will guard his words until the appointed time; in the end, many will recognize his worth.

²⁵Proverbs rich in content are among wisdom’s treasures, but the sinner does not want to know about God.

²⁶Do you desire wisdom? Keep the commandments, and the Lord will give her to you without measure; ²⁷for fear of the Lord is wisdom and learning; what pleases him are faithfulness and gentleness.

²⁸Do not put aside the fear of the Lord; approach him with a sincere heart. ²⁹Do not be a hypocrite before others; watch your words carefully.

³⁰Do not praise yourself lest you fall and bring dishonor on yourself. The Lord will reveal your secrets and throw you to one side amid the assembly if you have no fear of the Lord and your heart is full of deceit.

Fear God In Time of Trials

2 | •  ¹My son, if you have decided to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials. ²Keep your heart upright and remain resolute; do not be upset during adversity.

³Hold fast to the Lord, do not separate yourself from him so that you may be successful to the end of your days. ⁴Accept all that happens to you, be patient when you are humbled, ⁵for as gold is tested in the fire, so those acceptable to God are tested in the crucible of humiliation. ⁶Have confidence in him, and he will take care of you; follow the right path and hope in him.

⁷You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy and do not turn away lest you fall. ⁸You who fear the Lord, trust him, and you will not lose your reward. ⁹You who fear the Lord hope for all good things and eternal joy and mercy.

¹⁰Remember what happened to your ancestors. Who has ever trusted in the Lord and been confounded? Who has persevered in fear of the Lord and been abandoned? Who has called upon him and not been heard?

¹¹For the Lord is compassion and loving-kindness; he forgives our sins and saves us in times of distress.

¹²Woe to faint hearts and weak hands, to the sinner who wavers between two paths.

¹³Woe to the fainthearted who lack confidence; because of this, they will not be protected. ¹⁴Woe to you who have lost patience! What will you do when the Lord calls you to account?

¹⁵Those who fear the Lord do not disobey his commandments; those who love him faithfully keep his laws.

¹⁶Those who fear the Lord seek to please him; those who love him are filled with his law.

¹⁷Those who fear the Lord keep their hearts ready and humble themselves in his presence saying,

¹⁸“Let us fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of mortals, for great as his power is his mercy.”

Duties Towards Parents

3 | •  ¹My children, it is your father who speaks; listen to me and follow my advice, and so be saved. ²The Lord established that children should respect their father; he confirmed the mother's right over her children.

³Whoever honors his father atones for his sins; ⁴he who gives glory to his mother prepares a treasure for himself.

⁵Whoever honors his father will receive joy from his own children and be heard when he prays.

⁶Whoever glorifies his father will have a long life. Whoever obeys the Lord gives comfort to his mother. ⁷He serves those who brought him to birth as he would serve the Lord.

⁸Honor your father in word and deed so that his blessing may come on you. ⁹For a father’s blessing secures his children's future, but a mother’s curse destroys them at their roots.

¹⁰Do not rejoice at your father's humiliation because his dishonor is no glory for you. ¹¹For a man’s glory comes from his father’s reputation; a mother who is not respected is a disgrace to her children.

¹²My child, take care of your father in his old age; do not cause him sorrow as long as he lives.

¹³Even if he has lost his mind, have patience; do not disrespect him while you are in full health.

¹⁴For kindness done to one’s father will never be forgotten; it will serve as reparation for your sins.

¹⁵In the day of adversity, the Lord will remember it to your advantage; just as the ice melts in the heat, so will your sins melt away. ¹⁶The man who abandons his father is like a blasphemer; the Lord curses him and annoys his mother.

Humility

¹⁷My son, conduct your affairs with discretion, and you will be loved by those who are acceptable to God.

¹⁸The greater you are, the more you should humble yourself; thus, you will find favor with God. ²⁰For great is the power of the Lord, and the humble gives him glory.

²¹Do not seek what is beyond your powers nor search into what is beyond your ability. ²²Reflect on what you are commanded to do; you do not need to know hidden things.

²³Do not tire yourself in resolving useless questions since the knowledge you already have goes beyond human understanding.

²⁴For many have been led astray by their personal theories, and false pretension has undermined reason.

²⁶The obstinate man will eventually fall into evil, and he who loves danger will perish therein. ²⁷The obstinate man will be weighed down with sufferings; the sinner heaps up sin upon sin.

²⁸There is no remedy for the proud man's sufferings; evil's roots are implanted in him. ²⁹The wise man reflects on proverbs. What the wise man desires is an attentive ear.

Almsgiving

³⁰As water extinguishes the burning flames, almsgiving obtains pardon for sins. ³¹The man who responds by doing well prepares for the future; he will find support at the moment of his downfall.

4 | ¹My son, do not deny the poor his food, and do not make the man who looks at you with pleading eyes wait.

²Do not sadden the hungry or annoy anyone in need. ³Do not exasperate an angry man nor withhold alms from the beggar.

⁴Do not drive away the beggar who is weighed down with afflictions, nor turn away your face from the poor; ⁵do not snub the needy nor give anyone a reason to curse you.

⁶If someone curses you in the bitterness of his heart, the Creator will hear his prayer.

⁷Accept yourself to the community; bow your head before the one in authority.

⁸Listen to the poor man and reply to him with kind words and with peace. ⁹Deliver the oppressed from the hands of the oppressor. Do not be weak when you administer justice. ¹⁰Be like a father towards orphans and like a husband towards their mothers. Then you will be like a son of the Most High, and he will love you more than your own mother.

¹¹Wisdom raises her children and takes care of those who seek her. ¹²Whoever loves her loves life. Those who rise early in the morning searching for her will be filled with joy.

¹³Whoever possesses her will have glory, and wherever he goes, blessings will follow. ¹⁴Those who serve her are ministers of the Holy One; those who love her are loved of the Lord. ¹⁵He who listens to her will have good judgment. He who obeys her will rest in safety.

¹⁶Whoever trusts in her will possess her, and his children after him will inherit her.

¹⁷For in the beginning, she will lead him by rough paths, causing him to fear and be terrified; she will plague him with her discipline until she can count on him, and she will put him to the test by her demands.

¹⁸Then she will lead him on a level path, give him joy, and reveal her secrets.

¹⁹But if he wanders from the path, she will abandon him and allow him to be lost.

²⁰In every situation, weigh the pros and cons and avoid evil. A wrong kind of shame could harm you. ²¹There is a shame which leads to sin, and there is a shame which merits praise and respect. ²²Do not act against your better self to win favor from others. Do not let this kind of shame lead you into sin.

²³Do not remain silent when it is necessary to speak. Do not, through pride, hide your wisdom. ²⁴It is in a speech that wisdom is recognized and learned in the spoken discourse.

²⁵Do not contradict the truth; confess your lack of knowledge.

²⁶Have no shame in confessing your sins; do not swim against the tide.

²⁷Do not cringe before a fool; do not be influenced by the powerful.

²⁸Fight for the truth till death, and the Lord will fight for you.

²⁹Do not be daring in your speech, but idle and slack in your deeds.

³⁰Do not be like a lion in your household, finding fault with your servants and oppressing those under you.

³¹Do not open your hand to receive; keep it closed when you should give.

Do Not Rely On Wealth

5 | •  ¹Do not rely on your wealth. Do not say, “I am self-sufficient.” ²Do not let yourself be carried away by greed and violence; they would make you their slave.

³Do not say, “Who can stop me?” For the Lord has the power to punish you. ⁴Do not say, “I have sinned, and nothing has happened!” For the Lord bides his time.

⁵Do not be so sure of pardon when heaping sin upon sin. ⁶Do not say, “His compassion is great! He will forgive the vast number of my sins!” For with him is mercy but also anger; his fury will be poured out on sinners.

⁷Do not delay your return to the Lord; do not put it off daily. For, suddenly, his anger will blaze forth, and you will perish on the day of reckoning.

⁸Do not rely on riches wrongfully acquired, for they will be useless to you on the day of wrath.

⁹Do not be swayed by every wind nor try to walk by every path, as does the sinner accustomed to lie. ¹⁰Remain firm in your convictions and be consistent in your speech. ¹¹Be ready to listen and know how to wait before giving your reply.

¹²If you know what you are saying, answer your neighbor; if not, it is better to say nothing. ¹³Your words can bring you honor and dishonor; a man’s tongue brings about his downfall.

¹⁴Do not let yourself be known as a scandal-monger or a deceiver. For if shame is the lot of the robber, severe condemnation is the liar's.

¹⁵Do not sin in big or little things; from being a friend, do not turn into an enemy. An evil reputation brings in its train shame and disgrace; such is the lot of the sinner who is accustomed to lying.

6 | ¹Just as the wicked man inherits confusion and shame, so will the sinner accustomed to lying. ²Do not give yourself over to your passions; they will turn against you and, like a bull, tear you to pieces. ³They will devour the foliage and destroy the fruit, leaving you like a dry stump. ⁴An evil passion will destroy the one held in its power, making him the laughingstock of his enemies.

Friends

•  ⁵A gentle word makes many friends; an agreeable tongue calls forth gracious replies. ⁶Let your friends be many, but your counselors, one in a thousand!

⁷If you would gain a friend, begin by testing him, and do not put your confidence in him too quickly. ⁸For there is the friend who is such when it suits him, but he does not remain faithful during your adversity.

⁹There is the friend who becomes an enemy and, to your confusion, makes known why you quarreled.

¹⁰There is the friend who shares your table but does not remain faithful when things go against you. ¹¹In times of prosperity, he will be like your shadow, and he will speak freely to those of your household. ¹²But he will turn against you and avoid meeting you if you are humiliated.

¹³Distance yourself from your enemies and be careful about your friends.

¹⁴The faithful friend is a secure refuge; whoever has found one has a treasure. ¹⁵A faithful friend is beyond all prices; hold him as priceless. ¹⁶A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy and those who fear the Lord will find one.

¹⁷Whoever fears the Lord will make true friends for, as a man is, such will his friend be.

¹⁸My son, dedicate yourself to learning from your youth, and you will grow in wisdom until old age. ¹⁹Work at it like the worker and the sower, cultivate wisdom, and wait for her excellent fruits. You will have some trouble cultivating her, but soon, you will enjoy her fruits.

²⁰Wisdom is very severe with the ignorant. Fools will not persevere. ²¹She will be like a heavy weight or a difficult test, which he will quickly throw away.

²²For wisdom brings her own honor; she does not reveal herself to everyone. ²³Listen, my son, and receive my teaching; accept my counsel. ²⁴Put her constraints on your feet and her yoke on your neck. ²⁵Put your shoulder to the burden and bear her yoke; do not rebel against her chains. ²⁶Come to her with all your soul and with all your strength observe her ways. ²⁷Pursue her, search for her; she will make herself known to you; when you have her, do not let her go.

²⁸For, in the end, you will find in her your rest, and she will become your joy. ²⁹Her constraints will strengthen your steps, and her collar will be glorious. ³⁰Her yoke will become an ornament of gold and chains like precious hyacinth blue girdles. ³¹You will adorn yourself with a garment of glory and put her on like a crown of jubilation.

³²If you wish, my son, you will be learned; if you pay attention, you will become clever. ³³If you love to listen, you will learn; if you really pay attention, you will become wise.

³⁴Be on your guard in the assembly of the elders, and if there is a wise man there, attach yourself to him. ³⁵Be willing to listen to all discourses on divine things, and do not let the sayings of the wise escape you.

³⁶If you see an intelligent man, follow him from daybreak and let your feet beat a pathway to his door.

³⁷Meditate on the Lord's precepts and apply yourself unceasingly to his commandments. He will strengthen your heart, and you will be given the wisdom you desire.

7 | ¹Do no evil; evil will not take hold of you.

²Keep away from wrongdoing, and it will leave you alone.

³Do not sow in the furrows of injustice for fear of reaping its harvest sevenfold.

⁴Do not demand authority from the Lord nor the king a place of honor.

⁵Do not present yourself as a just man before the Lord or a wise man before the king.

⁶Do not seek a position of responsibility lest you not be powerful enough to root out injustice; if a powerful man overawes you, you will lose your integrity.

⁷Do not offend the city’s assembly or disgrace yourself before the people.

⁸Do not commit the same sin twice; once is enough to punish you.

⁹Do not say, “When I sacrifice to God, the Most High will take into account the number of gifts, and he will accept them.” ¹⁰Pray with a strong spirit and do not neglect to give alms.

¹¹Do not despise a man when he is downcast, for there is one who casts down and raises up.

¹²Do not lie about your brother; likewise, do not lie about your friend.

¹³Do not allow yourself any kind of lie, for nothing good will come of it.

¹⁴Do not gossip before the elders' council, nor keep repeating your words in prayer.

¹⁵Do not hate hard work nor the tilling of the land as instituted by the Most High.

¹⁶Do not join the company of sinners; remember that the wrath of God will not be delayed.

¹⁷Remain humble because the godless are punished with fire and worms.

¹⁸Do not exchange your friend for money, nor a real brother for the gold of Ophir.

¹⁹Do not separate yourself from a wise and good woman because a gracious wife is worth more than gold.

²⁰Do not maltreat the servant who works honestly, nor the laborer who works diligently. ²¹Love the intelligent slave as yourself and do not deprive him of his freedom.

²²Do you have any cattle? Take care of them. If they are profitable, keep them.

²³Have you children? Educate them and teach them to obey from their childhood.

²⁴Have you any daughters? Guard their virginity and do not be indulgent towards them.

²⁵If you marry off your daughter, you will have accomplished something important, but give her to an intelligent man.

²⁶Do you have a wife who is according to your liking? Do not send her away. As for the one you dislike, do not trust her.

²⁷Honor your father with your whole heart, and do not forget your mother's sufferings.

²⁸Remember that they gave you birth. How can you repay them for what they have done for you?

²⁹Reverence the Lord with all your being and respect the priests.

³⁰Love your Creator with all your strength and not abandon his ministers.

³¹Fear the Lord and honor the priest. Give him the share that has been commanded: the first harvest, the sin offering, the shoulders of the victims, the holy offerings, and the firstfruits of sacred things.

³²Stretch out your hand to the poor, and you will receive a blessing from the Lord.

³³May your gifts benefit the living, and do not forget the dead.

³⁴Do not turn away from those who weep and grieve with those in sorrow.

³⁵Do not neglect to visit the sick because it is for such acts that you will be loved.

³⁶In all your actions, remember your last end, and you will never sin.

Prudence and Common Sense

8 | ¹Do not argue with a powerful man lest you fall into his hands.

²Do not quarrel with a rich man lest he throw his weight into the scale against you.

³Do not argue with a talkative person; do not heap up wood on his fire.

⁴Do not joke with an ignorant man for fear your ancestors will be insulted.

⁵Do not offend the man who repents his sins; remember that we deserve punishment.

⁶Do not despise a man in his old age because we ourselves will grow old.

⁷Do not rejoice at the death of any man; remember that we shall all die.

