Sirach 23

KING JAMES BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 O Lord, Father and Governor of all my whole life, leave me not to their counsels, and let me not fall by them.	1 O Lord, Father and Ruler of my life, do not abandon me to their counsel, and let me not fall because of them!
2 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:	2 O that whips were set over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over my mind! That they may not spare me in my errors, and that it may not pass by my sins;
3 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.	3 in order that my mistakes may not be multiplied, and my sins may not abound; then I will not fall before my adversaries, and my enemy will not rejoice over me.
4 O Lord, Father and God of my life, give me not a proud look, but turn away from thy servants always a haughty mind.	4 O Lord, Father and God of my life, do not give me haughty eyes,
5 Turn away from me vain hopes and concupiscence, and thou shalt hold him up that is desirous always to serve thee.	5 and remove from me evil desire.
6 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.	6 Let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me, and do not surrender me to a shameless soul.
7 Hear, O ye children, the discipline of the mouth: he that keepeth it shall never be taken in his lips.	7 Listen, my children, to instruction concerning speech; the one who observes it will never be caught.
8 The sinner shall be left in his foolishness: both the evil speaker and the proud shall fall thereby.	8 The sinner is overtaken through his lips, the reviler and the arrogant are tripped by them.
9 Accustom not thy mouth to swearing; neither use thyself to the naming of the Holy One.	9 Do not accustom your mouth to oaths, and do not habitually utter the name of the Holy One;
10 For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blue mark: so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultless.	10 for as a servant who is continually examined under torture will not lack bruises, so also the man who always swears and utters the Name will not be cleansed from sin.
11 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.	11 A man who swears many oaths will be filled with iniquity, and the scourge will not leave his house; if he offends, his sin remains on him, and if he disregards it, he sins doubly; if he has sworn needlessly, he will not be justified, for his house will be filled with calamities.
12 There is a word that is clothed about with death: God grant that it be not found in the heritage of Jacob; for all such things shall be far from the godly, and they shall not wallow in their sins.	12 There is an utterance which is comparable to death; may it never be found in the inheritance of Jacob! For all these errors will be far from the godly, and they will not wallow in sins.
13 Use not thy mouth to intemperate swearing, for therein is the word of sin.	13 Do not accustom your mouth to lewd vulgarity, for it involves sinful speech.
14 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.	14 Remember your father and mother when you sit among great men; lest you be forgetful in their presence, and be deemed a fool on account of your habits; then you will wish that you had never been born, and you will curse the day of your birth.
15 The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words will never be reformed all the days of his life.	15 A man accustomed to use insulting words will never become disciplined all his days.
16 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.	16 Two sorts of men multiply sins, and a third incurs wrath. The soul heated like a burning fire will not be quenched until it is consumed; a man who commits fornication with his near of kin will never cease until the fire burns him up.
17 All bread is sweet to a whoremonger, he will not leave off till he die.	17 To a fornicator all bread tastes sweet; he will never cease until he dies.
18 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:	18 A man who breaks his marriage vows says to himself, "Who sees me? Darkness surrounds me, and the walls hide me, and no one sees me. Why should I fear? The Most High will not take notice of my sins."
19 Such a man only feareth the eyes of men, and knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, beholding all the ways of men, and considering the most secret parts.	19 His fear is confined to the eyes of men, and he does not realize that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun; they look upon all the ways of men, and perceive even the hidden places.
20 He knew all things ere ever they were created; so also after they were perfected he looked upon them all.	20 Before the universe was created, it was known to him; so it was also after it was finished.
21 This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and where he suspecteth not he shall be taken.	21 This man will be punished in the streets of the city, and where he least suspects it, he will be seized.
22 Thus shall it go also with the wife that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another.	22 So it is with a woman who leaves her husband and provides an heir by a stranger.
23 For first, she hath disobeyed the law 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.	23 For first of all, she has disobeyed the law of the Most High; second, she has committed an offense against her husband; and third, she has committed adultery through harlotry and brought forth children by another man.
24 She shall be brought out into the congregation, and inquisition shall be made of her children.	24 She herself will be brought before the assembly, and punishment will fall on her children.
25 Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit.	25 Her children will not take root, and her branches will not bear fruit.
26 She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her reproach shall not be blotted out.	26 She will leave her memory for a curse, and her disgrace will not be blotted out.
27 And they that remain shall know that there is nothing better than the fear of the Lord, and that there is nothing sweeter than to take heed unto the commandments of the Lord.	27 Those who survive her will recognize that nothing is better than the fear of the Lord, and nothing sweeter than to heed the commandments of the Lord.
28 It is great glory to follow the Lord, and to be received of him is long life.