Wisdom of Sirach 23

O Lord, Father and Governor of my life, leave me not to their counsels, and let me not fall by them.

Κύριε πάτερ καὶ δέσποτα ζωῆς μου, μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς με ἐν βουλῇ αὐτῶν, μὴ ἀφῇς με πεσεῖν ἐν αὐτοῖς.

Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over mine heart? that they spare me not for mine ignorances, and it pass not by my sins:

Τίς ἐπιστήσει ἐπὶ τοῦ διανοήματός μου μάστιγας, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς καρδίας μου παιδείαν σοφίας; ἵνα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγνοήμασί μου μὴ φείσωνται, καὶ οὐ μὴ παρῇ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν,

lest mine ignorances increase, and my sins abound to my destruction, and I fall before mine adversaries, and mine enemy rejoice over me, whose hope is far from thy mercy.

ὅπως μὴ πληθύνωσιν αἱ ἄγνοιαί μου, καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μου πλεονάσωσιν, καὶ πεσοῦμαι ἔναντι τῶν ὑπεναντίων, καὶ ἐπιχαρεῖταί μοι ὁ ἐχθρός μου.

O Lord, Father and God of my life, give me not a proud look.

Κύριε πάτερ καὶ Θεὲ ζωῆς μου, μετεωρισμὸν ὀφθαλμῶν μὴ δῷς μοι,

Turn away concupiscence from me.

καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν ἀπόστρεψον ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ.

Let not the greediness of the belly nor lust of the flesh take hold of me; and give me not over into an impudent mind.

Κοιλίας ὄρεξις καὶ συνουσιασμὸς μὴ καταλαβέτωσάν με, καὶ ψυχῇ ἀναιδεῖ μὴ παραδῷς με. ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑ ΣΤΟΜΑΤΟΣ.

Hear, O ye children, the discipline of the mouth: he that keepeth it shall never be taken in his lips.

Παιδείαν στόματος ἀκούσατε τέκνα, καὶ ὁ φυλάσσων οὐ μὴ ἁλῷ ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ.

The sinner shall be left in his foolishness: both the evil speaker and the proud shall fall thereby.

Καταλειφθήσεται ἁμαρτωλὸς, καὶ λοίδορος καὶ ὑπερήφανος σκανδαλισθήσονται ἐν αὐτοῖς.

Accustom not thy mouth to swearing; neither use thyself to the naming of the Holy One.

Ὅρκῳ μὴ ἐθίσῃς τὸ στόμα σου, καὶ ὀνομασίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου μὴ συνεθισθῇς.

For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blue mark: so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultless.

Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἰκέτης ἐξεταζόμενος ἐνδελεχῶς ἀπὸ μώλωπος οὐκ ἐλαττωθήσεται, οὕτως ὁ καὶ ὀμνύων καὶ ὀνομάζων διαπαντὸς ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας οὐ μὴ καθαρισθῇ.

A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity, and the plague shall never depart from his house: if he shall offend, his sin shall be upon him: and if he acknowledge not his sin, he maketh a double offence: and if he swear in vain, he shall not be innocent, but his house shall be full of calamities.

Ἀνὴρ πολύορκος πλησθήσεται ἀνομίας, καὶ οὐκ ἀποστήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ μάστιξ· ἐὰν πλημμελήσῃ, ἁμαρτία αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, κᾄν ὑπερίδῃ, ἥμαρτε δισσῶς· καὶ εἰ διακενῆς ὤμοσεν, οὐ δικαιωθήσεται, πλησθήσεται γὰρ ἐπαγωγῶν ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ.

There is a word that is clothed about with death: God grant that it be not found in the heritage of Jacob; for all such things shall be far from the godly, and they shall not wallow in their sins.

Ἔστι λέξις ἀντιπεριβεβλημένη θανάτῳ, μὴ εὑρεθήτω ἐν κληρονομίᾳ Ἰακώβ· ἀπὸ γὰρ εὐσεβῶν ταῦτα πάντα ἀποστήσεται, καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις οὐκ ἐγκυλισθήσονται.

Use not thy mouth to intemperate swearing, for therein is the word of sin.

Ἀπαιδευσίαν ἀσυρῆ μὴ συνεθίσῃς τὸ στόμα σου, ἔστι γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ λόγος ἁμαρτίας.

Remember thy father and thy mother, when thou sittest among great men. Be not forgetful before them, and so thou by thy custom become a fool, and wish that thou hadst not been born, and curse the day of thy nativity.