⁸Do not neglect the teaching of the wise; apply yourself well to their precepts. Through them, you will learn how to live and serve the great.

⁹Do not set aside the elders' teachings, for they also learned them from their forebears; they will open up your understanding and enable you to reply at the right moment.

¹⁰Do nothing to arouse the sinner for fear of being burned by the flames of his fire.

¹¹Do not annoy the angry man for fear that he will twist your words to his own advantage.

¹²Do not lend to those more powerful than yourself; if you have lent anything, consider it lost.

¹³Do not stand surety beyond your means; if you have done so, be ready to pay.

¹⁴Do not go to law with a judge because, due to his position, judgment will be given in his favor.

¹⁵Do not travel with an adventurer lest he imposes himself on you, and you both perish through his folly as he does whatever he pleases.

¹⁶Do not quarrel with a bad-tempered person nor get involved with him in a lonely place; blood counts for little in his eyes, and he will attack you when he sees you defenseless.

¹⁷Do not take counsel with a fool because he cannot remain silent about your words.

¹⁸Do nothing that should be kept secret from a stranger because you do not know how he will react.

¹⁹Do not reveal your secrets to any man; he will not be grateful to you for doing so.

Man With Women

9 | •  ¹Do not be jealous of your own wife; do not give her reason to disgrace you.

²Do not put yourself into the power of any woman to the point where she can dominate you.

³Do not go near a woman of ill repute for fear of falling into her nets.

⁴Do not dally with a singing girl for fear of being caught in her snare.

⁵Do not fix your gaze on a young girl for fear of being involved in her condemnation.

⁶Do not deliver yourself into the power of prostitutes lest you lose your inheritance.

⁷Do not glance about you in the town's streets; do not loiter in lonely places.

⁸Turn your eyes away from a good-looking woman, and do not stare at a beautiful foreigner. For the beauty of a woman has caused many to fall; in her presence, love blazes up like a fire.

⁹Never sit near a married woman or drink wine with her, for fear that your feelings towards her be roused and that in your passion you slide towards your downfall.

¹⁰Do not abandon an old friend, for a new one does not have the same value.

New wine, new friend; let them mature, then you will enjoy them with pleasure.

¹¹Do not envy the success of the sinner; you do not know what his end will be.

¹²Do not take pleasure in what pleases the godless; remember that they will be punished before they die.

¹³Keep well away from the man who has the power to kill, and you will not experience the fear of death. But if you go with him, avoid all offense for fear that he will deprive you of life: realize that you are passing through death traps and that you are walking on top of the wall.

¹⁴As far as you can, be sociable and take counsel with learned men.

¹⁵Love to speak with intelligent men and let all your discourses be about the law of the Most High.

¹⁶Let just men be your companions at the table; take pride in your fear of the Lord.

¹⁷An artisan is judged by his work and a community leader by the wisdom of his words.

¹⁸A talkative man is dreaded in his town, and the gossip makes him disliked.

10 | ¹The wise leader will teach his people; the government of the intelligent man will be well-ordered.

²As the leader is, so will his ministers be; as the city's leader is, so will its inhabitants.

³A king without wisdom will ruin his people; a city will prosper through the wisdom of its rulers.

⁴The government of the earth is in the hands of the Lord; in his own time, he will raise up the right leader.

⁵Human success is in the hands of the Lord, who clothes rulers with his glory.

Pride

•  ⁶Do not store up resentment against your neighbor, no matter what his offense; do nothing in a fit of anger.

⁷Pride is odious to God and man; injustice is abhorrent to both.

⁸Sovereignty passes from one nation to another because of injustice, violence, and wealth.

⁹How can there be such pride in someone who is nothing but dust and ashes? Even while he is living, man’s bowels are full of rottenness.

¹⁰Look: the illness lasts while the doctor makes light of it, and one who is king today will die tomorrow.

¹¹Once a man dies, grubs, insects, and worms are his lot.

¹²The beginning of man’s pride is to separate himself from the Lord and to rebel against his Creator.

¹³The beginning of pride is sin. Whoever perseveres in sinning opens the floodgates to everything evil. For this, the Lord has inflicted dire punishment on sinners, reducing them to nothing.

¹⁴The Lord has overturned the thrones of princes and set up the meek in their place.

¹⁵The Lord has torn up the proud by the roots and has planted the humble in their place.

¹⁶The Lord has overturned the land of the pagans and totally destroyed them.

¹⁷He has devastated several of them, destroyed them, and removed all remembrance of them from the face of the earth.

¹⁸Pride was not created for man nor violent anger, for those born of woman.

¹⁹Which race is worthy of honor? The human race.

Which race is worthy of honor? Those who fear the Lord.

Which race is despicable? The human race.

Which race is despicable? Those who break the commandments.

²⁰The leader is worthy of respect amid his brethren, but he has respect for those who fear the Lord. ²²Whether rich, honored, or poor, their pride should be in fearing the Lord.

²³It is not right to despise the poor man who keeps the law; it is not fitting to honor the sinful man.

²⁴The leader, the judge, and the powerful man are worthy of honor, but no one is greater than the man who fears the Lord.

²⁵A prudent slave will have free men as servants, and the sensible man will not complain.

²⁶Do not feel proud when you have only accomplished your work; do not put on airs when times are difficult for you.

²⁷The man who works and lives in abundance is of greater worth than the one who shows off and has nothing to live on.

²⁸My son, have a modest appreciation of yourself; estimate yourself at your true value.

²⁹Who will defend the man who attempts on his own life? Who will respect the man who despises himself?

³⁰The poor man will be honored for his wisdom and the rich man for his riches.

³¹Honored when poor—how much more honored when rich!

Dishonored when rich—how much more dishonored when poor!

11 | ¹The poor wise man carries his head high and sits among the great.

²Do not praise a man because he is handsome, and do not hold him in contempt because of his appearance.

³The bee is one of the smallest winged insects, but she excels at producing exquisitely sweet honey.

⁴Do not be proud because of the clothes you wear; do not be proud when people honor you. Do you know what the Lord is preparing mysteriously? ⁵Many tyrants have been overthrown, and someone unknown has received the crown.

⁶Many powerful men have been completely disgraced, and famous men handed over to the power of others.

⁷Do not reprehend anyone unless you have been fully informed, considered the case, and after that, criticize.

⁸Do not reply before you have listened; do not interrupt the speaker.

⁹Do not interfere in what is not your business; do not meddle in the disputes of sinners.

¹⁰My child, do not undertake too many activities. If you keep adding to them, you will not be without reproach; if you run after them, you will not succeed, nor will you ever be free, although you try to escape.

Put Your Trust In God

•  ¹¹Some exhaust themselves, tire themselves out, and become anxious, yet they are only the poorer in the end.

¹²Some are weak, needing support, lacking goods, and in great poverty, yet the eyes of the Lord look on them with favor. The Lord will redress their humiliation. ¹³He will raise their heads, and many people will marvel at this account.

¹⁴Good and evil, life and death, poverty and riches come from the Lord.

¹⁷The just can count on the generosity of the Lord, and his goodness will guide them forever.

¹⁸A man may become rich through being careful and miserly, and this is his reward. ¹⁹The day he thinks, “I have earned my rest; now I can live on my possessions,” he does not know how long he will live. He will have to die and leave his goods to others.

²⁰Remain faithful to your duty, give your life, and grow old in your work.

²¹Do not be disconcerted by sinners' success; have confidence in God and persevere in your own efforts. It is easy for the Lord to make the poor man rich in an instant.

²²The blessing of the Lord is the just man’s reward, and his benediction will bear fruit quickly, in an instant.

²³Do not say, “What do I need? What more could I have or desire?”

²⁴Do not say, “I have all that is necessary; what misfortune can harm me now?”

²⁵On good days, one forgets the bad; on bad days, one forgets the good.

²⁶Even when the end draws near, it is easy for the Lord to reward a man according to his life.

²⁷The hour of adversity makes one forget pleasure; at the end of a man’s life, his deeds will be revealed.

²⁸Do not consider anyone as blessed before his death, for only then will he be known.

²⁹Do not invite just anybody into your house, for many are clever deceivers.

³⁰Like a partridge in its cage acting as a decoy, so is the proud man's heart; like a spy, he watches out for your weaknesses.

³¹He changes good things into evil, lays traps, and criticizes even the best things.

³²Just as a spark sets coals on fire, the wicked man prepares his snares to draw blood.

³³Beware of the wicked man, for he is planning evil. He might dishonor you forever.

³⁴If you take a stranger into your house, he will cause you trouble and estrange you from your household.

12 | ¹If you do good, know to whom you are doing it, and you will receive thanks for your kindness.

²Do good to the godly man, and you will receive a reward, if not from the man himself, at least from the Most High.

³Blessings are not for those who persist in evildoing or refuse to show compassion.

⁴Give to the godly man, do not help the sinner; ⁵do good to the humble, do not give to the ungodly; deny him bread, do not give it to him lest he eventually dominate you. He will repay you with a double evil for all the good that you have done for him.

⁶For the Most High himself detests sinners and carries out his vengeance on the ungodly.

⁷Give to the good man, but do not help the sinner.

⁸A friend does not become an enemy in the time of prosperity, nor does an enemy remain hidden in adversity.

⁹When a man is doing well, his enemies are sad; even his friends hasten to abandon him when he suffers misfortune.

¹⁰Never trust an enemy; his malice is like bronze covered in rust.

¹¹Even if he should act as a humble man and walk with his head bowed down, watch yourself and guard against him. Behave towards him as a man who polishes a bronze mirror. Know that the rust will not remain until the end.

¹²Do not place him near you lest he overthrow and take your place. Do not make him sit on your right hand lest he covet your seat. Let it not be that, in the end, you understand my words and regret not having listened to my advice.

¹³Who will have pity on the snake charmer bitten by a snake or on those who go near wild beasts? ¹⁴It is the same for the man who joins the company with a sinner and finds himself involved in his wrongdoing. ¹⁵The sinner will remain quietly with you for an hour, but he will throw away his mask when you are distracted.

¹⁶The enemy is all sweetness in his speech, but in his heart, he plans to throw you in the ditch. The enemy has tears in his eyes but cannot have enough of your blood if he finds an opportunity.

¹⁷If misfortune comes to you, you will find him there before you; pretending to help you, he will be scheming to get rid of you. ¹⁸He will nod his head in mockery and clap his hands; he will whisper unceasingly and show his true face.

Beware of the Great

13 | •  ¹He who touches tar will be soiled; he who associates with an arrogant man will become like him.

²Do not carry too heavy a load; do not make friends with someone stronger and richer than you. Why put the earthen pot near the iron one? One will bang the other and break it.

³The rich man does wrong and is unconcerned; the poor man is insulted and apologizes.

⁴The rich man uses you as long as you are helpful; he deserts you when you have nothing left.

⁵He will stay with you as long as you have something; he will drain you without a second thought.

⁶If he really needs you, he will deceive you, smile at you, and raise your hopes; he will speak smooth words and say, “What would you like?”

⁷He will show his gratitude by entertaining you until he has taken all you possess and will make fun of you in the end. Afterward, when he sees you, he will have nothing to do with you and shake his head when he meets you.

⁸Take care not to be deceived and humiliated through stupidity.

⁹When an influential person invites you, delay, and he will call you all the more.

¹⁰Do not go so far forward that you are pushed aside or so far back that you are overlooked.

¹¹Do not try to talk to him as an equal or trust his many words. With all this verbiage, he is only trying to test you and, under the pretense of kindness, weighing you up.

¹²He will repeat your words without pity and not spare you blows or chains. ¹³Be wary and take great care because you are walking with your own stumbling block.

¹⁵All that lives loves its own kind, and each person, his own neighbor.

¹⁶Every animal relates to its own species and man to his own kind.

¹⁷What does the wolf have in common with the lamb? It is the same with the sinner and the virtuous man. ¹⁸What kind of peace can exist between the hyena and the dog? What peace between the rich man and the poor man?

¹⁹Wild donkeys are the prey of desert lions, and the poor are the prey of the rich.

²⁰The proud man hates humility; so, also, the poor man is detestable to the rich.

²¹When the rich man stumbles, his friends support him, but when the poor man falls, his friends desert him.

²²When the rich man gets into trouble, many come to his rescue; if he speaks nonsense, they congratulate him. When the poor man makes a mistake, they criticize him; if he speaks sensibly, they pay no attention. ²³When the rich man speaks, all are silent, and they praise his words to the skies. The poor man speaks, and people ask, “Who is this?” And if he stumbles, they push him down.

²⁴Wealth is good if it contains no sin, and poverty is evil when it is the reward for godlessness.

Enjoy Life Without Being Greedy

²⁵Man’s heart is reflected in his face, for better or worse.

²⁶Does he show a happy face? All is going well for him. Has he found words of wisdom? He has reflected on suffering.

14 | ¹Happy the one who has not sinned in speech or feels no remorse for his faults.

²Happy is someone whose conscience does not condemn him and has not fallen from his ideals.

³Wealth does not befit the small-minded man; why would you give the greedy man riches? ⁴He who hoards, depriving himself, is hoarding for others: others will enjoy his goods.

⁵He who is mean to himself, with whom will he be good? He does not even enjoy his own riches.

⁶There is nothing worse than one who is mean to himself; this is how his evil repays him.

⁷If he does good, he does it without realizing it, but his evil will be revealed in the end.

⁸Evil is the greedy-eyed man who ignores and looks down on people.

⁹The ambitious man is not content with what he has; wicked injustice shrivels up the heart.

¹⁰The envious eye covets the food of others; there will be misery and famine at his table.

¹¹My son, use whatever you have well and give worthy offerings to the Lord.

¹²Remember that death will not delay, and your time has not yet been revealed to you.

¹³Be good to your friend before you die and be generous to him in any way you can.

¹⁴Enjoy happiness and do not reject lawful pleasure when it comes your way.

¹⁵Will you not have to leave the fruit of your works to another? Will the fruit of your labor not be shared by the lot?

¹⁶Give, take, and treat yourself well, for there are no pleasures to seek in the netherworld.

¹⁷All living things, like clothing, grow old. This is the eternal law: “You will die.”

¹⁸Like green leaves on a bushy tree, some sprout and others fall off, so do the generations of flesh and blood: one dies, and another is born. ¹⁹All finite things pass away and their maker with them.

Happy the One Seeking Wisdom

²⁰Happy the one who is intent on wisdom and who can reply to those who question him; ²¹who makes his own the ways of wisdom and meditates on her secrets; ²²who pursues her like a hunter, lies in wait by her paths, ²³peeps in at her windows and listens at her doors; ²⁴he sets up camp near her house, fixing his stakes in her walls.

²⁵He places his tent in the hands of wisdom; he stays in a happy lodging. ²⁶He places his sons beneath her protection and finds shelter beneath her branches. ²⁷She shades him from the heat and makes his camp in her glory.

15 | ¹Such is the one who fears the Lord; whoever embraces the law will obtain wisdom. ²She will come out to meet him like a mother and greet him like a virgin bride; ³she will feed him with the bread of understanding and give him the water of wisdom to drink. ⁴He will rely on her and not waver; he will lean on her and not be let down.

