1 ① A drunken worker will never be rich; he who is careless in small things will soon fall.
2Wine and women corrupt the best of men; whoever frequents prostitutes loses all sense of shame. 3He will be the victim of grubs and worms and lose his life because of his stupidity.
When to speak and when to be silent
4 ② He who is too quick to trust others reveals a shallow mind, whoever sins injures himself.
5One who revels in pleasure will be condemned, 6hating gossip will save one from evil.
7Never repeat what you are told and you will come to no harm.
8Report nothing to friend or foe and, unless silence is sinful, reveal it to no one. 9They will listen, distrust you and you will end up being hated.
10Have you heard something? Let it die with you, remain calm; you will not burst with it.
11A fool suffers like a woman in childbirth over something he is told. 12Like an arrow stuck in his thigh, such is a secret inside a fool.
13Speak with your friend: perhaps he has done nothing and, if he has, he will not do it again.
14Speak with your friend: perhaps he has not said anything and, if he has, he will not say it again. 15Speak with your friend for there is much slander; do not believe all that you hear. 16Often, unintentional slips are made; for who has never sinned by evil tongues? 17Speak with your neighbor before you heap accusations on him; then leave room for the Law of the Almighty.
18* 19* 20All wisdom is in the fear of the Lord; in all wisdom is the fulfillment of the Law.
21* 22Knowledge of evil is not wisdom, and prudence is not found in the advice of sinners.
23There is a cleverness that is loathsome; it belongs to the evildoer who lacks wisdom.
24Better to lack sense and be full of the fear of the Lord, than to be clever in violating the Law.
25There is an ingenious shrewdness which carries out injustice; it is the art of dissimulating in order to do evil. 26One pretends to be grieving and weighed down with burdens but in his heart there is only cunning; 27he hides his face and pretends to be deaf, but as soon as you are distracted, he will take advantage of you.
28One does not sin when the means are lacking; at the first opportunity, he will do wrong.
29You can tell a man by his appearance; the responsible man can be recognized by his face.
30A man’s way of dressing reveals who he is, as does his manner of laughing and walking.
- Sir 19,1 The politeness of well-educated people shows their noble spirit. When we are truly wise, we instinctively discover the rules of good and noble conduct. As Saint Francis de Sales used to say: Courtesy is the precious flower of charity. Sir 19,4 In many passages throughout the book of Sirach, as in Proverbs, the author shows that controlling one's tongue is a prerequisite for dominating our person and our destiny (Jas 3).
- Sir 19,1 The politeness of well-educated people shows their noble spirit. When we are truly wise, we instinctively discover the rules of good and noble conduct. As Saint Francis de Sales used to say: Courtesy is the precious flower of charity. Sir 19,4 In many passages throughout the book of Sirach, as in Proverbs, the author shows that controlling one's tongue is a prerequisite for dominating our person and our destiny (Jas 3).
