ΣΟΦΙΑ ΣΕΙΡΑΧ - Siracide - Sirach 23

GREEK BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 κυριε πατερ και δεσποτα ζωης μου μη εγκαταλιπης με εν βουλη αυτων μη αφης με πεσειν εν αυτοις	1 Lord, father and master of my life, do not abandon me to their whims, do not let me fal because ofthem.
2 τις επιστησει επι του διανοηματος μου μαστιγας και επι της καρδιας μου παιδειαν σοφιας ινα επι τοις αγνοημασιν μου μη φεισωνται και ου μη παρη τα αμαρτηματα αυτων	2 Who wil lay whips to my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom to my heart, to be merciless to myerrors and not let my sins go unchecked,
3 οπως μη πληθυνθωσιν αι αγνοιαι μου και αι αμαρτιαι μου πλεονασωσιν και πεσουμαι εναντι των υπεναντιων και επιχαρειται μοι ο εχθρος μου	3 for fear my errors should multiply and my sins then abound and I fal before my adversaries, and myenemy gloat over me?
4 κυριε πατερ και θεε ζωης μου μετεωρισμον οφθαλμων μη δως μοι	4 Lord, father and God of my life, do not let my eyes be proud,
5 και επιθυμιαν αποστρεψον απ' εμου	5 turn envy away from me,
6 κοιλιας ορεξις και συνουσιασμος μη καταλαβετωσαν με και ψυχη αναιδει μη παραδως με	6 do not let lechery and lust grip me, do not leave me a prey to shameless desire.
7 παιδειαν στοματος ακουσατε τεκνα και ο φυλασσων ου μη αλω	7 Children, listen to what I teach, no one who keeps it wil be caught out.
8 εν τοις χειλεσιν αυτου καταληφθησεται αμαρτωλος και λοιδορος και υπερηφανος σκανδαλισθησονται εν αυτοις	8 The sinner is ensnared by his own lips, both the abusive and the proud are tripped by them.
9 ορκω μη εθισης το στομα σου και ονομασια του αγιου μη συνεθισθης	9 Do not get into the habit of swearing, do not make a habit of naming the Holy One;
10 ωσπερ γαρ οικετης εξεταζομενος ενδελεχως απο μωλωπος ουκ ελαττωθησεται ουτως και ο ομνυων και ονομαζων δια παντος απο αμαρτιας ου μη καθαρισθη	10 for just as a slave who is constantly overseen wil never be without bruises, so someone who is alwaysswearing and uttering the Name wil not be exempt from sin.
11 ανηρ πολυορκος πλησθησεται ανομιας και ουκ αποστησεται απο του οικου αυτου μαστιξ εαν πλημμεληση αμαρτια αυτου επ' αυτω καν υπεριδη ημαρτεν δισσως και ει δια κενης ωμοσεν ου δικαιωθησεται πλησθησεται γαρ επαγωγων ο οικος αυτου	11 A man for ever swearing is full of iniquity, and the scourge wil not depart from his house. If he offends,his sin wil be on him, if he did it unheedingly, he has doubly sinned; if he swears a false oath, he wil not betreated as innocent, for his house wil be fil ed with calamities.
12 εστιν λεξις αντιπαραβεβλημενη θανατω μη ευρεθητω εν κληρονομια ιακωβ απο γαρ ευσεβων ταυτα παντα αποστησεται και εν αμαρτιαις ουκ εγκυλισθησονται	12 One way of talking is like death, let it not be found in the heritage of Jacob since devout people havenothing to do with that: they wil not wal ow in sin.
13 απαιδευσιαν ασυρη μη συνεθισης το στομα σου εστιν γαρ εν αυτη λογος αμαρτιας	13 Do not get into the habit of using coarse and foul language since this involves sinful words.
14 μνησθητι πατρος και μητρος σου ανα μεσον γαρ μεγιστανων συνεδρευεις μηποτε επιλαθη ενωπιον αυτων και τω εθισμω σου μωρανθης και θελησεις ει μη εγεννηθης και την ημεραν του τοκετου σου καταραση	14 Remember your father and mother when you are sitting with the great, for fear you forget yourself intheir presence and behave like a fool, and then wish you had not been born and curse the day of your birth.