⁵Wisdom will make him greater than his friends, and he can speak in the full assembly. ⁶He will be crowned with happiness and joy. He will inherit an everlasting name.

⁷The fool will never possess her, and sinners will never set eyes on her. ⁸She is far from pride, and liars will know nothing of her.

⁹Praise is not fitting on the lips of sinners since it does not come from the Lord. ¹⁰Praise must come from the wise man, so the Lord inspires it.

God Made Us Free and Responsible

•  ¹¹Do not say, “God made me sin.” God does not cause what he hates.

¹²Do not say, “He made me do wrong,” for he has nothing to do with a sinner. ¹³The Lord hates all evil, and those who fear him also hate it.

¹⁴When he created man in the beginning, he left him free to make his own decisions. ¹⁵If you wish, you can keep the commandments, and it is in your power to remain faithful.

¹⁶He has set fire and water before you; you stretch your hand to whichever you prefer.

¹⁷Life and death are set before man: whichever a man prefers will be given him.

¹⁸How magnificent is the wisdom of the Lord! He is powerful and all-seeing.

¹⁹His eyes are on those who fear him. He knows all the works of man.

²⁰He has commanded no one to be godless and has given no one permission to sin.

No Happiness For the Wicked

16 | ¹Do not long for a brood of worthless children; take no joy in godless sons.

²However many you have, do not rejoice in them if they have no fear of God.

³Do not depend on their having a long life or trust in their number because one is better than a thousand, and their death is preferable to their being godless.

⁴A city can arise from one prudent man. Yet even though the wicked become a great tribe, they will be destroyed. ⁵I have seen such things with my own eyes, and my ears have heard of still greater things.

⁶Fire has come upon the meeting of sinners, and God’s wrath is kindled against rebellious people.

⁷God did not pardon the leaders of old who rebelled in their pride of strength.

⁸He did not spare the city where Lot lived; he detested their pride.

⁹He did not pity the people doomed to destruction; they were annihilated for their sins.

¹⁰Similarly, he dealt with the six hundred thousand men who, in the hardness of their hearts, had revolted.

¹¹Had there been only one stubborn man; it would have been amazing if he had escaped unpunished since mercy and anger belong to the Lord, who is powerful in forgiveness and punishment.

¹²His justice is as great as his mercy; he judges people by their deeds.

¹³Just as the sinner will not escape with his booty, the patience of the upright man will not go unrewarded.

¹⁴God will reward every act of mercy; each person will be treated according to his deeds.

¹⁷Do not say, “I will hide from the Lord; who will remember me up there? I will not be recognized in the midst of so many. What am I in the immensity of creation?”

¹⁸Look: the sky and the heavens above the sky, the sea and the earth tremble when he comes.

¹⁹The mountains and the earth's foundations are filled with dread before his sight.

²⁰But nobody thinks of such things: who is interested in the ways of God?

²¹Most of his works go unnoticed, and man does not see where the storm originates.

²²“Who tells us of God's interventions? Who expects them? The Covenant is far away.”

²³Such are the thoughts of the man of little sense, the foolish, dissolute man who loves his illusions.

²⁴Listen to me, my sons; acquire knowledge and apply your heart to my words. ²⁵I will expound the teaching step by step and impart knowledge carefully.

God the Creator

•  ²⁶God created his works from the beginning, and as he made them, he assigned to each its place. ²⁷He arranged them for all time, their beginning and their unfolding. They do not hunger or grow weary, and they never cease from their duties. ²⁸Not one has collided with its neighbor; they will never disobey his commands.

²⁹Afterward, the Lord looked down on the earth and filled it with riches. ³⁰He covered its surface with all kinds of living things which must return to it.

17 | ¹The Lord created man from the earth and let him return to it. ² He gave them ^a limited number of days, giving them power over everything on earth. ³He endowed them with strength like his own, making them in his own image.

⁴He put fear in all living things; thus they had mastery over the animals and birds. ⁶He endowed them with knowledge; he gave them tongue, eyes, ears, and a mind to think with.

⁷He filled them with wisdom and knowledge; he taught them good and evil. ⁸He put his own eye in their hearts so they would understand the greatness of his works. ¹⁰They will praise his holy name and ⁹relate the magnificence of his creation.

¹¹He also gave them revealed knowledge and handed them the law of life. ¹²He established an everlasting Covenant with them and let them know his judgments.

¹³Human eyes saw the splendor of the glory of God; their ears heard the grandeur of his voice. ¹⁴He said to them, “Keep yourselves from all wrongdoing,” and to each of them, he gave commands regarding his neighbor.

¹⁵Their conduct is always before the Lord; they cannot escape his sight.

¹⁷He has placed a leader over each nation, but Israel is the Lord’s own portion.

¹⁹Their deeds are as clear as the sun; he always observes their ways.

²⁰Their misdeeds cannot be hidden from him; all their sins are before the Lord.

²²He holds a man’s almsgiving dear as a priceless signet ring; he cherishes a good deed like the apple of his eye.

²³He will rise and reward them one day, placing their prize on their heads.

²⁴He allows those who repent to return; he comforts those whose hopes are fading.

²⁵Be converted to the Lord and give up your sins; plead with him to lessen your offense.

²⁶Return to the Almighty, turn aside from wrongdoing, and totally detest evil.

²⁷For who in the grave will praise the Almighty if the living do not give him glory?

²⁸The dead man is as if he did not exist and cannot give praise; he who has life and health can praise the Lord.

²⁹How great is the mercy of the Lord and his forgiveness for those who turn to him!

³⁰Man cannot have everything in his power since he is not immortal.

³¹What is brighter than the sun? Yet it disappears. Man is no more than flesh and blood, yet he thinks of doing evil. ³²While the sun surveys the stars in the lofty sky, humans remain dust and ashes.

The Greatness of God

18 | ¹He who lives forever created all without exception. ²The Lord alone will be found righteous.

⁴He has made no one powerful enough to proclaim his works; who will then reveal his marvels?

⁵Who can calculate the power of his majesty and relate his great goodness?

⁶Nothing can be added to him or taken away; no one can fathom the wonders of the Lord.

⁷When a man thinks he has finished, he is only beginning; when he stops, he is puzzled by it all.

⁸What is man? What is his purpose? What is the good in him, and what is the bad?

⁹Take the length of his life: a hundred years is long. ¹⁰Like a drop of water from the sea, a grain of sand, such are his few years compared with eternity.

¹¹Therefore, the Lord has patience with them and pours out his mercy on them.

¹²He sees and realizes how miserable their end is, so he forgives them.

¹³Man’s mercy is for his neighbor, but the compassion of the Lord reaches all people; he rebukes, corrects, teaches, and brings back his flock like a shepherd. ¹⁴He takes pity on those who accept correction and eagerly seek his will.

¹⁵My son, do not mix your favors with unkind remarks or gifts with bitter words.

¹⁶Does not dew temper the heat? A kind word is much better than a gift, too.

¹⁷The gift is not as valuable as the words accompanying it, but a generous man brings both.

¹⁸The fool intends to please, but insults and a grudging man’s gift make the eyes smart.

¹⁹Find out the facts before you speak; look after yourself before you become ill.

²⁰Examine yourself before judgment comes, and you will be forgiven on the day of God’s visitation.

²¹Humble yourself before you become ill and show repentance for your sins.

²²Let nothing prevent you from fulfilling your vow on time; do not wait until death to put things in order.

²³Prepare yourself before praying, and do not be one of those who tempt the Lord.

²⁴Remember the justice of the last days; God will turn his face from you on the day of vengeance.

²⁵When you experience abundance, remember the days of famine; when you enjoy riches, think of poverty and misery.

²⁶Time slips between morning and evening; everything passes quickly before the Lord.

²⁷The prudent man is cautious in everything; when sin abounds, he will avoid wrongdoing.

²⁸Every sensible man recognizes the wisdom and respects those who obtain her.

²⁹Those who speak sensibly are wise, and marvelous sayings flow from them.

³⁰Do not let your passions rule you and restrain your desires.

³¹If you satisfy your lusts, you will make yourself the laughingstock of your enemies.

³²Do not take pleasure in great luxury, lest you become impoverished by its expense.

³³Do not impoverish yourself by feasting on credit when you have nothing in your pocket.

19 | ¹A drunken worker will never be rich; he who is careless in small things will soon fall.

²Wine and women corrupt the best of men; whoever frequents prostitutes loses all sense of shame. ³He will be the victim of grubs and worms and lose his life because of his stupidity.

When To Speak and When To Be Silent

•  ⁴He who is too quick to trust others reveals a shallow mind; whoever sins injures himself.

⁵One who revels in pleasure will be condemned, ⁶hating gossip will save one from evil.

⁷Never repeat what you are told, and you will come to no harm.

⁸Report nothing to friend or foe and, unless silence is sinful, reveal it to no one. ⁹They will listen, distrust you, and you will be hated.

¹⁰Have you heard anything? Let it die with you; remain calm; you will not burst with it.

¹¹A fool suffers like a woman in childbirth over something he is told. ¹²Like an arrow stuck in his thigh, such is a secret inside a fool.

¹³Speak with your friend. Perhaps he has done nothing; if he has, he will not do it again.

¹⁴Speak with your friend: perhaps he has not said anything; if he has, he will not repeat it. ¹⁵Speak with your friend, for there is much slander; do not believe all you hear. ¹⁶Often, unintentional slips are made, for who has never sinned by evil tongues? ¹⁷Speak with your neighbor before you heap accusations on him; then leave room for the Law of the Almighty.

²⁰All wisdom is in the fear of the Lord; all wisdom is the fulfillment of the Law.

²²Knowledge of evil is not wisdom, and prudence is not found in the advice of sinners.

²³There is a loathsome cleverness; it belongs to the evildoer who lacks wisdom.

²⁴It is better to lack sense and be full of the fear of the Lord than to be clever in violating the Law.

²⁵There is an ingenious shrewdness that carries out injustice; it is the art of dissimulating to do evil. ²⁶One pretends to be grieving and weighed down with burdens, but there is only cunning in his heart. ^{27 H}e hides his face and pretends to be deaf, but he will take advantage of you when you are distracted.

²⁸One does not sin when the means are lacking; he will do wrong at the first opportunity.

²⁹You can tell a man by his appearance; the responsible man can be recognized by his face.

³⁰A man’s way of dressing, as does his manner of laughing and walking, reveals who he is.

The Stupid and Foolish

20 | •  ¹There are opportune rebukes; there is a sensible man's silence.

²Better to rebuke than nurse a grudge. ³He who recognizes his fault diminishes its consequences.

⁴Like a eunuch desiring to violate a girl, such is he who uses force in pretending to be just.

⁵One keeps silent and is considered wise; the other makes himself hated because he gossips.

⁶One remains silent because he does not know how to reply; the other keeps quiet, waiting for the right moment.

⁷The wise man keeps silent until the right moment; the chatterer and fool speak out of turn.

⁸He who speaks too much makes himself hated; he who wishes to impose himself stirs up ill will.

⁹Man can exploit his troubles; a lucky chance can turn to loss.

¹⁰There is a type of generosity that will not reward you and another that will repay you double.

¹¹One is humiliated for having had honors; another is humiliated and then lifts his head.

¹²One buys much with little money; another pays seven times its value.

¹³The wise man makes himself lovable through his words alone, while the favors of the fool are lost.

¹⁴The fool’s gift is not to your advantage; he gives with greedy eyes. ¹⁵He gives little but puts on a great outward appearance and exclaims for all to hear; he lends today and recovers the loan tomorrow; he is a despicable man.

¹⁶The fool says, “I have no friends; no one welcomes my favors. ¹⁷Those who eat my bread have evil tongues.” How often they will mock him, and by how many!

¹⁸It is better to stumble on the ground than to make a slip with the tongue; this is how easily the wicked fall.

¹⁹The rough-mannered man is like an indiscreet story that ill-mannered people tell out of time.

²⁰The proverb a fool tells will fail since he does not speak it at an appropriate time.

²¹One keeps himself from sin because he does not have the means to act; when he gets the chance, he will have no remorse.

²²One loses his soul out of false shame; he loses himself for fear of what a foolish man thinks. ²³Out of false shame, he wants to win a friend; he gets an enemy, in fact, for nothing.

²⁴Lying is a shameful defect in a man; fools are used to it.

²⁵It is better to be a thief than a liar, yet both are heading for disaster.

²⁶Habitual lying is detestable; disgrace never leaves the liar.

²⁷The wise man’s words advance his cause; the shrewd man will gain favor with the powerful.

²⁸He who tills the earth increases his produce; he who pleases the great is forgiven his wickedness.

²⁹Presents and gifts blind a wise man’s eyes; like a muzzle, they silence the conscientious.

³⁰Concealed wisdom and hidden treasure: what good are these?

³¹The man who conceals his stupidity is better than one who conceals his wisdom.

21 | ¹Have you sinned, my son? Do not do it again, and beg forgiveness for your past sins.

²Escape from sin as you would from a snake; if you go near, it will bite you. Its teeth are like those of a lion and destroy human lives.

³All evil is like a double-edged sword that inflicts wounds past remedy.

⁴Violence and pride bring down the rich; the arrogant man’s house will be brought low.

⁵The poor man’s prayer reaches the ears of the Lord, and his judgment will not delay.

⁶Whoever hates correction goes the way of sinners; he who fears the Lord turns to him in his heart.

⁷The chatterer is known everywhere, but the discreet man recognizes his weakness.

⁸Building a house with borrowed money is like collecting stones for your own tomb.

⁹The meeting of sinners is like a pile of rope that will go up in fire and flames.

¹⁰The path of sinners is well paved but ends in the fiery abyss.

¹¹He who keeps the Law controls his thoughts; the fear of the Lord brings wisdom.

¹²The man who is not clever will never be taught, but there is a cleverness that leads to bitterness.

¹³The wise man’s knowledge spreads like a flood, and his advice is like a spring.

¹⁴The fool’s heart is like a broken glass which cannot hold any teaching.

¹⁵If an educated man hears a wise saying, he values it and adds another. If the good-for-nothing hears it, he is annoyed and tosses it over his shoulder.

¹⁶The fool’s talk weighs like a load while the wise man’s words give rest.

¹⁷The assembly awaits the wise man’s words; each one takes to heart whatever he says.

¹⁸The fool’s wisdom is like a house in ruins; the knowledge of the fool amounts to nonsense.

The Stupid and Foolish

•  ¹⁹As far as the fool is concerned, instruction is no more than handcuffs and fetters. ²⁰The idiot laughs aloud while the intelligent man merely smiles quietly.

²¹Instruction is like a golden ornament to the shrewd man, like a bracelet on his right arm.

²²The fool steps inside the house immediately; the experienced man would not be so bold. ²³The fool looks in through the door; the polite man remains outside. ²⁴Listening outside doors reveals a bad upbringing; the upright man would be ashamed of doing so.

