Sirach 34

¹ A man of no understanding has vain and false hopes, and dreams give wings to fools.

² As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind, so is he who gives heed to dreams.

³ The vision of dreams is this against that, the likeness of a face confronting a face.

⁴ From an unclean thing what will be made clean? And from something false what will be true?

⁵ Divinations and omens and dreams are folly, and like a woman in travail the mind has fancies.

⁶ Unless they are sent from the Most High as a visitation, do not give your mind to them.

⁷ For dreams have deceived many, and those who put their hope in them have failed.

⁸ Without such deceptions the law will be fulfilled, and wisdom is made perfect in truthful lips.

⁹ An educated man knows many things, and one with much experience will speak with understanding.

¹⁰ He that is inexperienced knows few things, but he that has traveled acquires much cleverness.

¹¹ I have seen many things in my travels, and I understand more than I can express.

¹² I have often been in danger of death, but have escaped because of these experiences.

¹³ The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live, for their hope is in him who saves them.

¹⁴ He who fears the Lord will not be timid, nor play the coward, for he is his hope.

¹⁵ Blessed is the soul of the man who fears the Lord! To whom does he look? And who is his support?

¹⁶ The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love him, a mighty protection and strong support, a shelter from the hot wind and a shade from noonday sun, a guard against stumbling and a defense against falling.

¹⁷ He lifts up the soul and gives light to the eyes; he grants healing, life, and blessing.

¹⁸ If one sacrifices from what has been wrongfully obtained, the offering is blemished; the gifts of the lawless are not acceptable.

¹⁹ The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly; and he is not propitiated for sins by a multitude of sacrifices.

²⁰ Like one who kills a son before his father's eyes is the man who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor.

²¹ The bread of the needy is the life of the poor; whoever deprives them of it is a man of blood.

²² To take away a neighbor's living is to murder him; to deprive an employee of his wages is to shed blood.

²³ When one builds and another tears down, what do they gain but toil?

²⁴ When one prays and another curses, to whose voice will the Lord listen?

²⁵ If a man washes after touching a dead body, and touches it again, what has he gained by his washing?

²⁶ So if a man fasts for his sins, and goes again and does the same things, who will listen to his prayer? And what has he gained by humbling himself?