Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 7
7
1DO no evils, and no evils shall lay hold of thee.
2Depart from the unjust, and evils shall depart from thee.
3My son, sow not evils in the furrows of injustice, and thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.
4Seek not of the Lord a pre-eminence, nor of the king the seat of honour.
5Justify not thyself before God, for he knoweth the heart: and desire not to appear wise before the king.
6Seek not to be made a judge, unless thou have strength enough to extirpate iniquities: lest thou fear the person of the powerful, and lay a stumblingblock for thy integrity.
7Offend not against the multitude of a city, neither cast thyself in upon the people,
8Nor bind sin to sin: for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished.
9Be not fainthearted in thy mind:
10Neglect not to pray, and to give alms.
11Say not: God will have respect to the multitude of my gifts, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept my offerings.
12Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is one that humbleth and exalteth, God who seeth
13Devise not a lie against thy brother: neither do the like against thy friend.
14Be not willing to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good.
15Be not full of words in a multitude of ancients, and repeat not the word in thy prayer.
16Hate not laborious works, nor husbandry ordained by the most High.
17Number not thyself among the multitude of the disorderly.
18Remember wrath, for it will not tarry long.
19Humble thy spirit very much: for the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms.
20Do not transgress against thy friend deferring money, nor despise thy dear brother for the sake of gold.
21Depart not from a wise and good wife, whom thou best gotten in the fear of the Lord: for the grace of her modesty is above gold.
22Hurt not the servant that worketh faithfully, nor the hired man that giveth thee his life.
23Let a wise servant be dear to thee as thy own soul, defraud him not of liberty, nor leave him needy.
24Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.
25Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their childhood.
26Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thy countenance gay towards them.
27Marry thy daughter well, and then shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.
28If thou hast a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful, trust not thyself. With thy whole heart,
29Honour thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:
30Remember that thou hadst not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.
31With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.
32With all thy strength love him that made thee: and forsake not his ministers.
33Honour God with all thy soul, and give honour to the priests, and purify thyself with thy arms.
34Give them their portion, as it is commanded thee, of the firstfruits and of purifications: and for thy negligences purify thyself with a few.
35Offer to the Lord the gift of thy shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things:
36And stretch out thy hand to the poor, that thy expiation and thy blessing may be perfected.
37A gift hath grace in the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from the dead.
38Be not wanting in comforting them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.
39Be not slow to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.
40In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.
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Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 7: DRC1752
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An historical text. In 1955 the Douay-Rheims Challoner Bible received the Imprimatur ✠ of the English Catholic Church from the Archbishop of Westminster.