²⁵Strangers speak thoughtlessly of everything, while wise men’s words are carefully weighed. ²⁶The heart of fools is in their mouth, but the mouth of the wise is in their heart.

²⁷When the godless man curses his opponent, the curse descends on himself. ²⁸The slanderer taints himself and makes himself hated by all around him.

22 | ¹The idler is like a dirty stone; his disgrace is laughed at.

²The idler is like a heap of dung; all who touch it shake it off their hands.

³Badly brought up sons are the shame of their father, and daughters, a humiliation.

⁴A sensible daughter is a treasure to her husband, but the disgraceful one is a burden to her father.

⁵A shameless daughter disgraces her father and husband; both hate her.

⁶The untimely word is like music at a funeral, but beating and correction guided by wisdom are never out of place.

⁹Teaching a fool is like gluing a broken jar; it is easier to awaken a man from a deep sleep. ¹⁰Reasoning with a fool is like reasoning with a drowsy man; in the end, he will ask you, “What is it all about?”

¹¹Weep for the dead man since the light has deserted him; weep for the fool because understanding has deserted him.

Cry less for the dead man; he has found his rest, but the fool’s life is worse than death.

¹²Mourning the dead lasts seven days, but it lasts a lifetime for the fool and godless man.

¹³Do not waste words on the fool or go with the stupid man; beware of him lest he bring you trouble and his contact contaminates you. Stay away from him if you want to rest and do not want to be worn out by his requests.

¹⁴What is heavier than lead? What is its name other than “Fool”?

¹⁵Sand, salt, and a load of iron are easier to bear than a fool.

¹⁶An earthquake does not dislodge a wooden joint in a building; after careful reflection, a determined heart will not be moved when crises come.

¹⁷A decision based on serious reflection stands like plaster on a firm wall.

¹⁸Stakes set on a height do not resist the wind; the fool’s heart, frightened by his own imaginings, cannot withstand fear.

¹⁹Striking the eye brings tears; lucidity will come if you strike the heart.

²⁰Whoever throws stones at birds scares them off; reproach a friend, and you will kill the friendship.

²¹If you have drawn your sword against a friend, do not despair; it can be put back. ^{22 I}f you have spoken harshly to a friend, do not fear; reconciliation is possible. But any friend will desert you in the event of insult, contempt, betrayal of confidence, or treacherous blow.

²³Win your neighbor’s confidence when he is poor so that you may enjoy his goods with him when he grows rich; be loyal in his hour of trouble, and you will win a share in his inheritance.

²⁴Smoke and fumes precede the fire, and insults herald the blows.

²⁵I will not be ashamed of protecting a friend nor will I avoid him; ²⁶if evil comes to me from him, all who hear of it will beware of him.

²⁷Who will put a guard on my mouth and effectively lock up my lips to prevent me from sinning and my tongue from hastening my ruin?

23 | •  ¹O Lord, Father and Master of my life, do not abandon me to the thoughtless words of my lips or allow me to fall because of them.

²Who will punish my thoughts and apply the discipline of wisdom to my heart? ³Let them not be indulgent at my sins or the mistakes of my mind, lest my errors increase and sins multiply, and I fall into the hands of my enemies, to the joy of my foes.

⁴Lord, Father, and God of my life, do not allow me to become haughty; ⁵keep greed far away from me.

⁶Do not let lust and lechery take hold of me; do not deliver me to filthy passions.

⁷Children learn how to control their language; if you can watch over it, you will not be surprised.

⁸The sinner will be caught in his own words, as happens to the proud man and to him who curses.

⁹Do not get used to swearing or taking the name of the Holy One.

¹⁰For, just as the slave who is constantly watched will not escape without blows, so you, also, will not be found guiltless after constantly calling upon his name.

¹¹The man who swears habitually will be found full of sins, and disgrace will not depart from his house. If he fails to keep his oath due to carelessness, punishment will descend upon him; if he fails knowingly, his sin is double, and if he has sworn falsely, he will not be forgiven; in any case, his house will be filled with disasters.

About Impurity and Adultery

•  ¹²There is a way of talking which deserves death; let it not be used by Jacob’s descendants. Virtuous people keep far away from it and do not wallow in sin.

¹³Do not accustom your mouth to foul language; it will be sinful talk.

¹⁴Remember your father and mother when you are sitting in the company of the great, lest you forget yourself in their presence and act like a fool. Then you would wish you had never been born and curse the day of your birth.

¹⁵A man who used to talk indecently will never be reformed in his lifetime.

¹⁶Two kinds of people multiply sins, and a third attracts the Lord’s anger:

A blazing passion that burns like fire will not be extinguished until it burns itself up.

A man who seeks pleasure from his own body will not give up until he catches fire.

¹⁷To the indecent man, all food tastes sweet, and he will not be satisfied until death.

¹⁸The man unfaithful to the marriage bed who thinks like this, “Who sees me? Darkness surrounds me; the walls hide me; nobody can see me. Why should I worry? The Almighty will not take note of my faults.”

¹⁹He fears men's scrutiny and does not realize that the Lord’s eyes are a thousand times brighter than the sun, that they watch the conduct of all men and penetrate into the most secret corners. ²⁰All things were present to him before they were created, and so will they be after their end.

²¹This man will be punished in the sight of the whole city; he will be caught when he least expects it.

²²Similarly, the woman who is unfaithful to her husband and gives him an heir by another man will be punished. ²³First, she has disobeyed the law of the Almighty. Second, she has sinned against her husband; and third, she is tainted with adultery, for she has had children by another man.

²⁴She will be taken before the assembly and questioned about her children. ²⁵The children cannot take root; their branches will not bear fruit. ²⁶She will leave behind a cursed memory, and her shame will never be blotted out.

²⁷People who have seen her will know that nothing matters more than the fear of the Lord, and nothing is sweeter than fulfilling his commands.

The Hymn of Wisdom

24 | •  ¹Listen to wisdom singing her own praises and extolling herself amid her people. ²See, she opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High; she glories in herself before the Almighty.

³I came out from the mouth of God and covered the face of the earth like a mist; although ⁴my dwelling place is in the highest heavens; my throne is within a pillar of cloud.

⁵I alone have seen and understood the vault of the skies and strolled through the depths of the abyss, ⁶taking possession of the raging sea and of the earth as well, with all its people and nations.

⁷I looked for a place to rest; in which territory would I set up my abode?

⁸Then the creator of the universe commanded me, he who created me assigned the place of my rest, “Pitch your tent in Jacob; Israel will be your homeland.”

⁹He created me from the beginning before time began, and I will never cease to be; ¹⁰I celebrate the liturgy of his Holy Dwelling in his presence, which is why I settled in Zion.

¹¹The Lord let me rest in his beloved city; Jerusalem is my kingdom's heart. ¹²I took root in the people God has favored, in their inheritance, in the land of the Lord.

¹³I grew like a cedar in Lebanon, as the cypress on Mount Hermon.

¹⁴I grew to like the palm trees in Engedi and the rosebuds of Jericho; as a magnificent olive on the plains and like a plane tree, I grew tall.

¹⁵I poured out my perfume like a fragrant flower, like exquisite myrrh, to which I had given choice scent, like fragrant plants and as the smoke of incense that burns in the Sanctuary of God.

¹⁶I spread out my branches like a vine; these are glory and grace. ¹⁷As a vine, I put out graceful shoots; my blossoms are riches and glory.

¹⁹Come to me, you who desire me, and take your fill of my fruits. ²⁰To experience me is sweeter than honey, and to possess me sweeter than any honeycomb. ²¹Those who eat me will hunger still; those who drink me will thirst for more. ²²Those who obey me will not be put to shame; those who serve me will not fall into sin.

²³All this and no other is the Book of the Covenant of the Most High God, the law that Moses entrusted to us, the inheritance of the congregations of Israel.

²⁵This Law feeds the springs of wisdom, like the Pishon or Tigris in the fruit season. ²⁶Waters overflowing with understanding come from the Euphrates and Jordan at harvest time; ²⁷the floods of instruction run like the Nile or the Gihon in vintage time.

²⁸He who comes first cannot fully grasp her, nor will the last exhaust her. ²⁹For her thoughts are wider than the sea and her designs, deeper than the abyss.

I Have Not Worked For Myself Alone

•  ³⁰I, for my part, went forth like a brook from a river, a stream diverted into a delightful garden. ³¹I thought, “Let me irrigate my orchard and water my flowers.” But now my brook has grown into a river and the river into a sea.

³²May my teaching shine like the dawn; may I carry its light to faraway places. ³³I will spread my teaching like a prophecy and leave it to future generations.

³⁴See, all of you, that I have not worked for myself alone but for all those who seek wisdom.

25 | ¹Three things delight me and are delightful to God and people: the agreement between brothers, the friendship between neighbors, and a perfect harmony between husband and wife.

²I detest three kinds of persons whose existence I cast away from me: a poor man full of pride, a wealthy man who is a liar, and an adulterous old man who is a fool.

³If you have saved nothing in your youth, what will you have in old age?

⁴What a great thing is an old age with sound judgment, an old man who can counsel!

⁵What a great thing is wisdom in those old or understanding and prudence in the great.

⁶Rich experience is the crown of the old; their pride is the fear of the Lord.

⁷I think of nine things which I consider happy and a tenth to which I will also refer: the man who finds his happiness in his children; the man who sees the ruin of his enemies in his lifetime. ⁸Happy the man who lives with a sensible wife; he who does not plow with a donkey and ox; he who has done no wrong in speech; he who does not serve an unworthy master. ⁹Happy he who has acquired good sense and can speak before an attentive audience! ¹⁰Great is he who has gained wisdom, but no one surpasses the man who fears the Lord.

¹¹Since the fear of the Lord excels in everything, who can compare with the one who possesses it?

¹³Any wound rather than the wound of the heart; any wickedness rather than the wickedness of a woman; ¹⁴any sadness rather than that inflicted by an enemy; any vengeance rather than the vengeance of a foe.

¹⁵No poison is worse than a snake’s venom; no rage is worse than an enemy’s.

¹⁶Better to live with a lion and a snake than to share a house with a wicked woman.

¹⁷Wickedness disfigures a woman’s appearance and saddens her face, making her look like a bear.

¹⁸When her husband dines with his neighbor, he sighs bitterly despite himself.

¹⁹All wickedness is nothing compared with a woman’s wickedness. Let her lot be that of a sinner!

²⁰As a sandhill is to an old man’s feet, so is the talkative woman to her quiet husband. ²¹Do not be fooled by a woman’s beauty or fall in love with her.

²²Expect anger, reproach, and plenty of shame when the wife rules the husband.

²³Dejected spirits, a sad face, and unseen wounds; these are the works of a wicked woman. Idle hands and unsteady knees are found when a wife brings her husband no happiness.

²⁴For sin began with a woman, and we all die because of the inheritance of the congregations of Israel.

²⁵Do not let water leak out or give free rein to a wicked woman. ²⁶If she does not do as you tell her, get rid of her.

26 | •  ¹Happy the husband of a good wife, the number of his days will be doubled. ²A woman of character is her husband’s joy, and he will live in peace for all the years of his life.

³A good wife is the best of gifts, reserved for those who fear the Lord; ⁴rich or poor, he will have a serene heart and a happy face.

⁵Three things disturb me, and a fourth frightens me: neighborhood gossip, a rioting mob, a false accusation, all these are worse than death. ⁶But the woman jealous of another woman brings heartbreak; her tongue lashes out at everyone.

⁷A bad wife is like a badly fixed yoke; taking her is like grasping a scorpion.

⁸A drunken wife causes scandal; her disgrace will not remain hidden.

⁹A licentious woman is noticed by her secretive looks and recognized by her lively eyes. ¹⁰Keep a firm eye on a defiant daughter so that she may not take advantage of some occasions.

¹¹Guard against the provocative woman; do not be surprised if she wishes to drag you into disgrace.

¹²She opens her mouth like a thirsty traveler to drink any water coming her way; she sits by any pole and opens her quiver to every arrow.

¹³A wife’s grace gladdens her husband, and her prudence refreshes his body. ¹⁴A wife who knows how to be silent is a gift from the Lord; a well-trained wife is invaluable. ¹⁵A modest wife is a favor among favors; the chaste wife is priceless.

¹⁶Like the sun rising over the mountains of the Lord, such is the enchantment of a good wife in a well-kept house.

¹⁷Like the light that shines from the sacred lampstand, such is a beautiful face in a well-shaped body. ¹⁸Like pillars of gold on a silver base, such are beautiful legs on sturdy feet.

¹⁹Two things grieve me, and a third makes me angry: a warrior who suffers want, intelligent men treated contemptuously, and a man who turns from virtue to sin. The Lord singles this man out to strike him down.

²⁰The merchant can barely avoid greed; the shopkeeper cannot remain sinless.

27 | ¹Many sins for love of gain; he who desires riches silences his conscience.

²Just as the stake is settled between two stones, so sin wedges itself between buying and selling. ³The house of him who does not keep himself firmly in the fear of the Lord will soon be knocked to the ground.

⁴When a sieve is shaken, dirt falls through; so, too, are a man's defects seen when he begins to speak.

⁵The kiln tests the potter’s handiwork; a man is tested by his conversation.

⁶A well-tended tree is shown by its fruits, so a man’s feelings can be detected in what he says.

⁷Praise no one before he has spoken since this is the acid test.

⁸If you pursue righteousness, you will achieve it and wear it like a festive garment.

⁹Birds associate with their own kind, so does truth greet those faithful.

¹⁰The lion lurks in wait for its prey; so, too, does sin lie in wait for those who do wrong.

¹¹The wise man’s conversation always follows wisdom. In contrast, the fool changes like the moon.

¹²When among fools, be sparing with your time; among thoughtful people, be lavish with it. ¹³The conversation of fools is hateful; their laughter is coarse and raucous.

¹⁴No one can bear those who swear all the time. Their quarrels make you cover your ears.

¹⁵Blood is spilled when proud men quarrel, and their insults are painful to the ear.

¹⁶He who betrays a secret is no longer trusted; he will no longer find reliable friends. ¹⁷Love your friend and be loyal; if you have revealed his secrets, go with him no longer. ¹⁸It is like losing some of your relatives: his friendship with you has died.

¹⁹You have let your friend go like a bird, and you will not get him back. When you open your hand, the bird flies off; ²⁰do not pursue him: he is far away and has fled like a gazelle from the snare. ²¹For a wound can be bandaged and an insult forgiven, but there is no hope if you betray a secret.

²²The man who winks an eye is plotting evil; no one can persuade him to change. ²³He is all sweetness to your face, praising your words, but behind your back, he speaks differently and twists your words.

²⁴I hate many things but nothing more than this man; the Lord also hates and curses him.

²⁵When one tosses a stone in the air, it falls back on his head; whoever deals a treacherous blow wounds himself.

²⁶He who digs a pit will fall into it; he who sets a snare will be caught in it.

²⁷If you do evil, evil will befall you, and you will not know where it comes from.

