Sirach 19

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	BIBBIA CEI 1974
1 An inebriated worker will not be wealthy. And whoever despises littleness will fall a little at a time.	1 Un operaio ubriacone non arricchirà; chi disprezza il poco cadrà presto.
2 Wine and women cause wise men to fall away, and then they will complain against those who understand.	2 Vino e donne traviano anche i saggi, ancor più temerario è chi frequenta prostitute.
3 And whoever joins himself to fornicators will become wicked. Decay and worms will inherit him, and he will be denounced as the greater example, and his soul will be deducted from the number.	3 Tarli e vermi lo erediteranno, il temerario sarà eliminato.
4 Whoever is quick to believe has a trivial heart and will be diminished. And whoever offends against his own soul will have even less.	4 Chi si fida con troppa facilità è di animo leggero, chi pecca danneggia se stesso.
5 Whoever rejoices in iniquity will be condemned. And whoever hates correction will have less in life. But whoever hates excessive talk extinguishes evil.	5 Chi si compiace del male sarà condannato;
6 Whoever sins against his own soul will be punished. And whoever rejoices in malice will be condemned.	6 chi odia la loquacità sfugge al male.
7 You should not repeat a wicked and harsh word, and then you will not be diminished.	7 Non riferire mai una diceria e non ne avrai alcun danno;
8 Do not reveal your mind to friend or foe. And if there is a sin within you, do not disclose it.	8 non parlarne né all'amico né al nemico, e se puoi farlo senza colpa, non svelar nulla.
9 For he will listen to you and watch you, and while pretending to defend your sin, he will despise you, and so he will be whenever he is with you.	9 Altrimenti chi ti ascolta diffiderà di te e all'occasione ti avrà in odio.
10 Have you heard a word against your neighbor? Let it die within you, trusting that it will not burst forth from you.	10 Hai udito una parola? Muoia con te! Sta' sicuro, non ti farà scoppiare.
11 Before the face of a word, a foolish man labors, like a woman groaning as she gives birth to a child.	11 Per una parola lo stolto ha i dolori, come la partoriente per un bambino.
12 Like an arrow fixed in the flesh of the thigh, so is a word in the heart of a foolish man.	12 Una freccia confitta nella carne della coscia: tale una parola in seno allo stolto.
13 Correct a friend, though perhaps there was a misunderstanding, and he may say, “I did not do it.” Or, if he did do it, correct him, so that he may not do it again.	13 Interroga l'amico: forse non ha fatto nulla, e se qualcosa ha fatto, perché non continui più.
14 Correct your neighbor, for perhaps he did not say it. But if he did say it, correct him, so that he may not say it again.	14 Interroga il prossimo: forse non ha detto nulla, e se qualcosa ha detto, perché non lo ripeta.
15 Correct your friend. For often a fault has been committed.	15 Interroga l'amico, perché spesso si tratta di calunnia; non credere a ogni parola.
16 And do not believe every word. There is one who slips with his word, but not with his heart.	16 C'è chi sdrucciola, ma non di proposito; e chi non ha peccato con la sua lingua?
17 For who is there who has not offended with his words? Correct your neighbor before you reprimand him.	17 Interroga il tuo prossimo, prima di minacciarlo; fa' intervenire la legge dell'Altissimo.
18 And make a place for the fear of the Most High. For all wisdom is fear of God, and it is wise to fear God, and in all wisdom is the orderly disposition of the law.	18 Tutta la sapienza è timore di Dio e in ogni sapienza è la pratica della legge.
19 But the discipline of wickedness is not wisdom. And there is no prudence in the thoughts of sinners.	19 Non c'è sapienza nella conoscenza del male; non è mai prudenza il consiglio dei peccatori.
20 There is a wickedness, and in it there is abomination. And there is a foolish man who has been diminished in wisdom.	20 V'è un'abilità che è abominevole, c'è uno stolto cui manca solo la saggezza.
21 Better is a man who has been diminished in wisdom because his mind is failing, but with the fear of God, than he who abounds in intelligence, but with transgression against the law of the Most High.	21 Meglio uno di scarsa intelligenza ma timorato, che uno molto intelligente ma trasgressore della legge.
22 There is a certain cleverness, and it is unjust.	22 Esiste un'abilità scaltra, ma ingiusta; c'è chi intriga per prevalere in giudizio.
23 And there is one who utters a careful word, explaining away the truth. There is one who humbles himself wickedly, for his interior is filled with deceit.	23 C'è il malvagio curvo nella sua tristezza, ma il suo intimo è pieno di inganno;
24 And there is one who lowers himself excessively with a great debasement. And there is one who inclines his face downward, and pretends as if he did not see what has not been made known.	24 abbassa il volto e finge di essere sordo, ma, quando non è osservato, avrà il sopravvento.
25 And if he is prevented from sinning by a lack of ability, and then finds an opportunity for evildoing, he will do evil.	25 E se per mancanza di forza gli è impedito di peccare, all'occasione propizia farà del male.
26 A man is recognized by his appearances. But when you meet an understanding man, he is recognized by his face.	26 Dall'aspetto si conosce l'uomo; dal volto si conosce l'uomo di senno.
27 The clothing of the body, and the laughter of the teeth, and the walk of a man, give a report about him.	27 Il vestito di un uomo, la bocca sorridente e la sua andatura rivelano quello che è.
28 There is a lying correction in the anger of a contemptuous man. And there is a judgment which does not prove to be good. But there is one who is silent, and the same is prudent.