Sirach 11

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Wisdom enables the poor to stand erect, and gives to the poor a place with the great.	1 The wisdom of one who is humble will exalt his head, and will cause him to sit down in the midst of great men.
2 Do not praise anyone for good looks, nor dislike anyone for mere appearance.	2 You should not praise a man for his beauty, and you should not despise a man for his appearances.
3 Smal among winged creatures is the bee but her produce is the sweetest of the sweet.	3 The bee is small among flying things, but its fruit holds the summit of sweetness.
4 Do not grow proud when people honour you; for the works of the Lord are wonderful but hidden fromhuman beings.	4 You should not glory in clothing at any time, and you should not let yourself be extolled in the day of your honor. For the works of the Most High alone are wondrous; and glorious and hidden and unseen are his works.
5 Many monarchs have been made to sit on the ground, and the person nobody thought of has worn thecrown.	5 Many tyrants have sat upon a throne, and one whom no one would admire has worn a diadem.
6 Many influential people have been utterly disgraced, and prominent people have fal en into the power ofothers.	6 Many powerful men have been powerfully cast down, and the illustrious have been handed over into the hands of others.
7 Do not find fault before making thorough enquiry; first reflect, then give a reprimand.	7 Before you inquire, you should not place blame on anyone; and when you have inquired, reprove justly.
8 Listen before you answer, and do not interrupt a speech before it is finished.	8 Before you listen, you should not respond a word; and you should not interrupt in the middle of a discourse.
9 Do not wrangle about something that does not concern you, do not interfere in the quarrels of sinners.	9 You should not contend in a matter which does not concern you, and you should not sit in judgment together with sinners.
10 My child, do not take on a great amount of business; if you multiply your interests, you are bound to suffer for it; hurry as fast as you can, yet you wil never arrive, nor wil you escape by running away.	10 Son, you should not be involved in many matters. And if you become rich, you will not be free from transgression. For if you pursue, you will not apprehend; and if you run ahead, you will not escape.
11 Some people work very hard at top speed, only to find themselves fal ing further behind.	11 There is an impious man who labors and hurries and grieves, but all the more will he be without abundance.
12 Or there is the slow kind of person, needing help, poor in possessions and rich in poverty; and theLord turns a favourable eye on him, lifts him out of his wretched condition,	12 There is a debilitated man in need of recovery, who is lacking in strength and abundant in poverty.
13 and enables him to hold his head high, thus causing general astonishment.	13 Yet the eye of God has looked with favor upon him for his benefit, and he has lifted him up from his humiliation, and he has exalted his head. And many have wondered at him, and they have honored God.
14 Good and bad, life and death, poverty and wealth, al come from the Lord.	14 Good things and misfortune, life and death, poverty and wealth, are from God.
15	15 Wisdom, and discipline, and knowledge of the law are with God. Love and the ways of good things are with him.
16	16 Error and darkness have been created by sinners. And those who exult in evil, grow old in evil.
17 To the devout the Lord's gift remains constant, and his favour will be there to lead them for ever.	17 The gift of God remains with the just man, and his advancement will have success unto eternity.
18 Others grow rich by pinching and scraping, and here is the reward they receive for it:	18 There is one who is enriched by spending sparingly, and this is the extent of his reward.
19 although they say, 'Now I can sit back and enjoy the benefit of what I have got,' they do not know howlong this wil last; they will have to leave their goods to others and die.	19 About this, he says: “I have found rest for myself, and now I alone will eat from my goods.”
20 Stick to your job, work hard at it and grow old at your work.	20 But he does not know how much time will pass before death approaches, and then he must leave everything behind to others and die.
21 Do not admire the achievements of sinners, trust the Lord and mind your own business; since it is atrifle in the eyes of the Lord, in a moment, suddenly to make the poor rich.	21 Stand fast in your covenant, and become familiar with it, and grow old in the work of your commandments.
22 The blessing of the Lord is the reward of the devout, in a moment God brings his blessing to flower.	22 You should not spend time in the works of sinners. Instead, trust in God and remain in your own place.
23 Do not say, 'What are my needs, how much shal I have in the future?'	23 For it is easy, in the eyes of God, to make a pauper suddenly rich.
24 And do not say, 'I am self-sufficient, what disaster can affect me now?'	24 The blessing of God hurries to reward the just man, and in a fleeting hour his advancement bears fruit.
25 In prosperous times, disasters are forgotten and in times of disaster, no one remembers prosperity.	25 You should not say: “What do I need?” or, “What good will there be for me in this?”
26 Yet it is a trifle for the Lord on the day someone dies to repay him as his conduct deserves.	26 You should not say: “I have enough for myself,” or, “What could be worse than this?”
27 A moment's adversity, and pleasures are forgotten; in a person's last hour his deeds wil standrevealed.	27 In a day of good things, you should not be forgetful of misfortunes. And in a day of misfortunes, you should not be forgetful of good things.
28 Cal no one fortunate before his death; it is by his end that someone wil be known.	28 For it is easy, in the sight of God, on the day of one’s passing, to repay each one according to his ways.
29 Do not bring everyone home with you, for many are the traps of the crafty.	29 The affliction of an hour causes one to forget great delights, and in the end of a man is the uncovering of his works.
30 Like a captive partridge in a cage, so is the heart of the proud: like a spy he watches for your downfal ,	30 You should not praise any man before death. For a man is known by his children.
31 ever on the look-out, turning good into bad and finding fault with what is praiseworthy.	31 You should not bring every man into your house. For many are the snares of the deceitful.
32 A hearthful of glowing coals starts from a single spark, and the sinner lurks for the chance to spilblood.	32 For as a stomach with a bad smell vomits, and as a partridge is led into a cage, and like a deer led into a snare, so also is the heart of the arrogant. And it is like a bystander watching his neighbor fall.
33 Beware of a scoundrel and his evil contrivances, in case he puts a smear on you for ever.	33 For it lies in ambush, and then turns good into evil, and it will place the blame on the elect.
34 Give a home to a stranger and he wil start trouble and estrange you from your own family.	34 From one spark, a great fire grows; and from one deceitful man, much blood flows. But a very sinful man lies in ambush for blood.
	35 Pay close attention to yourself before a harmful man, for he fabricates evils. Otherwise, he may lead over you a whispered reproach unceasingly.
	36 Receive a stranger to yourself, and he will overthrow you with a whirlwind, and he will alienate you from what is your very own.