Sirach Chapter 4

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 Son, defraud not the poor of alms, and turn not away thy eyes from the poor.
2 Despise not the hungry soul: and provoke not the poor in his want.
3 Afflict not the heart of the needy, and defer not to gibe to him that is in distress.
4 Reject not the petition of the afflicted: and turn not away thy face from the needy.
5 Turn not away thy eyes from the poor for fear of anger: and leave not to them that ask of thee to curse thee behind thy back.
6 For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of his soul, shall be heard, for he that made him will hear him.
7 Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poor, and humble thy soul to the ancient, and bow thy head to a great man.
8 Bow down thy ear cheerfully to the poor, and pay what thou owest, and answer him peaceable words with mildness.
9 Deliver him that suffereth wrong out of the hand of the proud: and be not fainthearted in thy soul.
10 In judging be merciful to the fatherless as a father, and as a husband to their mother.
11 And thou shalt be as the obedient son of the most High, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother.

12 Wisdom inspireth life into her children, and protecteth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice.
13 And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness.
14 They that hold her fast, shall inherit life: and whithersoever she entereth, God will give a blessing.
15 They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy one: and God loveth them that love her.
16 He that hearkeneth to her, shall judge nations: and he that looketh upon her, shall remain secure.
17 If he trust to her, he shall inherit her, and his generation shall be in assurance.
18 For she walketh with him in temptation, and at the first she chooseth him. In temptation, etc... The meaning is, that before wisdom will choose any for her favourite, she will try them by leading them through contradictions, afflictions, and temptations, the usual noviceship of the children of God.
19 She will bring upon him fear and dread and trial: and she will scourge him with the affliction of her discipline, till she try him by her laws, and trust his soul.
20 Then she will strengthen him, and make a straight way to him, and give him joy,
21 And will disclose her secrets to him, and will heap upon him treasures of knowledge and understanding of justice.
22 But if he go astray, she will forsake him, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy.

23 Son, observe the time, and fly from evil.
24 For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth.
25 For there is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace.
26 Accept no person against thy own person, nor against thy soul a lie.
27 Reverence not thy neighbour in his fall:
28 And refrain not to speak in the time of salvation. Hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.
29 For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and understanding, and knowledge, and learning by the word of the wise, and steadfastness in the works of justice.
30 In nowise speak against the truth, but be ashamed of the lie of thy ignorance.
31 Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but submit not thyself to every man for sin.
32 Resist not against the face of the mighty, and do not strive against the stream of the river.
33 Strive for justice for thy soul, and even unto death fight for justice, and God will overthrow thy enemies for thee.
34 Be not hasty in thy tongue: and slack and remiss in thy works.
35 Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household, and oppressing them that are under thee.
36 Let not thy hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldst give.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Fili, eleemosynam pauperis ne defraudes,
et oculos tuos ne transvertas a paupere.
2 Animam esurientem ne despexeris,
et non exasperes pauperem in inopia sua.
3 Cor inopis ne afflixeris,
et non protrahas datum angustianti.
4 Rogationem contribulati ne abjicias,
et non avertas faciem tuam ab egeno.
5 Ab inope ne avertas oculos tuos propter iram:
et non relinquas quærentibus tibi retro maledicere.
6 Maledicentis enim tibi in amaritudine animæ,
exaudietur deprecatio illius:
exaudiet autem eum qui fecit illum.
7 Congregationi pauperum affabilem te facito:
et presbytero humilia animam tuam,
et magnato humilia caput tuum.
8 Declina pauperi sine tristitia aurem tuam,
et redde debitum tuum,
et responde illi pacifica in mansuetudine.
9 Libera eum qui injuriam patitur de manu superbi,
et non acide feras in anima tua.
10 In judicando esto pupillis misericors ut pater,
et pro viro matri illorum:
11 et eris tu velut filius Altissimi obediens,
et miserebitur tui magis quam mater.

12 Sapientia filiis suis vitam inspirat:
et suscipit inquirentes se,
et præibit in via justitiæ.
13 Et qui illam diligit, diligit vitam,
et qui vigilaverint ad illam complectentur placorem ejus.
14 Qui tenuerint illam, vitam hæreditabunt:
et quo introibit benedicet Deus.
15 Qui serviunt ei obsequentes erunt sancto:
et eos qui diligunt illam, diligit Deus.
16 Qui audit illam judicabit gentes:
et qui intuetur illam permanebit confidens.
17 Si crediderit ei, hæreditabit illam,
et erunt in confirmatione creaturæ illius:
18 quoniam in tentatione ambulat cum eo,
et in primis eligit eum.
19 Timorem, et metum, et probationem inducet super illum:
et cruciabit illum in tribulatione doctrinæ suæ,
donec tentet eum in cogitationibus suis,
et credat animæ illius.
20 Et firmabit illum, et iter adducet directum ad illum,
et lætificabit illum:
21 et denudabit absconsa sua illi,
et thesaurizabit super illum scientiam et intellectum justitiæ.
22 Si autem oberraverit, derelinquet eum,
et tradet eum in manus inimici sui.

23 Fili, conserva tempus,
et devita a malo.
24 Pro anima tua ne confundaris dicere verum:
25 est enim confusio adducens peccatum,
et est confusio adducens gloriam et gratiam.
26 Ne accipias faciem adversus faciem tuam,
nec adversus animam tuam mendacium.
27 Ne reverearis proximum tuum in casu suo,
28 nec retineas verbum in tempore salutis.
Non abscondas sapientiam tuam in decore suo:
29 in lingua enim sapientia dignoscitur:
et sensus, et scientia, et doctrina in verbo sensati,
et firmamentum in operibus justitiæ.
30 Non contradicas verbo veritatis ullo modo,
et de mendacio ineruditionis tuæ confundere.
31 Non confundaris confiteri peccata tua,
et ne subjicias te omni homini pro peccato.
32 Noli resistere contra faciem potentis,
nec coneris contra ictum fluvii.
33 Pro justitia agonizare pro anima tua,
et usque ad mortem certa pro justitia:
et Deus expugnabit pro te inimicos tuos.
34 Noli citatus esse in lingua tua,
et inutilis, et remissus in operibus tuis.
35 Noli esse sicut leo in domo tua,
evertens domesticos tuos, et opprimens subjectos tibi.
36 Non sit porrecta manus tua ad accipiendum,
et ad dandum collecta.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition

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