Μνήσθητι πατρὸς καὶ μητρός σου, ἀναμέσον γὰρ μεγιστάνων συνεδρεύεις· μήποτʼ ἐπιλάθῃ ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν, καὶ τῷ ἐθισμῷ σου μωρανθῇς, καὶ θελήσεις εἰ μὴ ἐγεννήθης, καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ τοκετοῦ σου καταράσῃ.

The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words will never be reformed all the days of his life.

Ἄνθρωπος συνεθιζόμενος λόγοις ὀνειδισμοῦ, ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ παιδευθῇ.

Two sorts of men multiply sin, and the third will bring wrath: a hot mind is as a burning fire, it will never be quenched till it be consumed: a fornicator in the body of his flesh will never cease till he hath kindled a fire.

Δύο εἴδη πληθύνουσιν ἁμαρτίας, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐπάξει ὀργήν· ψυχὴ θερμὴ ὡς πῦρ καιόμενον, οὐ μὴ σβεσθῆ ἕως ἂν καταποθῇ· ἄνθρωπος πόρνος ἐν σώματι σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ, οὐ μὴ παύσηται ἕως ἂν ἐκκαύσῃ πῦρ.

All bread is sweet to a whoremonger, he will not leave off till he die.

Ἀνθρώπῳ πόρνῳ πᾶς ἄρτος ἡδὺς, οὐ μὴ κοπάσῃ ἕως ἂν τελευτήσῃ.

A man that breaketh wedlock, saying thus in his heart, Who seeth me? I am compassed about with darkness, the walls cover me, and no body seeth me; what need I to fear? the most High will not remember my sins:

Ἄνθρωπος παραβαίνων ἀπὸ τῆς κλίνης αὐτοῦ, λέγων ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ, τίς μὲ ὁρᾷ; σκότος κύκλῳ μου, καὶ οἱ τοῖχοί με καλύπτουσι, καὶ οὐθείς με ὁρᾷ, τί εὐλαβοῦμαι; τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου οὐ μὴ μνησθήσεται ὁ ὕψιστος·

such a man only feareth the eyes of men, and knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, beholding all the ways of men, and considering the most secret parts.

καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἀνθρώπων ὁ φόβος αὐτοῦ· καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω ὅτι ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου μυριοπλασίως ἡλίου φωτεινότεροι, ἐπιβλέποντες πάσας ὁδοὺς ἀνθρώπων, καὶ κατανοοῦντες εἰς ἀπόκρυφα μέρη.

He knew all things ere ever they were created; so also after they were perfected he looked upon them all.

Πρινὴ κτισθῆναι τὰ πάντα ἔγνωσται αὐτῷ, οὕτως καὶ μετὰ τὸ συντελεσθῆναι.

This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and where he suspecteth not he shall be taken.

Οὗτος ἐν πλατείαις πόλεως ἐκδικηθήσεται, καὶ οὗ οὐχ ὑπενόησε πιασθήσεται.

Thus shall it go also with the wife that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another.

Οὕτως καὶ γυνὴ καταλιποῦσα τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ παριστῶσα κληρονόμον ἐξ ἀλλοτρίου.

For first, she hath disobeyed the law of the most High; and secondly, she hath trespassed against her own husband; and thirdly, she hath played the whore in adultery, and brought children by another man.

Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἐν νόμῳ ὑψίστου ἠπείθησε, καὶ δεύτερον εἰς ἄνδρα ἑαυτῆς ἐπλημμέλησε, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν πορνείᾳ ἐμοιχεύθη, ἐξ ἀλλοτρίου ἀνδρὸς τέκνα παρέστησεν.

She shall be brought out into the congregation, and inquisition shall be made of her children.

Αὕτη εἰς ἐκκλησίαν ἐξαχθήσεται, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἐπισκοπὴ ἔσται.

Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit.

Οὐ διαδώσουσι τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς εἰς ῥίζαν, καὶ οἱ κλάδοι αὐτῆς οὐ δώσουσι καρπόν.

She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her reproach shall not be blotted out.

Καταλείψει εἰς κατάραν τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς, καὶ τὸ ὄνειδος αὐτῆς οὐκ ἐξαλειφθήσεται.

And they that remain shall know that there is nothing better than the fear of the Lord, and that there is nothing sweeter than to take heed unto the commandments of the Lord.

Καὶ ἐπιγνώσονται οἱ καταλειφθέντες, ὅτι οὐθὲν κρεῖττον φόβου Κυρίου, καὶ οὐθὲν γλυκύτερον τοῦ προσέχειν ἐντολαῖς Κυρίου. ΑΙΝΕΣΙΣ ΣΟΦΙΑΣ.