Ecclesiasticus 19

¹ A worker who is a drunkard will not become rich. He who despises small things will fall little by little.

² Wine and women will make men of understanding go astray. He who joins with prostitutes is reckless.

³ Decay and worms will have him as their heritage. A reckless soul will be taken away.

⁴ He who is hasty to trust is shallow-hearted. He who sins offends against his own soul.

⁵ He who rejoices in wickedness will be condemned.

⁶ He who hates gossip has less wickedness.

⁷ Never repeat what is told you, and you won’t lose anything.

⁸ Whether it is of friend or foe, don’t tell it. Unless it is a sin to you, don’t reveal it.

⁹ For if he has heard you and observed you, when the time comes, he will hate you.

¹⁰ Have you heard something? Let it die with you. Be brave: it will not make you burst!

¹¹ A fool will travail in pain with a word, as a woman in labor with a child.

¹² As an arrow that sticks in the flesh of the thigh, so is gossip in a fool.

¹³ Question a friend; it may be he didn’t do it. If he did something, it may be that he may do it no more.

¹⁴ Question your neighbor; it may be he didn’t say it. If he has said it, it may be that he may not say it again.

¹⁵ Question a friend; for many times there is slander. Don’t trust every word.

¹⁶ There is one who slips, and not from the heart. Who is he who hasn’t sinned with his tongue?

¹⁷ Reprove your neighbor before you threaten him; and give place to the law of the Most High.

¹⁸

¹ AA workman that is a drunkard shall not be rich: and he that contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little.

² Wine and women make wise men fall off, and shall rebuke the prudent:

³ And he that joineth himself to harlots, will be wicked. Rottenness and worms shall inherit him, and he shall be lifted up for a greater example, and his soul shall be taken away out of the number.

⁴ He that is hasty to give credit, is light of heart, and shall be lessened: and he that sinneth against his own soul, shall be despised.

⁵ He that rejoiceth in iniquity, shall be censured, and he that hateth chastisement, shall have less life: and he that hateth babbling, extinguisheth evil.

⁶ He that sinneth against his own soul, shall repent: and he that is delighted with wickedness, shall be condemned.

⁷ Rehearse not again a wicked and harsh word, and thou shalt not fare the worse.

⁸ Tell not thy mind to friend or foe: and if there be a sin with thee, disclose it not.

⁹ For he will hearken to thee, and will watch thee, and as it were defending thy sin he will hate thee, and so will he be with thee always.

¹⁰ Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbour? let it die within thee, trusting that it will not burst thee.

¹¹ At the hearing of a word the fool is in travail, as a woman groaning in the bringing forth a child.

¹² As an arrow that sticketh in a man’s thigh: so is a word in the heart of a fool.

¹³ Reprove a friend, lest he may not have understood, and say: I did it not: or if he did it, that he may do it no more.

¹⁴ Reprove thy neighbour, for it may be he hath not said it: and if he hath said it, that he may not say it again.

¹⁵ Admonish thy friend: for there is often a fault committed.

¹⁶ And believe not every word. There is one, that slippeth with the tongue, but not from his heart.

¹⁷ For who is there that hath not offended with his tongue? Admonish thy neighbour before thou threaten him.

¹⁸ And give place to the fear of the most High: for the fear of God is all wisdom, and therein is to fear God, and the disposition of the law is in all wisdom.

¹⁹ But the learning of wickedness is not wisdom: and the device of sinners is not prudence.

²⁰ There is a subtle wickedness, and the same is detestable: and there is a man that is foolish, wanting in wisdom.

²¹ Better is a man that hath less wisdom, and wanteth understanding, with the fear of God, than he that aboundeth in understanding, and transgresseth the law of the most High.

²² There is an exquisite subtilty, and the same is unjust.

²³ And there is one that uttereth an exact word telling the truth. There is one that humbleth himself wickedly, and his interior is full of deceit:

²⁴ And there is one that submitteth himself exceedingly with a great lowliness: and there is one that casteth down his countenance, and maketh as if he did not see that which is unknown:

²⁵ And if he be hindered from sinning for want of power, if he shall find opportunity to do evil, he will do it.

²⁶ A man is known by his look, and a wise man, when thou meetest him, is known by his countenance.

²⁷ The attire of the body, and the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of the man, shew what he is.

²⁸ There is a lying rebuke in the anger of an injurious man: and there is a judgment that is not allowed to be good: and there is one that holdeth his peace, he is wise.