Sefarim
Ben Sira21
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 21
My son, hast thou sinned? do so no more, but ask pardon for thy former sins.
Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent: for if thou comest too near it, it will bite thee: the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a lion, slaying the souls of men.
All iniquity is as a two edged sword, the wounds whereof cannot be healed.
To terrify and do wrong will waste riches: thus the house of proud men shall be made desolate.
A prayer out of a poor man’s mouth reacheth to the ears of Elohim, and his judgment cometh speedily.
He that hateth to be reproved is in the way of sinners: but he that feareth the master will repent from his heart.
An eloquent man is known far and near; but a man of understanding knoweth when he slippeth.
He that buildeth his house with other men’s money is like one that gathereth himself stones for the tomb of his burial.
The congregation of the wicked is like tow wrapped together: and the end of them is a flame of fire to destroy them.
The way of sinners is made plain with stones, but at the end thereof is the pit of hell.
He that keepeth the torah of the master getteth the understanding thereof: and the perfection of the fear of the master is wisdom.
He that is not wise will not be taught: but there is a wisdom which multiplieth bitterness.
The knowledge of a wise man shall abound like a flood: and his counsel is like a pure fountain of life.
The inner parts of a fool are like a broken vessel, and he will hold no knowledge as long as he liveth.
If a skilful man hear a wise word, he will commend it, and add unto it: but as soon as one of no understanding heareth it, it displeaseth him, and he casteth it behind his back.
The talking of a fool is like a burden in the way: but grace shall be found in the lips of the wise.
They enquire at the mouth of the wise man in the congregation, and they shall ponder his words in their heart.
As is a house that is destroyed, so is wisdom to a fool: and the knowledge of the unwise is as talk without sense.
Doctrine unto fools is as fetters on the feet, and like manacles on the right hand.
A fool lifteth up his voice with laughter; but a wise man doth scarce smile a little.
Learning is unto a wise man as an ornament of gold, and like a bracelet upon his right arm.
A foolish man’s foot is soon in his
neighbour’s house: but a man of experience is ashamed of him.
A fool will peep in at the door into the house: but he that is well nurtured will stand without.
It is the rudeness of a man to hearken at the door: but a wise man will be grieved with the disgrace.
The lips of talkers will be telling such things as pertain not unto them: but the words of such as have understanding are weighed in the balance.
The heart of fools is in their mouth: but the mouth of the wise is in their heart.
When the ungodly curseth Satan, he curseth his own nephesh.
A whisperer defileth his own nephesh, and is hated wheresoever he dwelleth.
Sefarim
Ben Sira22
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 22
A slothful man is compared to a filthy stone, and every one will hiss him out to his disgrace.
A slothful man is compared to the filth of a dunghill: every man that takes it up will shake his hand.
An evilnurtured man is the dishonour of his father that begat him: and a
foolish daughter is born to his loss.
A wise daughter shall bring an inheritance to her husband: but she that liveth dishonestly is her father’s heaviness.
She that is bold dishonoureth both her father and her husband, but they both shall despise her.
A tale out of season
is as musick in mourning: but stripes and correction of wisdom are never out of time.
Whoso teacheth a fool is as one that glueth a potsherd together, and as he that waketh one from a sound sleep.
He 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?
If children live honestly, and have wherewithal, they shall cover the baseness of their parents.
But children, being haughty, through disdain and want of nurture do stain the nobility of their kindred.
Weep 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.
Seven days do men mourn for him that is dead; but for a fool and an ungodly man all the days of his life.
Talk 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.
What is heavier than lead? and what is the name thereof, but a fool?
Sand, and salt, and a mass of iron, is easier to bear, than a man without understanding.
As 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.
A heart settled upon a thought of understanding is as a fair plaistering on the wall of a gallery.
Pales 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.
He that pricketh the eye will make tears to fall: and he that pricketh the heart maketh it to shew her knowledge.
Whoso casteth a stone at the birds frayeth them away: and he that upbraideth his friend breaketh friendship.
Though thou drewest a sword at thy friend, yet despair not: for there may be a returning
to favour.
If 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.
Be 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.
As the vapour and smoke of a furnace goeth before the fire; so reviling before blood.
I will not be ashamed to defend a friend; neither will I hide myself from him.
And if any evil happen unto me by him, every one that heareth it will beware of him.
Who 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?
Sefarim
Ben Sira23
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 23
O master, Father and Governor of all my whole life, leave me not to their counsels, and let me not fall by them.
Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over mine heart? that they spare me not for mine ignorances, and it pass not by my sins:
Lest mine ignorances increase, and my sins abound to my destruction, and I fall before mine adversaries, and mine enemy rejoice over me, whose hope is far from thy mercy.
O master, Father and Elohim of my life, give me not a proud look, but turn away from thy servants always a haughty mind.
Turn away from me vain hopes and concupiscence, and thou shalt hold him up that is desirous always to serve thee.
Let not the greediness of the belly nor lust of the flesh take hold of me; and give not over me thy servant into an impudent mind.
Hear, O ye children, the discipline of the mouth: he that keepeth it shall never be taken in his lips.
The sinner shall be left in his foolishness: both the evil speaker and the proud shall fall thereby.
Accustom not thy mouth to swearing; neither use thyself to the naming of the Holy One.
For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blue mark: so he that sweareth and nameth Elohim continually shall not be faultless.
A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity, and the plague shall never depart from his house: if he shall offend, his sin shall be upon him: and if he acknowledge not his sin, he maketh a double offence: and if he swear in vain, he shall not be innocent, but his house shall be full of calamities.
There is a word that is clothed about with death: Elohim grant that it be not found in the heritage of Ya'aqov; for all such things shall be far from the godly, and they shall not wallow in their sins.
Use not thy mouth to intemperate swearing, for therein is the word of sin.
Remember thy father and thy mother, when thou sittest among great men. Be not forgetful before them, and so thou by thy custom become a fool, and wish that thou hadst not been born, and curse they day of thy nativity.
The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words will never be reformed all the days of his life.
Two sorts of men multiply sin, and the third will bring wrath: a hot mind is as a burning fire, it will never be quenched till it be consumed: a fornicator in the body of his flesh will never cease till he hath kindled a fire.
All bread is sweet to a whoremonger, he will not leave off till he die.
A man that breaketh wedlock, saying thus in his heart, Who seeth me? I am compassed about with darkness, the walls cover me, and no body seeth me; what need I to fear? the most High will not remember my sins:
Such a man only feareth the eyes of men, and knoweth not that the eyes of the master are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, beholding all the ways of men, and considering the most secret parts.
He knew all things ere ever they were created; so also after they were perfected he looked upon them all.
This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and where he suspecteth not he shall be taken.
Thus shall it go also with the wife that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another.
For first, she hath disobeyed the torah of the most High; and secondly, she hath trespassed against her own husband; and thirdly, she hath played the whore in adultery, and brought children by another man.
She shall be brought out into the congregation, and inquisition shall be made of her children.
Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit.
She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her reproach shall not be blotted out.
And they that remain shall know that there is nothing better than the fear of the master, and that there is nothing sweeter than to take heed unto the mitsvot of the master.
It is great glory to follow the master, and to be received of him is long life.