²⁸The proud man uses mockery and insults, but vengeance lies in wait for him like a lion.

²⁹Those who gloat over the downfall of good men will fall into the snare; suffering will consume them before they die.

³⁰Grudge and wrath are also abominations in which sinful people excel.

Don’t Bear Grudges

28 | ¹He who demands revenge will suffer the vengeance of the Lord who keeps a strict account of his sins. ²Forgive the mistakes of your neighbor, and you may ask that your sins be forgiven.

³If a man bears resentment against another, how can he ask God for healing? ⁴If he has no compassion for others, how can he pray for forgiveness for his sins? ⁵As long as he, mere flesh, is resentful, who will obtain his pardon?

⁶Remember your end and give up hatred; keep in mind your final corruption in the grave and keep the commandments. ⁷Remember the commandments and do not bear grudges against your neighbor. Remember the Covenant with the Most High and overlook the offense.

⁸Refrain from quarreling, and you will avoid sin; the hot-headed man sparks off disputes.

⁹The sinner causes trouble between friends, sowing discord among peaceful people.

¹⁰Fire burns when fuel is thrown on it; stubbornness drags out the discussion.

The more powerful the man, the greater his rage; his anger will be proportional to his riches.

¹¹A sudden quarrel sparks off a fire; a hasty dispute leads to bloodshed.

¹²Blow on a spark, and it ignites; spit on it, and it dies out: both come from your mouth.

¹³Cursed be the gossiper with his spiteful tongue. He has destroyed many who lived peacefully. ¹⁴The vicious tongue has demolished many and hounded them from nation to nation. It has ruined powerful cities and laid low great households.

¹⁵The vicious tongue has cast out wives beyond reproach, depriving them of the fruit of their work. ¹⁶Whoever listens to it will never find rest or be able to live in peace.

¹⁷The whip leaves a mark, but the lash of the tongue shatters bones.

¹⁸The sword has felled many, but many more have perished by the tongue.

¹⁹Happy he who has escaped it and has not been exposed to its fury has not been weighed down by its yoke or tied up in its chains.

²⁰For it is a yoke of iron, and its chains are bronze. ²¹It brings a miserable death. Actual death is better! ²²But it will not tyrannize those who keep the faith; it will not consume their soul.

²³Those who desert the Lord will be its victims; it will burn them without being burnt up itself; it will lunge at them like a lion and rip them apart like a leopard.

²⁴You put a fence around your property and protect your silver and gold. ²⁵Similarly, make weights and scales for your words and put a bolted door at your mouth.

²⁶Beware of a slip of the tongue when you speak, lest you fall in front of those who lie in wait for you.

29 | •  ¹Lending to your neighbor is an act of mercy; going to his aid fulfills the commandments.

²Learn to lend to your neighbor when he is in need and, in turn, repay him any loan on time.

³Keep your word, remain faithful, and you will find what you need on every occasion.

⁴Many think of a loan as a quick deal and put those who help them in a fix.

⁵The moment they receive it, they kiss the hand of the moneylender and humble themselves in deference to his wealth. But on the day repayment is due, they prolong the time, repay with reproaches, and blame the current situation.

⁶If they can repay, they pay barely half; the moneylender will be grateful for that much. They have robbed him of his money, and, moreover, he has gained enemies, for they repay him with curses, insults, and reproaches instead of gratitude.

⁷Many a good person refuses to lend, not for any malicious reason: he is afraid of being cheated without cause.

⁸Nevertheless, be kind to those who have fallen on hard times; do not keep them waiting for your help.

⁹For the commandments’ sake, help the poor man; see his need and do not turn him away empty-handed.

¹⁰It is better to spend your money on a brother or friend than to let it rust under a stone to your discredit.

¹¹Use your money according to the commandments of the Most High, and it will be more valuable than gold.

¹²Fill your barns with good deeds to rescue you from misfortune. ¹³They will fight for you against your enemy better than any strong shield and mighty spear.

¹⁴A good man goes surety for his neighbor; the scoundrel leaves him to his fate.

¹⁵Do not forget the favors of your guarantor: he has risked his life for you.

¹⁶The sinner wastes his guarantor’s money; the ungrateful man forgets the one who saved him. ¹⁷Acting as guarantor has ruined many a good man and has tossed him like the waves of the sea. ¹⁸It has banished powerful men and forced them to wander among foreign nations.

¹⁹The sinner is anxious to be a guarantor but will be condemned as a loan shark.

²⁰Help your neighbor as far as possible, but beware of falling into the same plight.

²¹Some things you cannot live without water, bread, clothes, and a shelter house.

²²Better a poor man’s life in his wooden shack than lavish banquets in another man’s house.

²³Be content with whatever you have, whether great or small; this is better than going elsewhere and being reproached as an outsider.

²⁴It is hard to go from house to house; ²⁵when you are an outsider, do not risk opening your mouth. You will eat and drink without much welcome and, on top of that, hear bitter remarks: ²⁶“Come, stranger, set the table and whatever you have, give it to me to eat.”

²⁷“Be off, stranger, make room for somebody more important; my brother is coming to see me; I need the house.”

²⁸It is hard for a good man to have hospitality denied him and to be reproached by the lender.

Correct Your Child

30 | •  ¹The man who loves his son uses the rod; later on, he will be proud of him. ²The man who corrects his son will reap the benefit and be proud of him among his acquaintances. ³By instructing his son, he makes his enemy envious; he will be well pleased with him in the company of his friends.

⁴If such a father dies, it is as if he had not died, for he leaves behind him another man like himself. ⁵He had the joy of his company in life and was not sorrowful when death came.

⁶He leaves it to his family to take revenge on his enemies and to return gifts to his friends.

⁷The man who coddles his son will constantly bandage his wounds; at his every cry, he will be troubled.

⁸Just as a badly broken-in horse cannot be mounted, so a spoiled son becomes insolent. ⁹Pamper your child; later, he will terrify you; play with him, and he will bring you sorrow.

¹⁰Do not laugh at him lest you have to suffer and grind your teeth. ¹¹Do not let him be independent as a child, ¹²but rather bruise his ribs while he is still young, lest he grow stubborn and refuse to obey.

¹³Be strict with your son and persevere in this so that he will not suffer because of his misconduct.

¹⁴Better a poor man healthy and fit than a rich man tormented in the body.

¹⁵Health and vigor are worth more than gold, a robust body, more than great wealth. ¹⁶No riches are preferable to physical well-being, and no joy is greater than a cheerful heart.

¹⁷Death is better than a wretched life; eternal rest is preferable to lasting sickness.

¹⁸Food dishes placed on an empty tomb are like good things offered to one who cannot eat.

¹⁹What good is a sacrifice offered to an idol? It can neither eat nor smell. So is it with the one whom the Lord has stricken; ²⁰he sees with his eyes and groans, like a eunuch embracing a virgin and sighing.

²¹Do not give yourself over to sadness or torment yourself with brooding.

²²The joy of the heart is life to a man; gladness gives him length of days.

²³Delight your soul and console your heart; chase sorrow far away, for sorrow has destroyed many and never did good to anyone.

²⁴Jealousy and anger shorten your life; worry makes you old before the time.

²⁵A cheerful and kind person will have a good appetite and enjoy his food.

31 | ¹The sleeplessness that wealth brings makes a man lose weight; his worries drive sleep away.

²The cares of the day prevent sleep; in the same way, serious illness makes rest impossible.

Happy the one who doesn’t go after gold

³The rich man toils to increase his wealth and then sits back and lives in luxury; ⁴the poor man toils to survive and is in want as soon as he leaves off.

⁵He who loves gold cannot be righteous; whoever runs after gain will be led astray. ⁶Many have been ruined because of gold; disgrace went to meet them.

⁷Gold is a snare for those who are possessed by its love. The senseless will be caught in it.

⁸Happy is the rich man who has not sinned in this way and has not gone after gold! ⁹Who is he? Let us say: Fortunate man! For he has given a wonderful example.

¹⁰Who has been tested in this and found perfect? He has reason to be proud. Who could have sinned but resisted? Who could have done wrong and did not do it? ¹¹His fortune is firmly established, and the assembly will acknowledge his generosity.

Dinner Parties

•  ¹²Are you seated at a lavish banquet? Don’t be over-ready to eat, and don’t say, “What a feast!”

¹³Remember that a greedy eye is an evil thing. What is worse than such an eye? That is why it was condemned to weep.

¹⁴Do not stretch out your hand to everything you see or quickly reach for a dish. ¹⁵Judge the needs of your fellow guests on your own and, in all things, act prudently.

¹⁶Eat what is set before you like an educated person, and don’t be a glutton, lest you be detested.

¹⁷Like a well-mannered man, be the first to stop; don’t be voracious if you are to avoid difficulties. ¹⁸If important people are present, do not be the first to serve yourself.

¹⁹A little is sufficient for a well-bred person; your breathing will be easier when you go to bed. ²⁰Healthy sleeping is for moderate eaters. He rises early and feels fit! Sleeplessness and stomach trouble attend to overindulgence. ²¹If you are obliged to overeat, go off and vomit, and you will be at ease.

²²Listen to me, my friend, and do not neglect what I say; in the end, you will see the truth. Be moderate in all you do, and you will be without illness.

²³A generous host is appreciated and justly praised, ²⁴but everyone will complain about a stingy host, and their complaints will be justified.

²⁵Do not try to show how much wine you can take, for wine has ruined many. ²⁶As the furnace tests the temper of steel, so wine proves hearts and makes proud men quarrel.

²⁷Wine is life for man if taken in moderation. What is life without wine? ²⁸Wine gives a glad heart and a cheerful mind if taken moderately and at the right time. ²⁹But if taken to excess, it brings bitterness of soul, excitement, and a fumbling step.

³⁰Drunkenness inflames a stupid person's anger to the point of scandal. It reduces his strength and brings him blows. ³¹Do not reproach a neighbor during a wine feast, and don’t look down on him when he is merry; do not speak harshly or annoy him by asking him to settle a debt.

32 | ¹Have you been chosen to preside at a party? Don’t give yourself airs! Just be like everyone else in the group; see to their needs and then sit down. ²When you have done what you should, take your place and enjoy yourself with the others. They will congratulate you for a job well done.

³If you are older, speak as best as possible, but know what you are talking about, and do not interrupt the music.

⁴If there is a concert, refrain from speaking; it is not the time for playing the wise man. ⁵A musical concert at a wine banquet is like a ruby set in gold. ⁶As an emerald signet set in a work of gold, so is the music with good wine.

⁷If you are young, speak if you have to, but not more than twice and only if requested. ⁸Keep to the point and say it all in a few words. Show that you are well informed but not over-anxious to speak.

⁹Do not try to be the equal of eminent people, and do not chat when someone else speaks.

¹⁰As lightning goes before thunder, the reputation of a modest man goes before him.

¹¹Leave the party at the right time and do not be slow about it; no lingering, go straight home!

¹²There, you may relax and do as you please but do not sin by bragging.

¹³And thank your Creator for the enjoyment of all good things.

¹⁴Whoever fears the Lord will accept his correction, and those who rise at dawn will win his favor.

¹⁵The man who follows his law will be nourished, but the hypocrite will find it a stumbling block.

¹⁶Those who fear the Lord will please him, and their good deeds will shine as a light.

¹⁷The sinner refuses correction and excuses himself for doing what he wants.

¹⁸A person of judgment reflects beforehand; the stubborn and proud man goes ahead without worrying about anything.

¹⁹Never act without first reflecting, and you will have no regrets.

²⁰Do not go along a rough road lest you stumble on stones. ²¹Do not be too sure of your step on a smooth path. ²²Beware even of your own children.

²³Be careful in whatever you do. In so doing, you keep the commandments.

²⁴Those who trust in the law will keep the commandments, and those who obey the Lord will be spared.

33 | ¹Evil will not go to meet the one who fears the Lord; if he is in danger, he will be rescued.

²The wise man never departs from the law; he only pretends to keep it like a storm-tossed boat.

³An intelligent man has faith in the law, which is as trustworthy as an oracle.

⁴If you want people to listen to you, prepare what you have to say; recall what you have learned before you answer. ⁵A cartwheel! That is what the feelings of a fool are like. His mind resembles a turning axle.

⁶A mocking friend is like a wild horse, neighing when anyone rides him.

⁷Why is one day holier than another when the sun's light shines on every day of the year? ⁸The Lord’s decision made them different; he arranged the seasons and feasts.

⁹He chose to make some of these holy, and he made others ordinary days. ¹⁰All humans come from clay, just as Adam himself was formed. ¹¹In the fullness of his wisdom, the Lord made each one unique and diversified his conditions.

¹²He made some holy, keeping them near to himself. He cursed and humiliated others, removing them from where they were.

¹³As clay in the hand of the potter, to be molded as he pleases, so are all, in the hands of the Creator, to be dealt with as he sees fit.

¹⁴Good is the opposite of evil; life of death; and the sinner is the opposite of the upright. ¹⁵Consider all the works of the Most High, and you will see how they go in pairs by opposites.

¹⁶I have been the last to keep watch, like a gleaner following the grape-pickers. ¹⁷By the blessing of the Lord, I have taken the lead, and like the grape-picker, I have filled the winepress. ¹⁸Note that not only for myself have I toiled, but for all who seek instruction. ¹⁹Hear me, rulers of the people, leaders of the assembly, hear!

²⁰Neither your son, wife, brother, nor friend will give you power over yourself during your life. Do not give your property to another if you regret it and have to beg them to return it.

²¹As long as you live and there is breath in you, do not give power over yourself to anyone. ²²It is preferable for your children to depend on you than for you to be obliged to depend on them. ²³Be master of all you do; let not others stain your reputation.

²⁴Wait until the end of your days, until death is near, to distribute your inheritance.

Your Slaves

²⁵Fodder, stick, and burdens are for the donkey; bread, correction, and work are for the slave.

²⁶Put your slave to work, and you will have peace. Let him take it easy, and he will want to be free. ²⁷Yoke and harness will bow the neck. For a criminal slave, there is torture and stocks.

²⁸Send him to work, or he will be idle; idleness teaches much evil. ²⁹Give him appropriate work; if he does not obey, put his feet in chains.

³⁰But do not be over-demanding with anyone and do nothing without discernment.

³¹Do you have a slave? Let him be like you, for you bought him through blood.

³²Do you have a slave? Treat him like a brother. You need him as you need yourself. ³³If you ill-treat him and he escapes, where will you go to look for him?

Dreams

34 | •  ¹The foolish are deceived by vain and false hopes; dreams give them wings.

²To rely on dreams is like grasping a shadow or chasing the wind. ³What you see in dreams are only reflections: a person sees his own image.

⁴What clean thing can come from what is unclean? What truth comes from what is false? ⁵Divinations, omens, and dreams are empty, like a woman's fantasies in labor.

⁶Unless they come as messengers of the Most High, ignore them. ⁷For dreams have led many people astray. Those who hoped in them have fallen.

