Sirach Chapter 11

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 The wisdom of the humble shall exalt his head, and shall make him sit in the midst of great men.
2 Praise not a man for his beauty, neither despise a man for his look.
3 The bee is small among flying things but her fruit hath the chiefest sweetness.
4 Glory not in apparel at any time, and be not exalted in the day of thy honour: for the works of the Highest only are wonderful, and his works are glorious, and secret, and hidden.
5 Many tyrants have sat on the throne, and he whom no man would think on, hath worn the crown.
6 Many mighty men have been greatly brought down, and the glorious have been delivered into the hand of others.
7 Before thou inquire, blame no man: and when thou hast inquired, reprove justly.

8 Before thou hear, answer not a word: and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse.
9 Strive not in a matter which doth not concern thee, and sit not in judgment with sinners.
10 My son, meddle not with many matters: and if thou be rich, thou shalt not be free from sin: for if thou pursue after thou shalt not overtake; and if thou run before thou shalt not escape.
11 There is an ungodly man that laboureth, and maketh haste, and is in sorrow, and is so much the more in want.
12 Again, there is an inactive man that wanteth help, is very weak in ability, and full of poverty:
13 Yet the eye of God hath looked upon him for good, and hath lifted him up from his low estate, and hath exalted his head: and many have wondered at him, and have glorified God.

14 Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from God.
15 Wisdom and discipline, and the knowledge of the law are with God. Love and the ways of good things are with him.
16 Error and darkness are created with sinners: and they that glory in evil things, grow old in evil.
17 The gift of God abideth with the just, and his advancement shall have success for ever.
18 There is one that is enriched by living sparingly, and this is the portion of his reward.
19 In that he saith: I have found me rest, and now I will eat of my goods alone:
20 And he knoweth not what time shall pass, and that death approacheth, and that he must leave all to others, and shall die.
21 Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and grow old in the work of thy commandments.
22 Abide not in the works of sinners. But trust in God, and stay in thy place,
23 For it is easy in the eyes of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich.
24 The blessing of God maketh haste to reward the just, and in a swift hour his blessing beareth fruit.
25 Say not: What need I, and what good shall I have by this?
26 Say not: I am sufficient for myself: and what shall I be made worse by this?
27 In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils: and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things:
28 For it is easy before God in the day of death to reward every one according to his ways.
29 The affliction of an hour maketh one forget great delights, and in the end of a man is the disclosing of his works.
30 Praise not any man before death, for a man is known by his children.

31 Bring not every man into thy house: for many are the snares of the deceitful.
32 For as corrupted bowels send forth stinking breath, and as the partridge is brought into the cage, and as the roe into the snare: so also is the heart of the proud, and as a spy that looketh on the fall of his neighbour.
33 For he lieth in wait and turneth good into evil, and on the elect he will lay a blot.
34 Of one spark cometh a great fire, and of one deceitful man much blood: and a sinful man lieth in wait for blood.
35 Take heed to thyself of a mischievous man, for he worketh evils: lest he bring upon thee reproach for ever.
36 Receive a stranger in, and he shall overthrow thee with a whirlwind, and shall turn thee out of thy own.

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 Sapientia humiliati exaltabit caput illius,
et in medio magnatorum consedere illum faciet.
2 Non laudes virum in specie sua,
neque spernas hominem in visu suo.
3 Brevis in volatilibus est apis,
et initium dulcoris habet fructus illius.
4 In vestitu ne glorieris umquam,
nec in die honoris tui extollaris:
quoniam mirabilia opera Altissimi solius,
et gloriosa, et absconsa, et invisa opera illius.
5 Multi tyranni sederunt in throno:
et insuspicabilis portavit diadema.
6 Multi potentes oppressi sunt valide,
et gloriosi traditi sunt in manus alterorum.
7 Priusquam interroges, ne vituperes quemquam:
et cum interrogaveris, corripe juste.

8 Priusquam audias, ne respondeas verbum:
et in medio sermonum ne adjicias loqui.
9 De ea re quæ te non molestat, ne certeris:
et in judicio peccantium ne consistas.
10 Fili, ne in multis sint actus tui:
et si dives fueris, non eris immunis a delicto.
Si enim secutus fueris, non apprehendes:
et non effugies, si præcucurreris.
11 Est homo laborans et festinans, et dolens:
impius, et tanto magis non abundabit.
12 Est homo marcidus egens recuperatione,
plus deficiens virtute, et abundans paupertate:
13 et oculus Dei respexit illum in bono,
et erexit eum ab humilitate ipsius, et exaltavit caput ejus:
et mirati sunt in illo multi, et honoraverunt Deum.

14 Bona et mala, vita et mors,
paupertas et honestas, a Deo sunt:
15 sapientia, et disciplina, et scientia legis, apud Deum:
dilectio, et viæ bonorum, apud ipsum.
16 Error et tenebræ peccatoribus concreata sunt:
qui autem exsultant in malis consenescunt in malo.
17 Datio Dei permanet justis,
et profectus illius successus habebit in æternum.
18 Est qui locupletatur parce agendo,
et hæc est pars mercedis illius.
19 In eo quod dicit: Inveni requiem mihi,
et nunc manducabo de bonis meis solus:
20 et nescit quod tempus præteriet, et mors appropinquet,
et relinquat omnia aliis, et morietur.
21 Sta in testamento tuo, et in illo colloquere,
et in opere mandatorum tuorum veterasce.
22 Ne manseris in operibus peccatorum:
confide autem in Deo, et mane in loco tuo.
23 Facile est enim in oculis Dei
subito honestare pauperem.
24 Benedictio Dei in mercedem justi festinat,
et in hora veloci processus illius fructificat.
25 Ne dicas: Quid est mihi opus?
et quæ erunt mihi ex hoc bona?
26 Ne dicas: Sufficiens mihi sum:
et quid ex hoc pessimabor?
27 In die bonorum ne immemor sis malorum,
et in die malorum ne immemor sis bonorum:
28 quoniam facile est coram Deo in die obitus
retribuere unicuique secundum vias suas.
29 Malitia horæ oblivionem facit luxuriæ magnæ,
et in fine hominis denudatio operum illius.
30 Ante mortem ne laudes hominem quemquam:
quoniam in filiis suis agnoscitur vir.

31 Non omnem hominem inducas in domum tuam:
multæ enim sunt insidiæ dolosi.
32 Sicut enim eructant præcordia fœtentium,
et sicut perdix inducitur in caveam, et ut caprea in laqueum:
sic et cor superborum,
et sicut prospector videns casum proximi sui.
33 Bona enim in mala convertens insidiatur,
et in electis imponet maculam.
34 A scintilla una augetur ignis,
et ab uno doloso augetur sanguis:
homo vero peccator sanguini insidiatur.
35 Attende tibi a pestifero, fabricat enim mala,
ne inducat super te subsannationem in perpetuum.
36 Admitte ad te alienigenam:
et subvertet te in turbine,
et abalienabit te a tuis propriis.

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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