The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus 14

¹ Blessed is the man that hath not slipped with his mouth and is not pricked with the multitude of sins ⚑

² Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him and who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord ⚑

³ Riches are not comely for a niggard and what should an envious man do with money ⚑

⁴ He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul gathereth for others that shall spend his goods riotously ⚑

⁵ He that is evil to himself to whom will he be good he shall not take pleasure in his goods ⚑

⁶ There is none worse than he that envieth himself and this is a recompence of his wickedness ⚑

⁷ And if he doeth good he doeth it unwillingly and at the last he will declare his wickedness ⚑

⁸ The envious man hath a wicked eye he turneth away his face and despiseth men ⚑

⁹ A covet s man’s eye is not satisfied with his portion and the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his soul ⚑

¹⁰ A wicked eye envieth his bread and he is a niggard at his table ⚑

¹¹ My son according to thy ability do good to thyself and give the Lord his due offering ⚑

¹² Remember that death will not be long in coming and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee ⚑

¹³ Do good unto thy friend before thou die and according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give to him ⚑

¹⁴ Defraud not thyself of the good day and let not the part of a good desire overpass thee ⚑

¹⁵ Shalt thou not leave thy travails unto another and thy labours to be divided by lot ⚑

¹⁶ Give and take and sanctify thy soul for there is no seeking of dainties in the grave ⚑

¹⁷ All flesh waxeth old as a garment for the covenant from the beginning is Thou shalt die the death ⚑

¹⁸ As of the green leaves on a thick tree some fall and some grow so is the generation of flesh and blood one cometh to an end and another is born ⚑

¹⁹ Every work rotteth and consumeth away and the worker thereof shall go withal ⚑

²⁰ Blessed is the man that doth meditate good things in wisdom and that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding ⚑

²¹ He that considereth her ways in his heart shall also have understanding in her secrets ⚑

²² Go after her as one that traceth and lie in wait in her ways ⚑

²³ He that prieth in at her windows shall also hearken at her doors ⚑

²⁴ He that doth lodge near her house shall also fasten a pin in her walls ⚑

²⁵ He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her and shall lodge in a lodging where good things are ⚑

²⁶ He shall set his children under her shelter and shall lodge under her branches ⚑

²⁷ By her he shall be covered from heat and in her glory shall he dwell ⚑