Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Chapter 22

¹A slothful man is compared to a filthy stone, and every one will hiss him out to his disgrace. ²A slothful man is compared to the filth of a dunghill: every man that takes it up will shake his hand. ³An evilnurtured man is the dishonour of his father that begat him: and a foolish daughter is born to his loss. ⁴A wise daughter shall bring an inheritance to her husband: but she that liveth dishonestly is her father’s heaviness. ⁵She that is bold dishonoureth both her father and her husband, but they both shall despise her. ⁶A tale out of season is as musick in mourning: but stripes and correction of wisdom are never out of time. ⁷Whoso teacheth a fool is as one that glueth a potsherd together, and as he that waketh one from a sound sleep. ⁸He that telleth a tale to a fool speaketh to one in a slumber: when he hath told his tale, he will say, What is the matter?

⁹If children live honestly, and have wherewithal, they shall cover the baseness of their parents. ¹⁰But children, being haughty, through disdain and want of nurture do stain the nobility of their kindred. ¹¹Weep for the dead, for he hath lost the light: and weep for the fool, for he wanteth understanding: make little weeping for the dead, for he is at rest: but the life of the fool is worse than death. ¹²Seven days do men mourn for him that is dead; but for a fool and an ungodly man all the days of his life. ¹³Talk not much with a fool, and go not to him that hath no understanding: beware of him, lest thou have trouble, and thou shalt never be defiled with his fooleries: depart from him, and thou shalt find rest, and never be disquieted with madness. ¹⁴What is heavier than lead? and what is the name thereof, but a fool? ¹⁵Sand, and salt, and a mass of iron, is easier to bear, than a man without understanding. ¹⁶As timber girt and bound together in a building cannot be loosed with shaking: so the heart that is stablished by advised counsel shall fear at no time.

¹⁷A heart settled upon a thought of understanding is as a fair plaistering on the wall of a gallery. ¹⁸Pales set on an high place will never stand against the wind: so a fearful heart in the imagination of a fool cannot stand against any fear. ¹⁹He that pricketh the eye will make tears to fall: and he that pricketh the heart maketh it to shew her knowledge. ²⁰Whoso casteth a stone at the birds frayeth them away: and he that upbraideth his friend breaketh friendship. ²¹Though thou drewest a sword at thy friend, yet despair not: for there may be a returning to favour . ²²If thou hast opened thy mouth against thy friend, fear not; for there may be a reconciliation: except for upbraiding, or pride, or disclosing of secrets, or a treacherous wound: for for these things every friend will depart. ²³Be faithful to thy neighbour in his poverty, that thou mayest rejoice in his prosperity: abide stedfast unto him in the time of his trouble, that thou mayest be heir with him in his heritage: for a mean estate is not always to be contemned: nor the rich that is foolish to be had in admiration. ²⁴As the vapour and smoke of a furnace goeth before the fire; so reviling before blood.

²⁵I will not be ashamed to defend a friend; neither will I hide myself from him. ²⁶And if any evil happen unto me by him, every one that heareth it will beware of him. ²⁷Who shall set a watch before my mouth, and a seal of wisdom upon my lips, that I fall not suddenly by them, and that my tongue destroy me not?