Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Chapter 14

¹Blessed is the man that hath not slipped with his mouth, and is not pricked with the multitude of sins. ²Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him, and who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord. ³Riches are not comely for a niggard: and what should an envious man do with money? ⁴He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul gathereth for others, that shall spend his goods riotously. ⁵He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? he shall not take pleasure in his goods. ⁶There is none worse than he that envieth himself; and this is a recompence of his wickedness. ⁷And if he doeth good, he doeth it unwillingly; and at the last he will declare his wickedness. ⁸The envious man hath a wicked eye; he turneth away his face, and despiseth men.

⁹A covetous man’s eye is not satisfied with his portion; and the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his soul. ¹⁰A wicked eye envieth his bread, and he is a niggard at his table. ¹¹My son, according to thy ability do good to thyself, and give the Lord his due offering. ¹²Remember that death will not be long in coming, and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee. ¹³Do good unto thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give to him. ¹⁴Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good desire overpass thee. ¹⁵Shalt thou not leave thy travails unto another? and thy labours to be divided by lot? ¹⁶Give, and take, and sanctify thy soul; for there is no seeking of dainties in the grave.

¹⁷All flesh waxeth old as a garment: for the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shalt die the death. ¹⁸As of the green leaves on a thick tree, some fall, and some grow; so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born. ¹⁹Every work rotteth and consumeth away, and the worker thereof shall go withal. ²⁰Blessed is the man that doth meditate good things in wisdom, and that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding. ²¹He that considereth her ways in his heart shall also have understanding in her secrets. ²²Go after her as one that traceth, and lie in wait in her ways. ²³He that prieth in at her windows shall also hearken at her doors. ²⁴He that doth lodge near her house shall also fasten a pin in her walls.

²⁵He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her, and shall lodge in a lodging where good things are. ²⁶He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches. ²⁷By her he shall be covered from heat, and in her glory shall he dwell.