⁸Not so the Law, which never fails but comes true. Wisdom from God's truthful lips is the highest truth.

⁹One who has traveled knows a great deal; a man of vast experience will talk soundly. ¹⁰A person who has not had trials knows very little. But the traveled man is competent in many ways. ¹¹I have made many discoveries during my travels and have understood more than I can express. ¹²I have often been in danger of death but have been saved thanks to my experience.

¹³The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live, for their hope is placed in the One who saves.

¹⁴He who fears the Lord is in dread of nothing. He will not be cowardly, for he is his hope. ¹⁵He who fears the Lord is a happy person. To whom does he turn? Who is his support?

¹⁶The eyes of the Lord are on those who love him. For them, he is a powerful protection, strong support, and shelter against scorching wind and the midday sun. He is a safeguard against stumbling and assurance against a fall. ¹⁷He lifts up the soul and gives a sparkle to the eyes; he gives healing, life, and blessing.

Offerings Pleasing to God

•  ¹⁸An offering to God from stolen goods is a stained offering; the sacrifices of the wicked do not please God.

¹⁹The Most High takes no pleasure in the offering of the godless. The number of victims does not determine the pardon for sin.

²⁰Offering to God what belongs to the poor is like slaughtering a son in the presence of his father.

²¹Bread is life to the poor; he who takes it from them is a murderer. ²²He who deprives others of a livelihood kills them, and whoever withdraws the salary of a worker is guilty of blood.

²³If one builds and the other destroys, what do they gain besides trouble? ²⁴If one prays and the other curses, whose voice will the Master listen to?

²⁵If a man is cleansed after touching a corpse and then touches it again, what good was there in his cleansing?

²⁶Who will hear his prayer if anyone fasts for his sins and then commits the same sins? What value is there in his fasting?

35 | ¹Keeping the law is worth many offerings. Being faithful to the commandments is like a peace offering.

²Returning kindness is an offering of fine flour; giving alms is a sacrifice of praise.

³Renouncing sin pleases the Lord, and shunning injustice is a sacrifice of atonement.

⁴Do not appear before the Lord with empty hands. The commandment requires that you bring an offering.

⁵When the offering of the righteous is burned on the altar, the fat drips down, and a fragrant aroma rises to the Most High.

⁶The just man's sacrifice pleases God and will not be forgotten. ⁷Honor the Lord with a generous heart and do not be stingy with the firstfruits of your harvest.

⁸Offer your gifts with a smiling face, and when you pay your tithes, do it gladly.

The Lord Will Not Delay

•  ⁹Give to the Most High as he has given to you; give generously to the Lord according to what you have; ¹⁰the Lord will repay and reward you sevenfold.

¹¹If you attempt to bribe him with gifts, he will not accept them; do not rely on offerings from dishonest gain.

¹²The Lord is judge and shows no partiality. ¹³He will not disadvantage the poor who hear the prayer of the oppressed. ¹⁴He does not disdain the plea of the orphan nor the complaint of the widow.

¹⁵When tears flow down her cheeks, is she not crying out against the one who caused her to weep?

¹⁶The one who serves God wholeheartedly will be heard; his petition will reach the clouds. ¹⁷The prayer of the humble person pierces the clouds, and he is not consoled until he has been heard. ¹⁸His prayer will not cease until the Most High has looked down until justice has been done in favor of the righteous.

¹⁹And the Lord will not delay, nor will he be patient with the wicked, ²⁰Still, he will crush the backbone of the merciless and have vengeance on the nations, ²¹until he has completely destroyed the hordes of the violent and broken the power of the wicked, ²²until he has repaid each one according to his deeds, ²³until he has judged his people and made them rejoice because of his mercy.

²⁴Blessed is his mercy in the time of adversity! It is like rain clouds during a drought!

Prayer For the Deliverance of Israel

36 | •  ¹Have mercy on us, Master, God of all, and look on us; make every nation stand in fear of you.

²Take action against the pagan nations and let them see your power. ³As you have used us to show your holiness to them, so use them to show your glory to us.

⁴Let them acknowledge, as we have acknowledged, that there is no God but you, Lord.

⁵Give new signs, do fresh wonders, stretch out your hand, and be glorified in your strength.

⁶Kindle your fury and rouse your anger, destroy your opponents, crush your enemy.

⁷Hasten the day; remember your Covenant so that we may speak of your great deeds. ⁸Let the survivors be consumed in fiery wrath; let those who oppress be sent to perdition. ⁹Crush the heads of hostile rulers—those who say they alone count.

¹⁰Gather all the tribes of Jacob and give them back their inheritance, as in the beginning.

¹¹Have pity, Lord, on the people known by your name, on Israel whom you called your firstborn.

¹²Show compassion to the Holy City, to Jerusalem where you rest.

¹³Fill Zion with your wonders' fame and your people's glory.

¹⁴Confirm the promises made to your people long ago and fulfill the promises made in your name.

¹⁵Reward those who wait for you and fulfill the words of your prophets.

¹⁶Hear the prayer of your servants, Lord; hear your priests giving Aaron’s blessing to your people.

¹⁷So that all on earth may acknowledge that you are Lord and everlasting God.

Choosing a Wife

¹⁸The stomach takes in all kinds of food, but one is better.

¹⁹Just as the tongue can distinguish the flavor of meat, so does the alert mind detect lies.

²⁰A crooked heart causes sorrow, but an experienced person knows how to get even with him.

²¹A woman will accept any husband, but some daughters are better than others.

²²Woman’s beauty rejoices people and is beyond all that could be wished for.

²³If she is kindly-spoken and gentle, he is the most fortunate of men.

²⁴When a man marries, he acquires a fortune, someone who understands him and will help and support him.

²⁵When there is no hedge, the property will be destroyed; when a man has no wife, he is a fretful wanderer.

²⁶Who would trust a clever robber flitting from town to town? ²⁷And who would trust a man without a nest, who lodges wherever nightfall finds him?

Friends and Counselors

37 | ¹Every friend says, “I am your friend, too,” but some friends are only friends in name.

²Is it not a deadly grief when a companion or friend turns into an enemy?

³O evil intention! From where have you sprung to cover the earth with deceit?

⁴One kind of comrade takes advantage of his friend’s good fortune; in times of trouble, he turns against him. ⁵Another kind shares his friend’s suffering for a meal; when it comes to a fight, he thinks only of saving himself.

⁶Do not neglect a friend or forget him once you are wealthy.

⁷All advisers give advice, but some seek only their own gain.

⁸Distrust the person who offers advice, lest he take advantage of you; first of all, ask yourself what he lacks and what his own interest suggests to him.

⁹Perhaps he tells you, “You are on the right road,” while he keeps his distance to see what happens to you.

¹⁰Do not seek advice from one who looks at you suspiciously; hide your plans from those who envy you.

¹¹Do not consult a woman about her rival, a coward about war, a merchant about exchange rates, a buyer about selling, a jealous man about gratitude, a selfish person about generosity, an idler about any kind of work, a casual worker about finishing a job, or a lazy servant about an important task. Do not rely on these people for advice.

¹²But go to a trustworthy man whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments, whose soul reflects your own and who will suffer with you if you fail.

¹³In the end, keep to your heart’s advice since no one deserves to be trusted more than your heart.

¹⁴For a man’s soul often gives better advice than seven watchmen placed on a height.

¹⁵Besides all this, implore the Almighty to guide your steps in the truth.

¹⁶A plan must be at the beginning of all work; reflection comes before every action.

¹⁷When you decide, four ways are open before you: ¹⁸good, evil, life, and death. Your own decision makes the choice.

¹⁹A clever man may teach many but do no good for himself.

²⁰A man may be wise, but if his words are rejected, he will end up starving,

²¹not having won the favor of the Lord and being destitute of all wisdom.

²²Another man is wise for himself. He takes advantage of his wisdom.

²³The wise man teaches his people, who benefit from his knowledge.

²⁴The wise man is full of blessings; those who see him call him happy.

²⁵Man’s days are numbered, but Israel’s days are countless.

²⁶The wise man will win the confidence of his people; his name will live forever.

²⁷My son, test yourself throughout life; see what is harmful and avoid it.

²⁸Everything does not suit everybody, nor is everyone satisfied with everything.

²⁹Do not be insatiable in every pleasure or be excessive in what you eat; ³⁰for overeating leads to sickness, and gluttony brings indigestion. ³¹Many have died because of gluttony; he who takes care prolongs his life.

The Doctor

38 | •  ¹Give due honor to the doctor, for you need him, and God established him.

²Healing comes from the Most High; the gift of healing comes from the Sovereign.

³The doctor’s expertise gives him prestige and wins him the admiration of the powerful.

⁴The Lord created the medicinal herbs which grow on the earth, and these a sensible person will not despise.

⁵Remember that he used a simple wooden rod to purify water and make his power known to everyone.

⁶He gives knowledge to humans so that his power be glorified; ⁷the doctor uses it to heal and comfort, the chemist to make his mixtures. ⁸In that way, the Lord’s work never ceases, and well-being prevails on the earth.

⁹My son, when you are sick, do not be anxious; pray to the Lord to heal you. ¹⁰Give up bad habits, keep your hands unsoiled, and purify your heart from all sin.

¹¹Offer incense, a memorial gift of fine flour, and rich offerings according to your means. ¹²Then consult the doctor; remember that the Lord established him, so do not disregard him—you need him. ¹³There are cases when good health depends on doctors. ¹⁴They, too, will pray to the Most High to grant them success in healing to save life.

¹⁵May he who sins before his Maker fall into the hands of the doctor!

Grieving

¹⁶My son, weep for the dead, lament to express your sorrow and bury the dead with fitting ceremony, and do not fail to honor his tomb.

¹⁷Weep bitterly, cry out with full voice, and observe the mourning period by the deceased's merits. Let it be for one or two days, so avoid criticism and be consoled in your grief.

¹⁸For sorrow may lead to death, and a dejected heart loses vitality.

¹⁹Let your affliction cease with the funeral; a life of sorrow is intolerable.

²⁰Do not let your heart give way to grief; bear up and think of your own end.

²¹Remember! There is no coming back; you do the dead no good but rather harm yourself.

²²Remember my sentence, which will also be yours: mine yesterday, yours today!

²³When the dead person is at rest, let his memory be of peace; be comforted on his account once his spirit has departed.

Artisans and Wise Men

²⁴A law student acquires wisdom during his leisure hours; free from business, he can become wise.

²⁵How can the man who guides a plow become wise, he whose pride lies in snapping a whip and driving a bullock, who works continually and talks of nothing but cattle? ²⁶His heart is set on plowing furrows, and all his attention is given to fattening heifers.

²⁷It is the same for all artisans and skilled workers who toil day and night, professional engravers, and seal designers. All are intent on creating different designs and reproducing the model, working even at night to succeed.

²⁸So, too, is the blacksmith standing beside the anvil intent on forging iron. His face is scorched by flames from the fire, and he struggles in the furnace's heat. The clang of the hammer is deafening. His eyes are fixed on the model to be copied. He tries to work well and spends time at night achieving his task.

²⁹It is the same for the potter seated at work, his foot turning the wheel, always concentrating on what he is molding, every movement purposefully controlled. ³⁰His arm kneads the clay; his feet make it pliable. All his attention is needed to apply the glaze, and at night, he sees to the cleaning of the furnace.

³¹All these craftsmen depend on their hands to gain skill in their different crafts. ³²Without them, a city could not be built; no settlers or travelers would come.

³³But they are not to be found in the councils of people, nor do their words carry weight in an assembly. They do not occupy the judge’s seat and are unfamiliar with the law.

³⁴They are not cultured or skilled in judgment and are not found among authors of proverbs.

They uphold creation and civilization and pray in their life’s work.

39 | ¹Quite different is it with the person who spends his life reflecting on the law of the Most High. He examines the wisdom of the sages in times past, and in his free time, he studies prophecies.

²He keeps in mind what people of renown have said and penetrates the mystery of parables. ³He searches for the inner meaning of proverbs and is interested in the secret of parables.

⁴He is at the service of the great and is seen in the company of leaders. He travels to foreign lands and experiences both good and evil in humankind.

⁵Early in the morning, his heart is set on turning to the Lord, his Maker, and raising his being to the Most High. He opens his mouth in prayer and makes supplication because of his sins.

⁶If such is the will of the great Lord, he will be filled with the spirit of discernment. He will then speak words of wisdom and celebrate the Lord in prayer.

⁷He will acquire just judgment and knowledge and reflect on the Lord’s hidden mysteries.

⁸In his teaching, he discloses what he has learned and glories in the Law of the Lord’s Covenant.

⁹Many people praise his discernment, and he will never be forgotten. His memory will not fade, and his name will live on from generation to generation.

¹⁰Nations will proclaim his wisdom, and the assembly will celebrate his praise.

¹¹As long as he lives, his name will be more glorious than a thousand others, and fame will be enough when he dies.

All Creation Is Good

¹²I wish to share more of my reflections; I am filled with them just as the moon is said to be full.

¹³Hear me, devoted people, and grow as a rose planted near a stream.

¹⁴Spread fragrance around you like incense; blossom and perfume the air like a lily; sing a hymn and bless the Lord for all his works.

¹⁵Magnify his name and proclaim his praise with song and lyre, expressing this with thanksgiving.

¹⁶How magnificent are the works of the Lord! All his commands are appropriately timed and satisfy every need.

No one should say: “What is this? Why is that?” All must be studied in its time.

¹⁷At his word, the waters ceased to flow and piled up; his voice caused the water reservoir to open. ¹⁸At his order, his every wish is fulfilled, and no one hinders his work of salvation.

¹⁹All deeds are before him; nothing is hidden from his eyes. ²⁰He sees all from eternity to eternity, and nothing surprises him.

²¹No one must say: “What is that? Why is it so?” Everything is created for a purpose.

²²His blessing covers all things and, like a river, drenches the land, as in a flood. ²³Similarly, he may pour out his wrath on the nations, just as he has turned fresh water into salt.

²⁴If his ways are smooth for holy people, they will be full of obstacles for the wicked. ²⁵From the beginning, good things have been created for the good and evil things for the wicked.

²⁶The most necessary things for man’s life are water, fire, iron, salt, wheat flour, milk, honey, grape juice, oil, and clothing.

²⁷All these are good for those who are good, but for sinners, they become evil.

²⁸Certain winds are created as a means of punishment, and in their fury, they are a scourge, unleashing their violence in the time of destruction and satisfying the wrath of their Creator.

²⁹Fire, hail, famine, and death have all been created for punishment.

³⁰The fangs of wild beasts, scorpions, vipers, and the avenging sword for the destruction of the wicked, ³¹all joyfully carry out his commands, all are ready when the need arises; and at a given moment, they will not fail to obey his word.

³²For that reason, I reflected, and from the beginning, I decided to write:

³³All the works of the Lord are good, and he will satisfy every need in time.

³⁴You must not say: This is less good than that, for everything will serve a purpose in its time.

