Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Chapter 7

¹Do no evil, so shall no harm come unto thee. ²Depart from the unjust, and iniquity shall turn away from thee. ³My son, sow not upon the furrows of unrighteousness, and thou shalt not reap them sevenfold. ⁴Seek not of the Lord preeminence, neither of the king the seat of honour. ⁵justify not thyself before the Lord; and boast not of thy wisdom before the king. ⁶Seek not to be judge, being not able to take away iniquity; lest at any time thou fear the person of the mighty, an stumblingblock in the way of thy uprightness. ⁷Offend not against the multitude of a city, and then thou shalt not cast thyself down among the people. ⁸Bind not one sin upon another; for in one thou shalt not be unpunished.

⁹Say not, God will look upon the multitude of my oblations, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept it. ¹⁰Be not fainthearted when thou makest thy prayer, and neglect not to give alms. ¹¹Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is one which humbleth and exalteth. ¹²Devise not a lie against thy brother; neither do the like to thy friend. ¹³Use not to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good. ¹⁴Use not many words in a multitude of elders, and make not much babbling when thou prayest. ¹⁵Hate not laborious work, neither husbandry, which the most High hath ordained. ¹⁶Number not thyself among the multitude of sinners, but remember that wrath will not tarry long.

¹⁷Humble thyself greatly: for the vengeance of the ungodly is fire and worms. ¹⁸Change not a friend for any good by no means; neither a faithful brother for the gold of Ophir. ¹⁹Forego not a wise and good woman: for her grace is above gold. ²⁰Whereas thy servant worketh truly, entreat him not evil, nor the hireling that bestoweth himself wholly for thee. ²¹Let thy soul love a good servant, and defraud him not of liberty. ²²Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee. ²³Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their youth. ²⁴Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thyself cheerful toward them.

²⁵Marry thy daughter, and so shalt thou have performed a weighty matter: but give her to a man of understanding. ²⁶Hast thou a wife after thy mind? forsake her not: but give not thyself over to a light woman. ²⁷Honour thy father with thy whole heart, and forget not the sorrows of thy mother. ²⁸Remember that thou wast begotten of them; and how canst thou recompense them the things that they have done for thee? ²⁹Fear the Lord with all thy soul, and reverence his priests. ³⁰Love him that made thee with all thy strength, and forsake not his ministers. ³¹Fear the Lord, and honor the priest; and give him his portion, as it is commanded thee; the firstfruits, and the trespass offering, and the gift of the shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things. ³²And stretch thine hand unto the poor, that thy blessing may be perfected.

³³A gift hath grace in the sight of every man living; and for the dead detain it not. ³⁴Fail not to be with them that weep, and mourn with them that mourn. ³⁵Be not slow to visit the sick: for that shall make thee to be beloved. ³⁶Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss.