Sirach 23

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	GREEK BIBLE
1 Lord, Father and Ruler of my life: may you not abandon me to their counsel, nor permit me to fall by them.	1 κυριε πατερ και δεσποτα ζωης μου μη εγκαταλιπης με εν βουλη αυτων μη αφης με πεσειν εν αυτοις
2 They would impose scourges over my thoughts and over the discipline of wisdom in my heart. And they would not spare me from their ignorances, nor would they allow their own offenses to become apparent.	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
3 And they intend that my ignorances would increase, and my offenses be multiplied, and my sins abound. And so I would fall in the sight of my adversaries, and be rejoiced over by my enemy.	3 οπως μη πληθυνθωσιν αι αγνοιαι μου και αι αμαρτιαι μου πλεονασωσιν και πεσουμαι εναντι των υπεναντιων και επιχαρειται μοι ο εχθρος μου
4 Lord, Father and God of my life: may you not abandon me to their plans.	4 κυριε πατερ και θεε ζωης μου μετεωρισμον οφθαλμων μη δως μοι
5 Do not leave me with the haughtiness of my eyes. And avert all desire from me.	5 και επιθυμιαν αποστρεψον απ' εμου
6 Take the desire of the body from me, and do not allow sexual desire to take hold of me, and do not permit an irreverent and senseless mind within me.	6 κοιλιας ορεξις και συνουσιασμος μη καταλαβετωσαν με και ψυχη αναιδει μη παραδως με
7 O sons: listen to the doctrine of my mouth. For those who observe it will not perish by the lips, nor be scandalized into wicked works.	7 παιδειαν στοματος ακουσατε τεκνα και ο φυλασσων ου μη αλω
8 A sinner is held by his own emptiness. And the arrogant and those who speak evil will be scandalized by these things.	8 εν τοις χειλεσιν αυτου καταληφθησεται αμαρτωλος και λοιδορος και υπερηφανος σκανδαλισθησονται εν αυτοις
9 Do not allow your mouth to become accustomed to swearing oaths. For in this, there are many pitfalls.	9 ορκω μη εθισης το στομα σου και ονομασια του αγιου μη συνεθισθης
10 Truly, do not allow the naming of God to be continually in your mouth, and do not treat as if common the names of the holy ones. For you will not escape punishment by them.	10 ωσπερ γαρ οικετης εξεταζομενος ενδελεχως απο μωλωπος ουκ ελαττωθησεται ουτως και ο ομνυων και ονομαζων δια παντος απο αμαρτιας ου μη καθαρισθη
11 Just as a servant, continually interrogated, will not be without a bruise, so everyone who swears oaths and takes God’s name will not be entirely free 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
12 A man who swears many oaths will be filled with iniquity, and scourges will not depart from his house.	12 εστιν λεξις αντιπαραβεβλημενη θανατω μη ευρεθητω εν κληρονομια ιακωβ απο γαρ ευσεβων ταυτα παντα αποστησεται και εν αμαρτιαις ουκ εγκυλισθησονται
13 And if he fails to fulfill it, his offense will be over him, and if he pretends he fulfilled it, he offends doubly.	13 απαιδευσιαν ασυρη μη συνεθισης το στομα σου εστιν γαρ εν αυτη λογος αμαρτιας
14 And if he swears an oath insincerely, he will not be justified. For his house will be filled with retribution for him.	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
15 There is yet another kind of talk which faces death; let it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob.	15 ανθρωπος συνεθιζομενος λογοις ονειδισμου εν πασαις ταις ημεραις αυτου ου μη παιδευθη
16 For all these things will be taken away from the merciful, and they shall not wallow in offenses.	16 δυο ειδη πληθυνουσιν αμαρτιας και το τριτον επαξει οργην
17 Do not allow your mouth to become accustomed to undisciplined speech. For in this, there is the sin of words.	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
18 When you sit in the midst of great men, remember your father and mother.	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
19 Otherwise, God may forget you, when you are in their sight, and then you would be repeatedly ridiculed and would suffer disgrace, and you might wish that you had never been born, and you might curse the day of your nativity.	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
20 The man who is accustomed to disgraceful words will not accept instruction, all the days of his life.	20 πριν η κτισθηναι τα παντα εγνωσται αυτω ουτως και μετα το συντελεσθηναι
21 Two kinds of persons abound in sins, and a third adds wrath and perdition.	21 ουτος εν πλατειαις πολεως εκδικηθησεται και ου ουχ υπενοησεν πιασθησεται
22 A desirous soul is like a burning fire, it will not be quenched, until it devours something.	22 ουτως και γυνη καταλιπουσα τον ανδρα και παριστωσα κληρονομον εξ αλλοτριου
23 And a man who is wicked in the desires of his flesh will not desist until he has kindled a fire.	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
24 To a man of fornication, all bread is sweet; he will not tire of transgression, to the very end.	24 αυτη εις εκκλησιαν εξαχθησεται και επι τα τεκνα αυτης επισκοπη εσται
25 Every man who transgresses his own bed has contempt for his own soul. And so he says: “Who can see me?	25 ου διαδωσουσιν τα τεκνα αυτης εις ριζαν και οι κλαδοι αυτης ουκ οισουσιν καρπον
26 Darkness surrounds me, and the walls enclose me, and no one catches sight of me. Whom should I fear? The Most High will not remember my offenses.”	26 καταλειψει εις καταραν το μνημοσυνον αυτης και το ονειδος αυτης ουκ εξαλειφθησεται
27 And he does not understand that God’s eye sees all things. For fear within a man such as this drives away from him both the fear of God and the eyes of those men who fear God.	27 και επιγνωσονται οι καταλειφθεντες οτι ουθεν κρειττον φοβου κυριου και ουθεν γλυκυτερον του προσεχειν εντολαις κυριου
28 And he does not acknowledge that the eyes of the Lord are much brighter than the sun, keeping watch over all the ways of men, even to the depths of the abyss, and gazing into the hearts of men, even to the most hidden parts.
29 For all things, before they were created, were known to the Lord God. And even after their completion, he beholds all things.
30 This man will be punished in the streets of the city, and he will be chased like a young horse. And in a place that he does not suspect, he will be captured.
31 And because he did not understand the fear of the Lord, he will be in disgrace before all men,
32 as will be every woman, too, who abandons her husband and establishes an inheritance by marriage to another man.
33 For first, she was unbelieving of the law of the Most High. Second, she offended against her husband. Third, she fornicated by adultery, and so established her children by another man.
34 This woman will be led into the assembly, and she will be stared at by her children.
35 Her children will not take root, and her branches will not produce fruit.
36 She will leave behind her memory as a curse, and her infamy will not be wiped away.
37 And those who are left behind will acknowledge that there is nothing better than the fear of God, and that there is nothing sweeter than to have respect for the commandments of the Lord.
38 It is a great glory to follow the Lord. For length of days will be received from him.