³⁵So now, with all your heart and in full voice, sing and bless the name of the Lord.

The Misery of Human Life

40 | ¹Painful is the lot of all humans; a heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam; from the day they leave their mother’s womb to the day they return to the mother of us all.

²What is on their mind, what they fear in their heart, is the day of their death. ³From the king, glorious on his throne, robed in purple and wearing a crown, ⁴to the lowliest person sitting in dust and ashes and covered with sackcloth, there is anger, envy, trouble and unrest, fear of death, rivalry and quarrels.

⁵And at night when we lie down, we have fresh worries: ⁶scarcely are we at rest and asleep when we are troubled by dreams as vivid as if it were day and fleeing from a battle. ⁷When it is time to wake up, we feel surprised to find nothing to fear.

⁸This is the fate of every living creature, man and beast, but for sinners, it is seven times worse, ⁹in death, bloodshed, strife, sword, misfortune, famine, affliction, and calamity.

¹⁰All these were created for the wicked, and the flood was sent on their account.

¹¹Everything that comes from the earth goes back to the earth, and what comes from the waters returns to the sea.

¹²All bribery and all injustice will disappear, but good faith will last forever.

¹³The unjust riches will vanish like a stream dries up and crash like a thunderclap during a downpour.

¹⁴A generous man has reason to rejoice, whereas sinners go to their ruin.

¹⁵The children of the ungodly will not be blessed with large families; they are like plants taking root on sheer rock, ¹⁶like reeds in water and along the riverbank, withering sooner than other plants.

¹⁷Kindness is like a garden of blessings, and charity endures forever.

¹⁸Life is pleasant both for an independent person and a self-reliant worker, but the one who finds a treasure is still better off.

¹⁹The name of a man who has children or who has established a town will live on, but to have found wisdom is a greater good.

Owning cattle and plantations brings fame, but a perfect wife is a richer blessing.

²⁰Wine and music gladden the heart, but the love of wisdom is still better.

²¹The flute and harp make fine music, but even more appreciated is a pleasant voice.

²²Gracefulness and beauty delight the eye, but not as much as the fresh growth of fields.

²³It is always good for friends and companions to meet, but it is still better for husband and wife.

²⁴Brothers and protectors are helpful in hard times, but having been a giver of alms will be of greater help.

²⁵Gold and silver are made for security, but good advice is better.

²⁶Wealth and strength give confidence, but good counsel is more esteemed than either.

When you fear the Lord, you cannot suffer a loss; with it, you have all the support you need.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is like a garden of blessings; it clothes a person better than any glory.

²⁸My son, do not live the life of a beggar; it would be better to die than to beg.

²⁹When a man is always eyeing another’s table, it cannot be said that he is really living, for he is defiling himself with another’s food; an intelligent and educated man will avoid this.

³⁰That for which a shameless man begs may seem sweet to his mouth, but his inner being is burning.

Death

41 | ¹Death! What a bitter thought for someone who lives happily among his possessions, a prosperous and successful man who can still enjoy his food!

²Your sentence, Death, is welcome to a needy person whose strength is failing, who is old, worn out, and full of worries; to one who is angry and without hope!

³Do not be afraid of Death’s sentence; think of those who have gone before you and those who will follow. ⁴The Lord has decreed it for every living creature; why should you rebel against the good pleasure of the Most High?

No one in the netherworld is concerned whether you live for ten, a hundred, or a thousand years.

⁵Abominable people, such are the children of sinners who gather in the houses of the ungodly.

⁶The inheritance of sinners will perish; their prosperity will be a lasting reproach.

⁷An ungodly father will be insulted by his children, for they hold him responsible for their disgrace.

⁸Woe to you, wicked people who have forsaken the Law of the Most High! ⁹At birth, you are born to be cursed, and you will be cursed at death.

¹⁰All that comes from the earth returns to the earth, and the ungodly go from curse to ruin.

¹¹People grieve because their bodies will perish, but even the evil names of sinners will be blotted out.

¹²Have regard for your reputation, for it will live on, of greater value than a thousand hordes of gold. ¹³Perhaps few are the days of the just man’s life, but an honored name endures forever.

True and False Shame

¹⁴My children, keep my teaching and live in peace. Of what use is hidden wisdom and unseen treasure?

¹⁵It is better for a man to hide his foolishness than his wisdom.

¹⁶Therefore, I feel shame according to what I say. Feeling shame is not always fitting, but everyone does not understand this.

¹⁷Be ashamed of licentiousness before your father and mother and of a lie before a ruler or an important person.

¹⁸Be ashamed of criminal behavior before a judge and iniquity before an assembly.

¹⁹Feel ashamed of dishonesty before your partner or friend and of theft in the place where you live.

²⁰Be ashamed before the truth of God and his Covenant. Be ashamed of keeping the loaves for yourself, ²¹of being unable to give and to receive, of not returning a greeting,

²²of staring at a prostitute,

of rejecting a compatriot,

²³of depriving someone of what is his,

of gazing at another man’s wife,

²⁴of being too familiar with your maidservant—keep away from her bed!

²⁵of insulting words to a friend—

do not follow up a gift with a reproach!

²⁶of repeating what you have heard and betraying secrets.

²⁷On these occasions, feel genuine shame, and all will respect you.

42 | ¹But do not let yourself be led astray by any of the things that follow. ²Do not be ashamed

of the Law of the Most High and his Covenant,

of judging even the wicked fairly,

³of keeping accounts with a traveling companion,

and of sharing your inheritance with friends,

⁴of checking weights and scales, ⁵of making a profit, whether small or great,

of bargaining with traders and being strict with children,

of severe corporal punishment for a servant who deserves it.

⁶With a prying wife or when many people are around, it is wise to use seal and lock!

⁷For deposits, it is essential to reckon by number and weight and keep a written record of what you give and receive.

⁸Do not be ashamed of correcting someone foolish or stupid or an old man who has become childish.

Doing that proves that you are well-educated and will be generally respected.

•  ⁹A daughter causes her father hidden worries; anxiety on her account keeps him awake:

Is she young? She may not marry. Is she married? She may be disliked;

¹⁰Is she a virgin? She may be seduced and become pregnant in her father’s house!

Is she married? She may be unfaithful or unable to have children!

¹¹Your daughter is unruly? Watch her well, or she may make you a laughingstock to your enemies, the talk of the town and a public disgrace.

¹²Do not be taken by human beauty and do not sit down in the company of women; ¹³for just as a moth comes out of a garment, woman’s wickedness comes out of a woman.

¹⁴Better a man’s wickedness than a woman’s kindness; women bring shame and disgrace.

Second Part: God’s Wisdom in History

Wonders of Nature

•  ¹⁵Now I shall remind you of the works of the Lord and relate what I have seen.

The Lord’s works depend on his word, and creation obeys his will.

¹⁶The sun shines on everything, and the work of the Lord is filled with his glory.

¹⁷Not even to his holy ones has the Lord given full knowledge of all his marvelous works.

The Lord, Master of the universe, has ordained that all should stand firm in his glory.

¹⁸He penetrates both the depth of the abyss and the human heart and knows their secrets.

For the Most High has full knowledge and ordains the signs of the heavens.

¹⁹He knows the past, foretells the future, and reveals the traces of the world’s mysteries.

²⁰No thought escapes him; no word is hidden from him.

²¹He has ordered the marvelous works of his wisdom, from ever and for ever. Nothing can be added or taken away; he does not need counsel.

²²All his works are beautiful, even to the tiniest spark of light.

²³Everything lives and endures forever; all is useful and obedient to his will.

²⁴All things are in pairs, one opposite the other, and nothing he makes is deficient.

²⁵One thing emphasizes the excellence of the other; who could ever weary of admiring his glory?

43 | ¹The clear firmament is the pride of the heights above. How glorious is the spectacle of the heavens!

²When the sun rises and appears, it proclaims: “I am your marvelous work, Most High!”

³At noon, it dries up the land; who can bear its burning heat?

⁴You may stoke a furnace to produce heat, but three times greater is the sun's heat burning the mountains, sending out fiery vapors, blinding the eyes with its rays.

⁵How great is the Lord who made it and whose word directs its rapid course!

⁶He also made the moon, which marks the months and the passage of time exactly. ⁷With its full light gradually decreasing, the moon determines and rules over the feast days. ⁸The month also takes its name from the moon. How marvelously does it increase in its phases, providing a signal for the heavenly hosts, brightly shining in the expanse of the sky!

⁹The bright radiance of the stars accounts for the beauty of the sky. What a brilliant ornament they are for the heights of the Lord!

¹⁰At the command of the All-Holy, the moon keeps its appointed place and never fades as the stars keep watch.

¹¹Look at the rainbow and praise the One who made it. How magnificent it is in splendor!

¹²It forms a circle of glory in the sky, a bow bent by its Maker's hands.

¹³At his order, the snow falls, and lightning strikes according to his decrees.

¹⁴The storerooms of heaven are opened, and clouds fly away like birds.

¹⁵His power thickens the clouds, making them freeze and break into hailstones.

^16a He has only to look, and the mountains are shaken; ¹⁷ and the voice of his thunder terrifies the earth.

^16b At his will, the south wind blows, ^17b as do cyclones and hurricanes from the north.

¹⁸The snow flutters down like birds and alights on the ground like locusts.

The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness, and the mind is amazed to see it fall.

¹⁹He sprinkles frost on the earth like salt; it freezes and becomes like thorny spikes.

²⁰The cold north wind blows and turns the water into ice.

Ice forms on all stagnant water, giving it a freezing coat of armor.

²¹He wears down the mountains and scorches the desert, withering the green grass as if by fire.

²²A mist is a timely remedy, and dew after the heat restores it all to life.

²³According to his plan, he stilled the great deep and planted islands in it.

²⁴Those who cross the seas tell of its dangers, and we listen in astonishment to what they relate:

²⁵It is all about strange and marvelous adventures with marine animals and monsters of all kinds.

²⁶Thanks be to God, all turns out well, and his word holds everything together.

²⁷We shall not give further examples; one last word: He is everything.

²⁸Where shall we find the strength to glorify him? For he is the Mighty One, greater than all his works.

²⁹The Lord is awesome and sovereignly great and admirable in his power.

³⁰Let your praise exalt the Lord as best you can; he is greater than you could even express.

Honor him with all your strength and do not tire, for you can never praise him enough.

³¹Who has seen him and can describe what he has seen? Who can glorify him as he merits?

³²Many mysteries greater than these still remain, for we have only seen a fraction of his works.

³³The Lord has created all things, giving wisdom to the godly.

In Praise of Ancestors

44 | •  ¹Let us now glorify illustrious men, the ancestors of our people.

²The Lord gave them great glory according to his own greatness from the beginning.

³Some ruled kingdoms and were renowned for their achievements; others were wise and able to counsel or speak as prophets.

⁴They led the people with their warnings or knowledge of popular writings.

⁵Some cultivated music and poetry, ⁶others were rich and powerful men living peacefully in their homes.

⁷All were highly respected in their days and honored by the people they lived with.

⁸Some people's names live on, and people still praise them today; ⁹others are not remembered and have disappeared as if they never existed. It is the same for their children.

¹⁰But now consider the godly men whose good deeds have not been forgotten. ¹¹Those who came after them benefited from the rich legacy they left; ¹²their race remained faithful to the Covenant, and their children followed their example. ¹³Their family will endure forever, and never will its glory be tarnished. ¹⁴Their bodies were buried in peace, but their memory lives through generations. ¹⁵People will speak of their wisdom, and the assembly will celebrate their praise.

¹⁶Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up, calling future generations to repentance.

¹⁷Noah was found to be perfectly just. At the time of divine anger, he was the ransom; through him, a remnant was left on earth after the flood. ¹⁸Eternal Covenants were made with him to ensure that life would never again be destroyed by the flood.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

•  ¹⁹No one has been found to equal Abraham in glory, the great ancestor of many nations. ²⁰He was faithful to the Law of the Most High who made a Covenant with him, a Covenant that was marked on his flesh, and on the day he was tested, he was found faithful. ²¹That is why God promised by oath to bless all the nations through his descendants, that he would make them as numerous as the dust of the earth and exalt his posterity like the stars. He promised that their land would stretch from sea to sea, from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.

²²The Lord renewed his Covenant with Isaac for the sake of his father, Abraham. ²³This Covenant and the blessing of humanity he made to rest on the head of Jacob.

He assured Jacob of his blessing, giving him the land that would be his and determining the portions to be shared among the twelve tribes.

Moses, Aaron

45 | ¹From Jacob’s descendants, the Lord brought forth an upright man who won the favor of everyone and was loved by God and men—Moses. Blessed be his memory! ²The Lord gave him glory equal to his holy angels and power that terrified his enemies. ³At Moses’ word, he halted disaster; the Lord exalted him in the presence of kings. He gave commandments for his people and let him glimpse something of his glory.

⁴He chose him from among the living to become holy by being faithful and humble. ⁵God let him hear his voice and led him into darkness, where face to face he gave him the commandments, the law of life and knowledge, to teach Jacob the Covenant and make his decrees known to Israel.

⁶He raised up Aaron, the brother of Moses, a holy man like Moses, of the tribe of Levi. ⁷He made an eternal Covenant with him and conferred on him the priesthood of the people.

He honored him by giving him majesty and wearing a glorious robe. ⁸His vestments and ornaments were splendid in their perfection—breeches, cloak, and ephod. ⁹As a fringe to his vestment, he gave him pomegranates and many golden bells to tinkle as he walked and to be heard in the temple as a reminder to his people.

¹⁰The Lord gave Aaron sacred vestments of gold, blue, and purple, the work of artists, the pectoral of judgment, the Urim and Thummim, scarlet yarn spun by a craftsman, ¹¹precious stones with engravings in a setting of gold, the work of a jeweler, to serve as a memorial with their graven inscriptions of the tribes of Israel. ¹²He gave him the turban with a golden diadem engraved with the words of his consecration, a superb ornament, expertly crafted and a delight to the eyes.

¹³Such things had never been seen before Aaron’s time; no outsider ever put them on or ever will, only his children and descendants.

¹⁴His sacrifices were to be wholly burned twice daily, in perpetuity.

¹⁵It was Moses who consecrated him and anointed him with holy oil. It was for him an eternal Covenant and for his descendants, for as long as the heavens would last, to serve the Lord as his priests and bless the people in his name. ¹⁶He chose him from among all the living to offer sacrifice to the Lord and sweet-smelling incense as a memorial, to make atonement for the people.

¹⁷The Lord gave him authority to interpret his commandments and utter decisions, to teach Jacob the divine words and enlighten Israel with his law. ¹⁸Outsiders conspired against him and were jealous of him in the desert—Dathan, Abiram, and their followers and the supporters of Korah, all violent men full of hate. ¹⁹The Lord saw it and was angry; in his wrath, he destroyed them. He wrought wonders against them, consuming them in the flames of fire.

²⁰He increased Aaron’s glory by giving him a heritage. He allotted to him the firstfruits, including bread in abundance. ²¹For their food is the sacrifice offered to the Lord, which he gave to Aaron and his descendants.

