Sirach 14

¹Blessed is the man who has not slipped because of a word from his mouth, and who has not been stung by grief because of an offense

²Happy is he who does not have sadness in his mind, and who has not fallen away from his hope

³Substance is senseless for a greedy and stingy man. And what would a spiteful man do with gold

⁴Whoever acquires unjustly, according to his own mind, gathers for others. For another will spend his goods lavishly

⁵Whoever is wicked to himself, to whom will he be good? For he will not take enjoyment in his own goods

⁶Whoever has ill will toward himself, nothing is more worthless than he is. But such is the reward of his wickedness

⁷And if he does good, he does it ignorantly and unwillingly. And in the very end, he realizes his own malice

⁸The eye of the spiteful man is wicked, and he averts his face and despises his own soul

⁹The eye of the greedy man is insatiable in his portion of iniquity. He will not be satisfied until he has consumed his own soul, withering it away

¹⁰An evil eye is directed at evil things. And he will not be satisfied by bread; instead, he will be needy and grieving at his own table

¹¹Son, if you have anything, do good to yourself, and offer worthy oblations to God

¹²Remember that death has not been delayed, and that the covenant of the grave has been revealed to you. For the covenant of this world will pass away in death

¹³Do good to your friend before you die. And according to your ability, extend your hand and give to the poor

¹⁴Do not cheat yourself out of a good day, and do not let the smallest good gift pass you by

¹⁵Should you not leave it to others to divide your sorrows and labors by lot

¹⁶Give, and receive, and justify your soul

¹⁷Before your passing, accomplish justice. For in death, there is no food to be found

¹⁸All flesh grows old like the grass, and like the foliage that springs forth from a green tree

¹⁹Some spring up, and others fall away. Such is the generation of flesh and blood. One is finished, and another is born

²⁰Every corruptible work will fail in the end. And its worker will go with it

²¹But every excellent work will be justified. And whoever worked it will be honored by it

²²Blessed is the man who will abide in wisdom, and who will meditate on her righteousness, and who, in his mind, will consider the circumspection of God

²³He considers her ways in his heart, and he finds understanding in her secrets. He goes after her like an investigator, and he is constant in her ways

²⁴He gazes through her windows, and he listens at her door

²⁵He rests next to her house, and, fastening a peg in her walls, he sets up his cottage by her hands. And so, good things will find rest in his cottage as time passes

²⁶He will station his sons under her covering, and he will abide under her branches

²⁷He will be protected by her covering from the heat, and he will rest in her glory