CPDV - Sirach - 7

7:1  Do not choose to do evil, and evil will not take hold of you.

7:2  Withdraw from the iniquitous, and evil will withdraw from you.

7:3  Son, do not sow evil in the furrows of injustice, and you will not reap them sevenfold.

7:4  Do not seek a role of leadership from the Lord, and do not seek a seat of honor from the king.

7:5  You should not justify yourself before God, for he is the Knower of hearts. And by no means should you wish to seem wise before the king.

7:6  Do not seek to become a judge, unless you have sufficient strength to shatter iniquities. Otherwise, you might fear the face of the powerful, and so establish a scandal within your integrity.

7:7  You should not sin against the multitude of a city, nor should you cast yourself against the people.

7:8  And you should not bind two sins together. For even in one sin, you will not go unpunished.

7:9  Do not be cowardly in your soul.

7:10  You should not be unwilling to beg, nor to give alms.

7:11  You should not say: “God will look with favor on the multitude of my gifts, and when I make an offering to the most high God, he will accept my gift.”

7:12  You should not ridicule a man in bitterness of soul. For there is One who humbles and who exalts: the all-seeing God.

7:13  Do not love a lie against your brother, nor should you act the same toward your friend.

7:14  Do not be willing to devise a lie of any kind. For the practice of lying is not good.

7:15  Do not choose to be verbose among a multitude of elders, and you should not repeat the words of your prayers.

7:16  You should not hate laborious works, nor the rustic life created by the Most High.

7:17  You should not consider yourself to be among the multitude of the undisciplined.

7:18  Remember wrath. For it will not be delayed.

7:19  Humble your spirit greatly. For the retribution against the flesh of the impious is with fire and worms.

7:20  Do not betray your friend for the sake of money, and you should not spurn your dearest brother for the sake of gold.

7:21  Do not choose to depart from a good and understanding wife, whom you have been allotted in the fear of the Lord. For the grace of her modesty is above gold.

7:22  You should not harm the servant whose works are honest, nor the hired hand who entrusts his life to you.

7:23  Let an understanding servant be loved by you like your own soul. You should not cheat him out of freedom, nor abandon him to destitution.

7:24  Are cattle yours? Tend to them. And if they are useful, let them remain with you.

7:25  Are sons yours? Instruct them, and bow them down from their childhood.

7:26  Are daughters yours? Watch over their bodies. And you should not display a light-hearted attitude toward them.

7:27  Give your daughter in marriage, and give her to an understanding man, and you will be doing a great work.

7:28  If a wife in accord with your soul is yours, you should not reject her. But do not entrust yourself to her who is hateful.

7:29  With your whole heart, honor your father. And you should not forget the complaints of your mother.

7:30  Remember that you would not have been born except through them. And so, give back to them as they also have done for you.

7:31  With all your soul, fear the Lord, and consider his priests to be holy.

7:32  With all your strength, love him who made you, and you should not abandon his ministers.

7:33  Honor God from your whole soul, and confer honor on the priests, and continue to purify yourself with your strength.

7:34  Give them their portion, just as it has been commanded of you, from the first-fruits and from the purifications. And for your ignorant offenses, purify yourself with a smaller offering.

7:35  You should offer to the Lord the gift of your strength, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first-fruits of what is holy.

7:36  And reach out your hand to the poor, so that your atonement and your blessing may be perfected.

7:37  A gift has grace in the sight of all the living, but you should not prohibit grace for the dead.

7:38  You should not fail to console those who are weeping, nor to walk with those who are mourning.

7:39  Do not let yourself be slow to visit the sick. For in this way, you will be confirmed in love.

7:40  In all your works, remember your very end, and so you will not sin, unto eternity.