Sirach 27

DOUAI-RHEIMS	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Through poverty many have sinned: and he that seeketh to be enriched, turneth away his eye.	1 Because of need, many have sinned. And whoever seeks to be enriched, averts his eye.
2 As a stake sticketh fast in the midst of the joining of stones, so also in the midst of selling and buying, sin shall stick fast.	2 Like a post fixed in the middle of adjoining stones, so also will sin become wedged between selling and buying.
3 Sin shall be destroyed with the sinner.	3 Sin will be crushed with the one who sins.
4 Unless thou hold thyself diligently in the fear of the Lord, thy house shall quickly be overthrown.	4 If you do not hold yourself steadfastly to the fear of the Lord, your house will be quickly overthrown.
5 As when one sifteth with a sieve, the dust will remain: so will the perplexity of a man in his thoughts.	5 Just as the dust remains when one shakes a sieve, so will the doubt of a man remain in his thoughts.
6 The furnace trieth the potter's vessels, and the trial of affliction just men.	6 The furnace tests the potter’s vessels, and the trial of the tribulation tests just men.
7 Be the dressing of a tree sheweth the fruit thereof, so a word out of the thought of the heart of man.	7 As the pruning of a tree reveals its fruit, so does a word reveal the thoughts in the heart of a man.
8 Praise not a man before he speaketh, for this is the trial of men.	8 You should not praise a man before he speaks; for such is the testing of men.
9 If thou followest justice, thou shalt obtain her: and shalt put her on as a long robe of honour, and thou shalt dwell with her: and she shall protect thee for ever, and in the day of acknowledgment thou shalt find a strong foundation.	9 If you pursue justice, you will obtain it. And you will be clothed with justice, as with a long robe of honor. And you will live with justice. And justice will protect you continually. And on the day of reckoning, you will find a strong foundation.
10 Birds resort unto their like: so truth will return to them that practise her.	10 Birds flock to their own kind. And truth will return to those who practice it.
11 The lion always lieth in wait for prey: so do sine for them that work iniquities.	11 The lion lies in wait for its prey continually. So also do sins lie in wait for those who work iniquity.
12 A holy man continueth in wisdom as the sun: but a fool is changed as the moon.	12 A holy man persists in wisdom like the sun. But a senseless man changes like the moon.
13 In the midst of the unwise keep in the word till its time: but be continually among men that think.	13 In the midst of the senseless, retain a word for the proper time. But be continually in the midst those who are thoughtful.
14 The discourse of sinners is hateful, and their laughter is at the pleasures of sin.	14 The discussions of sinners are hateful, and their laughter is a delight in sin.
15 The speech that sweareth much shall make the hair of the head stand upright: and its irreverence shall make one stop his ears.	15 The speech that swears many oaths will cause the hair of the head to stand upright; and its irreverence will cause the ears to be blocked.
16 Is the quarrels of the proud is the shedding of blood: and their cursing is a grievous hearing.	16 The shedding of blood is in the quarrels of the arrogant; and their evil talk is grievous to hear.
17 He that discloseth the secret of a friend loseth his credit, and shall never find a friend to his mind.	17 Whoever discloses the secret of a friend breaks faith; and he will not find a friend for his soul.
18 Love thy neighbour, and be joined to him with fidelity.	18 Love your neighbor, and be united with him faithfully.
19 But if thou discover his secrets, follow no more after him.	19 But if you disclose his secrets, you should not continue to follow after him.
20 For as a man that destroyeth his friend, so also is he that destroyeth the friendship of his neighbour.	20 For like a man who destroys his friend, so also is he who destroys the friendship of his neighbor.
21 And as one that letteth a bird go out of his hand, so hast thou let thy neighbour go, and thou shalt not get him again.	21 And like someone releasing a bird from his hand, so have you abandoned your neighbor, and you will not obtain him again.
22 Follow after him no more, for he is gone afar off, he is fled, as a roe escaped out of the snare: because his soul is wounded.	22 You should no longer seek him, for he is now far away; he has fled like a roe-deer from a snare. For his soul has been wounded.
23 Thou canst no more bind him up. And of a curse there is reconciliation:	23 You will no longer be able to bind his wound. For there may be a reconciliation from cursing.
24 But to disclose the secrets of a friend, leaveth no hope to an unhappy soul.	24 But to disclose the secrets of a friend is the hopeless act of an unhappy soul.
25 He that winketh with the eye forgeth wicked things, and no man will cast him off:	25 One who winks with the eye fabricates iniquity, and no one will cast him aside.
26 In the sight of thy eyes he will sweeten his mouth, and will admire thy words: but at the last he will writhe his mouth, and on thy words he will lay a stumblingblock.	26 In the sight of your eyes, he will sweeten his mouth, and he will admire your talk. But at the very end, he will pervert his mouth, and he will offer a scandal from your own words.
27 I have hated many things, but not like him, and the Lord will hate him.	27 I have hated many things, but I have not done as he has done, and the Lord will hate him.
28 If one cast a stone on high, it will fall upon his own head: and the deceitful stroke will wound the deceitful.	28 Whoever throws a stone straight up will find that it falls on his own head. And a deceitful wound will return to wound the deceitful.
29 He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that setteth a stone for his neighbour, shall stumble upon it: and he that layeth a snare for another, shall perish in it.	29 And whoever digs a pit will fall into it. And whoever positions a stone against his neighbor will stumble over it. And whoever lays a trap for another will perish by it.
30 A mischievous counsel shall be rolled back upon the author, and he shall not know from whence it cometh to him.	30 Whoever sets in motion a wicked plan will find that it rolls back over him, and he will not know from which direction it will arrive.
31 Mockery and reproach are of the proud, and vengeance as a lion shall lie in wait for him.	31 Mockery and derision are of the arrogant, and vengeance will lie in wait for them, like a lion.
32 They shall perish in a snare that are delighted with the fall of the just: and sorrow shall consume them before they die.	32 Whoever enjoys the fall of the just will perish in a snare, and grief will consume them before they die.
33 Anger and fury are both of them abominable, and the sinful man shall be subject to them.	33 Anger and fury are both abominable, and the sinful man will be held by them.