Sirach 21

¹ My child, have you sinned? Do so no more, and ask forgiveness for your previous faults.

² Flee from sin as from a snake, if you approach it, it wil bite you; its teeth are lion's teeth, they takehuman life away.

³ Al law-breaking is like a two-edged sword, the wounds it inflicts are beyond cure.

⁴ Terror and violence make havoc of riches, similarly, desolation overtakes the houses of the proud.

⁵ A plea from the mouth of the poor goes straight to the ear of God, whose judgement comes withoutdelay.

⁶ Whoever resents reproof walks in the sinner's footsteps; whoever fears the Lord is repentant of heart.

⁷ The glib speaker is known far and wide, but the wary detects every slip.

⁸ To build your house with other people's money is like collecting stones for your own tomb.

⁹ A meeting of the lawless is like a heap of tow: they wil end in a blazing fire.

¹⁰ The sinner's road is smoothly paved, but it ends at the pit of Sheol.

¹¹ Whoever keeps the Law wil master his instincts; the fear of the Lord is made perfect in wisdom.

¹² No one who lacks aptitude can be taught, but certain aptitudes give rise to bitterness.

¹³ The sage's knowledge is as rich as the abyss and his advice is like a living spring.

¹⁴ The heart of a fool is like a broken jar, it will not hold any knowledge.

¹⁵ If the educated hears a wise saying, he praises it and caps it with another; if a debauchee hears it, hedoes not like it and tosses it behind his back.

¹⁶ The talk of a fool is like a load on a journey, but it is a pleasure to listen to the intelligent.

¹⁷ The utterance of the shrewd wil be eagerly awaited in the assembly, what he says wil be givenserious consideration.

¹⁸ The wisdom of a fool is like the wreckage of a house, the knowledge of a dolt is incoherent talk.

¹⁹ To the senseless fel ow instruction is like fetters on the feet, like manacles on the right hand.

²⁰ A fool laughs at the top of his voice, but the intel igent quietly smiles.

²¹ To the shrewd instruction is like a golden ornament, like a bracelet on the right arm.

²² The step of a fool goes straight into a house, but a person of much experience makes a respectfulapproach;

²³ the stupid peeps inside through the door, a well-bred person waits outside.

²⁴ Listening at doors is a sign of bad upbringing, the perceptive would be ashamed to do so.

²⁵ The lips of gossips repeat the words of others, the words of the wise are careful y weighed.

²⁶ The heart of fools is in their mouth, but the mouth of the wise is in their heart.

²⁷ When the godless curses Satan, he is cursing himself.

²⁸ The scandal-monger sul ies himself and earns the hatred of the neighbourhood.