²²But he was to inherit no land as a patrimony, no special portion as his own, for the Lord himself is his portion and inheritance.

Phinehas

²³As for Phinehas, son of Eleazar, he is the third in glory, for he was full of zeal in the fear of the Lord when he stood firm among a rebellious people with noble courage and made atonement for Israel.

²⁴Consequently, a Covenant of peace was concluded with him, making him the leader of the Sanctuary and of his people. He and his descendants were to have the dignity of high priesthood forever. ²⁵It is not like the Covenant established with David, the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, for the kingship passes only from father to one of his sons, but the heritage of Aaron passes to all his descendants.

²⁶May the Lord give them the wisdom of heart to judge his people with justice so that their prosperity may not dwindle, and their glory may live on in their descendants!

Joshua and the Judges

46 | ¹Joshua, son of Nun, was a valiant warrior; as a prophet, he was the successor of Moses. He lived up to his name, proving himself to be a savior of God’s chosen people, punishing the enemies that attacked them, and leading Israel to claim their land.

²How magnificent to see him, arm raised and with a sword ready to attack the cities!

³Who before him had such staying power? He was, indeed, the Lord’s warrior. ⁴Was it not he who held back the sun, making one day as long as two? ⁵He called on the Most High when the enemy pressed on every side, and the Mighty Lord responded with hailstones of exceptional size. ⁶He attacked the enemy nation and destroyed the assailants at the pass of Beth-Horan so that the nations might know the strength of Joshua and that they were fighting against the Lord.

⁷Joshua was loyal and devoted to the Almighty in Moses's time, he and Caleb, son of Jephunneh. They stood firm against the assembly and tried to keep them from sinning by silencing their wicked murmuring.

⁸Because of this, they were the only two spared out of six hundred thousand people on foot. And they took possession of their inheritance in a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁹The Lord gifted Caleb with strength; this he enjoyed to the end of his days, and he went into the hill country given to his children in heritage. ¹⁰With this, it was clear to all Israel that it is good to follow the Lord. ¹¹After that came the judges. Although each of them won his own renown, all were men of faithful hearts who did not turn away from the Lord. Blessed be their memory! ¹²May their bones spring to life from the tomb, and the names of these illustrious men live on in their children!

Samuel

¹³Samuel was a prophet and beloved of the Lord. He established the kingdom and anointed rulers to govern his people.

¹⁴He judged the assembly according to the law of the Lord, and the Lord protected Jacob. ¹⁵He was accepted as a prophet because of his faithfulness and proved that his words were of a trustworthy seer.

¹⁶He called on the Almighty Lord when the enemy pressed from all directions, and he offered a sucking lamb.

¹⁷Then, with a mighty roar, the Lord thundered from heaven ¹⁸and destroyed all the enemy’s leaders and the tyrants of Philistia.

¹⁹Before his time came for eternal rest, Samuel called men to witness before the Lord and his anointed: “I have not taken anyone’s belongings, not even his sandals,” and there was no one to accuse him.

²⁰Even after he died, he prophesied and revealed to the king his death. From the grave, he spoke as a prophet to blot out the wickedness of his people.

David

47 | ¹After him, the Lord raised Nathan to prophesy in the time of David.

²As fat is selected from the peace offering, David was chosen among the Israelites.

³He played with lions and bears like lambs or young goats.

⁴He was still young when he slew a giant to restore the honor of his people; with a sling, he aimed a stone that killed the arrogant Goliath.

⁵He invoked the Lord Most High, who gave him the strength to slay a mighty warrior and exalt his people's power.

⁶So they glorified him for his ten thousand and praised him as a blessing from the Lord when he was chosen king.

⁷For he wiped out his enemies on all sides and annihilated his adversaries, the Philistines, crushing their power forever.

⁸In all that he did, he thanked the Most High and showed his love for his Maker by singing with all his heart.

⁹He placed singers accompanied by harps before the altar to make beautiful music; ¹⁰he gave splendor to feasts and even greater magnificence to the more solemn occasions, exalting the holy name of the Lord and having the Sanctuary ring with his praises from early morning.

¹¹The Lord forgave David’s sins and established his power forever; he made a Covenant with him for the benefit of the kings and gave him a glorious throne in Israel.

Solomon

¹²A wise son succeeded him and fared well because of him.

¹³Solomon reigned during times of peace, and God gave him rest from war to enable him to build a house for his name, a Sanctuary that would stand forever.

¹⁴How wise you were in your youth, Solomon, as full of understanding as a river! ¹⁵Your spirit covered the earth; you filled it with proverbs and parables. ¹⁶Your reputation reached distant islands, and you were loved for peace. ¹⁷Your songs, proverbs, parables, and interpretation drew the world's admiration.

¹⁸In the name of the Lord God, called the God of Israel, you accumulated gold like tin and gathered silver like lead.

¹⁹But you gave your body to women and became the slave of your senses; ²⁰you stained your reputation and defiled your descendants, bringing wrath and disaster upon your children because of your foolishness.

²¹So the nation was divided; from Ephraim came a kingdom in revolt.

²²But God’s mercy never fails, nor does he forget his promises; he did not deprive his chosen one of descendants or destroy the race of the one he loved. So to Jacob, he gave a remnant and allowed David’s family to survive.

²³Solomon rested with his forefathers and left one of his sons to rule after him, the most foolish of men without intelligence; Rehoboam drove the people to rebellion.

²⁴As for Jeroboam, son of Nebat, he caused Israel to sin and taught Ephraim the way of evil.

From then on, their sins increased, which later brought about their exile, ²⁵for they were intent on doing every evil until vengeance fell on them.

Elijah and Elisha

48 | ¹Then came the prophet Elijah, like a fire, his words a burning torch.

²He brought famine on the people and, in his zealous love, had them reduced in number.

³Speaking in the name of the Lord, he closed the heavens and, on three occasions, called down fire.

⁴How marvelous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever boast of being your equal? ⁵By the word of the Most High, you brought a dead man back to life; ⁶you brought kings to destruction and thrust famous men from their beds.

⁷You heard a rebuke at Sinai and sentences of punishment at Horeb. ⁸You anointed kings to be avengers and prophets to succeed you.

⁹You were taken up by a whirlwind of flames in a chariot drawn by fiery horses.

¹⁰It was written that you should be the one to calm God’s anger in the future, before it broke out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

¹¹Happy are those who will see you and those who die in love, for we too shall live.

¹²Such was Elijah, taken up in a whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit.

During his life, no leader could shake him, and no one dominated him. ¹³Nothing was too difficult for him, and even in death, his body prophesied. ¹⁴In life, he worked wonders; in death, his deeds were amazing.

¹⁵Despite all this, the people were not converted and did not turn away from sin; not until they were deported far from their country and scattered over the earth.

¹⁶Although the number of people was greatly reduced, they still had a ruler from David's line. Some of them were upright, and others became sinful.

¹⁷Hezekiah fortified his city and brought the water within its walls, tunneling the rock with iron tools to construct cisterns.

¹⁸During his reign, Sennacherib began his campaigns and sent off Rabshakeh, and insolent and arrogant as he was, he raised his arm against Zion.

¹⁹Then their courage was shaken; their hands trembled; they felt anguish like women in labor. ²⁰They stretched out their hands and called on the merciful Lord.

From heaven, the Holy One quickly heard them and saved them by the hand of Isaiah. ²¹The Lord struck the Assyrian camp, and his angel wiped them out.

²²For Hezekiah did what was pleasing to the Lord and was firm in following the ways of David, his father, as the great and faithful prophet Isaiah ordered, a man of trustworthy vision.

²³In his time, the sun went back, and he lengthened the king's life.

²⁴In the power of the spirit, he foresaw the last things and consoled the afflicted people of Zion. ²⁵He revealed what would happen until the end of time and made hidden events known before they occurred.

Other Kings and Prophets

49 | ¹The memory of Josiah is like blended incense carefully prepared by the perfumer; it is like delicious honey to every mouth, like music during a banquet.

²He followed the right way in converting the people and removing the horror of idolatry. ³He set his heart on the Lord and succeeded in having godliness prevail over wickedness.

⁴The kings were sinful, except for David, Hezekiah, and Josiah. They abandoned the Law of the Most High, ending the kings of Judah.

⁵They surrendered their power and their honor to foreign nations. ⁶Their enemies set fire to the Holy City, making its streets desolate ⁷as Jeremiah had foretold.

⁸It was Ezekiel who saw the vision of glory when the Lord showed it to him above the chariot of the cherubim. ⁹He also remembered Job, who always followed the way of justice.

¹⁰May the twelve prophets' bones spring to life from the tomb, for they comforted the people of Jacob and saved them with confident hope.

¹¹Can we ever adequately praise Zerubbabel, who was like a ring at God's finger, and ¹²likewise Jeshua, son of Jozadak? They were men who, in their days, built the temple of the Lord, a Sanctuary destined for everlasting glory. ¹³Lasting, too, is the memory of Nehemiah, who rebuilt our ruined walls, provided gates and bars, and rebuilt our homes.

¹⁴No one on earth was created to equal Enoch, for he was taken up from the earth.

¹⁵And never was there a man like Joseph, the greatest among his brothers, the leader of his people; his bones were honored.

•  ¹⁶Shem and Seth were exalted among men, but Adam’s glory was greater than any other living being.

Simon the Priest

50 | ¹The High Priest Simon, son of Onias, repaired the Sanctuary and fortified the temple during his lifetime.

²He laid the foundations for the high double wall and the fortifications surrounding the temple.

³In his days, a reservoir for water, a cistern as great as a sea, was excavated.

⁴Anxious lest his people might perish, he fortified the city against a siege.

•  ⁵How magnificent he was when surrounded by his people, he emerged from the inner Sanctuary ⁶like the morning star amidst the clouds, like a full moon, ⁷like the sun shining on the temple of the Most High or a rainbow in the glory of clouds!

⁸He was like a rose in spring, a lily beside a stream, a green shoot on a summer day, ⁹or incense burning in the censer.

He could be likened to a massive, golden vase adorned with every kind of precious stone, ¹⁰to an olive tree heavy with fruit, or a cypress rising to the clouds. ¹¹When robed in ceremonial garb and perfect splendor, he went to the sacred altar, filling the court of the Sanctuary with glory.

¹²There, he would receive the portions of the sacrifice from the hand of the priests as he stood by the hearth of the altar, encircled by his brethren, like a young cedar on Lebanon.

¹³It was as if he was surrounded by palm trees when all the sons of Aaron, in their splendor, with the offerings to the Lord in their hands, stood before the assembly of Israel.

¹⁴When he had completed the service at the altar and presented the offering with dignity to the Almighty and Most High, ¹⁵he took the cup in his hand and poured out a libation of the grape juice at the foot of the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Most High, King of the world.

¹⁶Then the sons of Aaron shouted; they blew their trumpets of solid silver, making a great noise as a memorial before the Most High.

¹⁷Then suddenly, all the people bowed down with their faces to the ground and adored the Lord, the Almighty, and Most High God.

¹⁸The choir also sang his praises, making beautiful music. ¹⁹The people made supplication to the Most High and prayed to their merciful Lord until the ceremony was over and the service of the Lord was completed.

²⁰The high priest then came down and raised his hands towards the whole assembly of the people of Israel to give them the blessing of the Lord in a loud voice and to have the honor of pronouncing his name.

²¹Then, for a second time, the people bowed in worship to receive the blessing of the Most High:

²²“And now, praise the Lord of the universe, who everywhere, does great things, exalts our days from birth, and is merciful to us.

²³May he give us happiness and grant peace to Israel in our days and forever!

²⁴May he continue to bless us and be our savior in our days.”

²⁵I greatly dislike two nations; the third is not a nation: ²⁶They are the inhabitants of Mount Seir, the Philistines, and the foolish people who live in Shechem.

²⁷Jesus, the son of Sira, the son of Eleazar of Jerusalem, wrote this book to instruct in understanding and knowledge as he poured out the wisdom of his heart.

²⁸Happy the one who pays attention to this teaching and gains wisdom by taking it to heart.

²⁹Doing that, he will be strong in all circumstances, for the light of the Lord is his path.

Prayer of Jesus, Son of Sira

51 | •  ¹I will give thanks to you, O Lord and King; I praise you, my God and Savior, I give thanks to your name.

²For you are my protector and helper; you have delivered my body from destruction, from the snare of the wicked tongue, and from lips that speak lies.

In the presence of those who stood against me, you were my helper, my deliverer.

³In the fullness of mercy and the glory of your name, you delivered me from the teeth of those ready to devour me, from the hand of those wanting to take my life, and from my many trials. ⁴You rescued me from choking fire on every side; you saved me from a fire I had not kindled.

⁵You delivered me from the depths of the netherworld, from an impure tongue and lying words, ⁶from vicious slander reported to the king. I was near to death; I was already at the gates of the netherworld.

⁷They surrounded me on every side with no one to help me. I looked for human comfort, but there was none.

⁸Then, Lord, I remembered your mercy and deeds from all eternity, knowing that you deliver those who hope in you and save them from the hands of their enemies.

⁹I sent up my prayer from the earth, begging to be delivered from death.

¹⁰I called on the Lord, the Father of my Lord: “Do not forsake me in the day of my affliction, when I am helpless against arrogant enemies; I will praise your name continually and sing to you my thanksgiving.”

¹¹My prayer was heard; you saved me from destruction and delivered me from an evil plight.

¹²That is why I will give you thanks and praise and bless the name of the Lord.

¹³In my youth, before I set out on my travels, I openly sought wisdom in prayer; ¹⁴I asked for her before the temple, and I will pursue her to the end of my days.

¹⁵While she blossomed like a ripening cluster, my heart was delighted in her; my feet followed the right path because, from my youth, I searched for her.

¹⁶As soon as I began listening to her, she was given to me and with her, much instruction.

¹⁷With her help, I made progress, and I will glorify him who gives me wisdom, ¹⁸I decided to put it into practice and ardently seek what is good. I shall not regret it.

¹⁹My soul has struggled to possess her. I have been attentive to observe the law, and after my faults, I have stretched out my hands to heaven and lamented my ignorance of her.

²⁰My love of her increased, and I found her in repentance. Through her from the beginning, I learned to possess my heart. She will not forsake me.

²¹With my whole being, I sought her, so I won what was best.

²²In return for this, the Lord has given me words to praise him.

²³Come near, you who are without understanding, and join her school.

²⁴Why do you say you are deprived of all this and that your souls are thirsty?

²⁵This is what I say: Buy this without money; ²⁶put your neck under her yoke and let your minds receive instruction; it is very near and within your reach.

²⁷See for yourselves: my toil has been slight, and I found deep rest.

²⁸Be instructed, whatever the cost, and you will gain what is better than gold.

²⁹Let your soul find joy in the Lord's mercy, and do not be ashamed to praise him.

³⁰Do your work within the appointed time, and the Lord will reward you in his time.