15 ανθρωπος συνεθιζομενος λογοις ονειδισμου εν πασαις ταις ημεραις αυτου ου μη παιδευθη	15 No one in the habit of using shameful language wil break himself of it as long as he lives.
16 δυο ειδη πληθυνουσιν αμαρτιας και το τριτον επαξει οργην	16 There are two types of people who commit sin after sin and a third who attracts retribution-
17 ψυχη θερμη ως πυρ καιομενον ου μη σβεσθη εως αν καταποθη ανθρωπος πορνος εν σωματι σαρκος αυτου ου μη παυσηται εως αν εκκαυση πυρ ανθρωπω πορνω πας αρτος ηδυς ου μη κοπαση εως αν τελευτηση	17 desire, blazing like a furnace, wil not die down until it has been sated- the man who lusts aftermembers of his own family is not going to stop until he is quite burnt out; every food is sweet to the promiscuous,and he wil not desist until he dies;
18 ανθρωπος παραβαινων απο της κλινης αυτου λεγων εν τη ψυχη αυτου τις με ορα σκοτος κυκλω μου και οι τοιχοι με καλυπτουσιν και ουθεις με ορα τι ευλαβουμαι των αμαρτιων μου ου μη μνησθησεται ο υψιστος	18 and the man who sins against the marriage bed and says to himself, 'Who can see me? There isdarkness all round me, the wal s hide me, no one can see me, why should I worry? The Most High wil notremember my sins.'
19 και οφθαλμοι ανθρωπων ο φοβος αυτου και ουκ εγνω οτι οφθαλμοι κυριου μυριοπλασιως ηλιου φωτεινοτεροι επιβλεποντες πασας οδους ανθρωπων και κατανοουντες εις αποκρυφα μερη	19 What he fears are human eyes, he does not realise that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand timesbrighter than the sun, observing every aspect of human behaviour, seeing into the most secret corners.
20 πριν η κτισθηναι τα παντα εγνωσται αυτω ουτως και μετα το συντελεσθηναι	20 Al things were known to him before they were created, and are stil , now that they are finished.
21 ουτος εν πλατειαις πολεως εκδικηθησεται και ου ουχ υπενοησεν πιασθησεται	21 This man will be punished in view of the whole town, and wil be seized when he least expects it.
22 ουτως και γυνη καταλιπουσα τον ανδρα και παριστωσα κληρονομον εξ αλλοτριου	22 Similarly the woman unfaithful to her husband, who provides him with an heir by another man:
23 πρωτον μεν γαρ εν νομω υψιστου ηπειθησεν και δευτερον εις ανδρα αυτης επλημμελησεν και το τριτον εν πορνεια εμοιχευθη και εξ αλλοτριου ανδρος τεκνα παρεστησεν	23 first, she has disobeyed the Law of the Most High; secondly, she has been false to her husband; andthirdly, she has gone whoring in adultery
24 αυτη εις εκκλησιαν εξαχθησεται και επι τα τεκνα αυτης επισκοπη εσται	24 and conceived children by another man. She will be led before the assembly, an enquiry will be heldabout her children.
25 ου διαδωσουσιν τα τεκνα αυτης εις ριζαν και οι κλαδοι αυτης ουκ οισουσιν καρπον	25 Her children wil strike no root, her branches wil bear no fruit.
26 καταλειψει εις καταραν το μνημοσυνον αυτης και το ονειδος αυτης ουκ εξαλειφθησεται	26 She wil leave an accursed memory behind her, her shame wil never be wiped out.
27 και επιγνωσονται οι καταλειφθεντες οτι ουθεν κρειττον φοβου κυριου και ουθεν γλυκυτερον του προσεχειν εντολαις κυριου	27 And those who survive her wil recognise that nothing is better than fearing the Lord, and nothingsweeter than adherence to the Lord's commandments.