Sirach 27

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Through poverty many have sinned: and he that seeketh to be enriched, turneth away his eye.	1 Many have sinned for the sake of profit, one who hopes to be rich must turn a blind eye.
2 As a stake sticketh fast in the midst of the joining of stones, so also in the midst of selling and buying, sin shall stick fast.	2 A peg wil stick in the joint between two stones, and sin wil wedge itself between sel ing and buying.
3 Sin shall be destroyed with the sinner.	3 Whoever does not firmly hold to the fear of the Lord, his house wil soon be overthrown.
4 Unless thou hold thyself diligently in the fear of the Lord, thy house shall quickly be overthrown.	4 In a shaken sieve the rubbish is left behind, so too the defects of a person appear in speech.
5 As when one sifteth with a sieve, the dust will remain: so will the perplexity of a man in his thoughts.	5 The kiln tests the work of the potter, the test of a person is in conversation.
6 The furnace trieth the potter's vessels, and the trial of affliction just men.	6 The orchard where the tree grows is judged by its fruit, similarly words betray what a person feels.
7 Be the dressing of a tree sheweth the fruit thereof, so a word out of the thought of the heart of man.	7 Do not praise anyone who has not yet spoken, since this is where people are tested.
8 Praise not a man before he speaketh, for this is the trial of men.	8 If you pursue virtue, you will attain it and put it on like a festal gown.
9 If thou followest justice, thou shalt obtain her: and shalt put her on as a long robe of honour, and thou shalt dwell with her: and she shall protect thee for ever, and in the day of acknowledgment thou shalt find a strong foundation.	9 Birds consort with their kind, truth comes home to those who practise it.
10 Birds resort unto their like: so truth will return to them that practise her.	10 The lion lies in wait for its prey, so does sin for those who do wrong.
11 The lion always lieth in wait for prey: so do sine for them that work iniquities.	11 The conversation of the devout is wisdom at all times, but the fool is as changeable as the moon.
12 A holy man continueth in wisdom as the sun: but a fool is changed as the moon.	12 When visiting stupid people, choose the right moment, but among the thoughtful take your time.
13 In the midst of the unwise keep in the word till its time: but be continually among men that think.	13 The conversation of fools is disgusting, raucous their laughter in their sinful pleasures.
14 The discourse of sinners is hateful, and their laughter is at the pleasures of sin.	14 The talk of hard-swearing people makes your hair stand on end, their brawling makes you stop yourears.
15 The speech that sweareth much shall make the hair of the head stand upright: and its irreverence shall make one stop his ears.	15 A quarrel between the proud leads to bloodshed, and their insults are embarrassing to hear.
16 Is the quarrels of the proud is the shedding of blood: and their cursing is a grievous hearing.	16 A betrayer of secrets forfeits al trust and wil never find the kind of friend he wants.
17 He that discloseth the secret of a friend loseth his credit, and shall never find a friend to his mind.	17 Be fond of a friend and keep faith with him, but if you have betrayed his secrets, do not go after himany more;
18 Love thy neighbour, and be joined to him with fidelity.	18 for, as one destroys a person by kil ing him, so you have kil ed your neighbour's friendship,
19 But if thou discover his secrets, follow no more after him.	19 and as you let a bird slip through your fingers, so you have let your friend go, and wil not catch him.
20 For as a man that destroyeth his friend, so also is he that destroyeth the friendship of his neighbour.	20 Do not go after him -- he is far away, he has fled like a gazel e from the snare.
21 And as one that letteth a bird go out of his hand, so hast thou let thy neighbour go, and thou shalt not get him again.	21 For a wound can be bandaged and abuse forgiven, but for the betrayer of a secret there is no hope.
22 Follow after him no more, for he is gone afar off, he is fled, as a roe escaped out of the snare: because his soul is wounded.	22 Someone with a sly wink is plotting mischief, no one can dissuade him from it.
23 Thou canst no more bind him up. And of a curse there is reconciliation:	23 Honey-tongued to your face, he is lost in admiration at your words; but behind your back he has otherthings to say, and turns your words into a stumbling-block.
24 But to disclose the secrets of a friend, leaveth no hope to an unhappy soul.	24 I have found many things to hate, but nothing as much as him, and the Lord hates him too.
25 He that winketh with the eye forgeth wicked things, and no man will cast him off:	25 Whoever throws a stone in the air, throws it on to his own head; a treacherous blow cuts both ways.
26 In the sight of thy eyes he will sweeten his mouth, and will admire thy words: but at the last he will writhe his mouth, and on thy words he will lay a stumblingblock.	26 The man who digs a pit falls into it, whoever sets a snare wil be caught by it.
27 I have hated many things, but not like him, and the Lord will hate him.	27 On anyone who does evil, evil wil recoil, without his knowing where it comes from.
28 If one cast a stone on high, it will fall upon his own head: and the deceitful stroke will wound the deceitful.	28 Sarcasm and abuse are the mark of the arrogant, but vengeance lies in wait like a lion for such a one.
29 He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that setteth a stone for his neighbour, shall stumble upon it: and he that layeth a snare for another, shall perish in it.	29 The trap will close on all who rejoice in the downfal of the devout, and pain wil eat them up beforethey die.
30 A mischievous counsel shall be rolled back upon the author, and he shall not know from whence it cometh to him.	30 Resentment and anger, these are foul things too, and a sinner is a master at them both.
31 Mockery and reproach are of the proud, and vengeance as a lion shall lie in wait for him.
32 They shall perish in a snare that are delighted with the fall of the just: and sorrow shall consume them before they die.
33 Anger and fury are both of them abominable, and the sinful man shall be subject to them.