Sirach 7

DOUAI-RHEIMS	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Do no evils, and no evils shall lay hold of thee.	1 Do not choose to do evil, and evil will not take hold of you.
2 Depart from the unjust, and evils shall depart from thee.	2 Withdraw from the iniquitous, and evil will withdraw from you.
3 My son, sow not evils in the furrows of injustice, and thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.	3 Son, do not sow evil in the furrows of injustice, and you will not reap them sevenfold.
4 Seek not of the Lord a pre-eminence, nor of the king the seat of honour.	4 Do not seek a role of leadership from the Lord, and do not seek a seat of honor from the king.
5 Justify not thyself before God, for he knoweth the heart: and desire not to appear wise before the king.	5 You should not justify yourself before God, for he is the Knower of hearts. And by no means should you wish to seem wise before the king.
6 Seek not to be made a judge, unless thou have strength enough to extirpate iniquities: lest thou fear the person of the powerful, and lay a stumblingblock for thy integrity.	6 Do not seek to become a judge, unless you have sufficient strength to shatter iniquities. Otherwise, you might fear the face of the powerful, and so establish a scandal within your integrity.
7 Offend not against the multitude of a city, neither cast thyself in upon the people,	7 You should not sin against the multitude of a city, nor should you cast yourself against the people.
8 Nor bind sin to sin: for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished.	8 And you should not bind two sins together. For even in one sin, you will not go unpunished.
9 Be not fainthearted in thy mind:	9 Do not be cowardly in your soul.
10 Neglect not to pray, and to give alms.	10 You should not be unwilling to beg, nor to give alms.
11 Say not: God will have respect to the multitude of my gifts, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept my offerings.	11 You should not say: “God will look with favor on the multitude of my gifts, and when I make an offering to the most high God, he will accept my gift.”
12 Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is one that humbleth and exalteth, God who seeth	12 You should not ridicule a man in bitterness of soul. For there is One who humbles and who exalts: the all-seeing God.
13 Devise not a lie against thy brother: neither do the like against thy friend.	13 Do not love a lie against your brother, nor should you act the same toward your friend.
14 Be not willing to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good.	14 Do not be willing to devise a lie of any kind. For the practice of lying is not good.
15 Be not full of words in a multitude of ancients, and repeat not the word in thy prayer.	15 Do not choose to be verbose among a multitude of elders, and you should not repeat the words of your prayers.
16 Hate not laborious works, nor husbandry ordained by the most High.	16 You should not hate laborious works, nor the rustic life created by the Most High.
17 Number not thyself among the multitude of the disorderly.	17 You should not consider yourself to be among the multitude of the undisciplined.
18 Remember wrath, for it will not tarry long.	18 Remember wrath. For it will not be delayed.
19 Humble thy spirit very much: for the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms.	19 Humble your spirit greatly. For the retribution against the flesh of the impious is with fire and worms.
20 Do not transgress against thy friend deferring money, nor despise thy dear brother for the sake of gold.	20 Do not betray your friend for the sake of money, and you should not spurn your dearest brother for the sake of gold.
21 Depart not from a wise and good wife, whom thou best gotten in the fear of the Lord: for the grace of her modesty is above gold.	21 Do not choose to depart from a good and understanding wife, whom you have been allotted in the fear of the Lord. For the grace of her modesty is above gold.
22 Hurt not the servant that worketh faithfully, nor the hired man that giveth thee his life.	22 You should not harm the servant whose works are honest, nor the hired hand who entrusts his life to you.
23 Let a wise servant be dear to thee as thy own soul, defraud him not of liberty, nor leave him needy.	23 Let an understanding servant be loved by you like your own soul. You should not cheat him out of freedom, nor abandon him to destitution.
24 Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.	24 Are cattle yours? Tend to them. And if they are useful, let them remain with you.
25 Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their childhood.	25 Are sons yours? Instruct them, and bow them down from their childhood.
26 Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thy countenance gay towards them.	26 Are daughters yours? Watch over their bodies. And you should not display a light-hearted attitude toward them.
27 Marry thy daughter well, and then shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.	27 Give your daughter in marriage, and give her to an understanding man, and you will be doing a great work.
28 If thou hast a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful, trust not thyself. With thy whole heart,	28 If a wife in accord with your soul is yours, you should not reject her. But do not entrust yourself to her who is hateful.
29 Honour thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:	29 With your whole heart, honor your father. And you should not forget the complaints of your mother.
30 Remember that thou hadst not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.	30 Remember that you would not have been born except through them. And so, give back to them as they also have done for you.
31 With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.	31 With all your soul, fear the Lord, and consider his priests to be holy.
32 With all thy strength love him that made thee: and forsake not his ministers.	32 With all your strength, love him who made you, and you should not abandon his ministers.
33 Honour God with all thy soul, and give honour to the priests, and purify thyself with thy arms.	33 Honor God from your whole soul, and confer honor on the priests, and continue to purify yourself with your strength.
34 Give them their portion, as it is commanded thee, of the firstfruits and of purifications: and for thy negligences purify thyself with a few.	34 Give them their portion, just as it has been commanded of you, from the first-fruits and from the purifications. And for your ignorant offenses, purify yourself with a smaller offering.
35 Offer to the Lord the gift of thy shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things:	35 You should offer to the Lord the gift of your strength, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first-fruits of what is holy.
36 dummy verses inserted by amos	36 And reach out your hand to the poor, so that your atonement and your blessing may be perfected.
37 A gift hath grace in the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from the dead.	37 A gift has grace in the sight of all the living, but you should not prohibit grace for the dead.
38 And stretch out thy hand to the poor, that thy expiation and thy blessing may be perfected.	38 You should not fail to console those who are weeping, nor to walk with those who are mourning.
	39 Do not let yourself be slow to visit the sick. For in this way, you will be confirmed in love.
40 Be not wanting in comforting them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.	40 In all your works, remember your very end, and so you will not sin, unto eternity.
41 Be not slow to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.