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Sirach Chapter 14
The evil of avarice: works of mercy are recommended, and the love of wisdom.
English (Douay-Rheims)
1 Blessed is the man that hath not slipped by a word out of his mouth, and is not pricked with the remorse of sin.
2 Happy is he that hath had no sadness of his mind, and who is not fallen from his hope.
3 Riches are not comely for a covetous man and a niggard, and what should an envious man do with gold?
4 He that gathereth together by wronging his own soul, gathereth for others, and another will squander away his goods in rioting.
5 He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? and he shall not take pleasure in his goods.
6 There is none worse than he that envieth himself, and this is the reward of his wickedness:
7 And if he do good, he doth it ignorantly, and unwillingly: and at the last he discovereth his wickedness.
8 The eye of the envious is wicked: and he turneth away his face, and despiseth his own soul.
9 The eye of the covetous man is insatiable in his portion of iniquity: he will not be satisfied till he consume his own soul, drying it up.
10 An evil eye is towards evil things: and he shall not have his fill of bread, but shall be needy and pensive at his own table.
11 My son, if thou have any thing, do good to thyself, and offer to God worthy offerings.
12 Remember that death is not slow, and that the covenant of hell hath been shown to thee: for the covenant of this world shall surely die. Covenant of hell... The decree by which all are to go down to the regions of death.
13 Do good to thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability, stretching out thy hand give to the poor.
14 Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good gift overpass thee.
15 Shalt thou not leave to others to divide by lot thy sorrows and labours?
16 Give and take, and justify thy soul.
17 Before thy death work justice: for in hell there is no finding food.
18 All flesh shall fade as grass, and as the leaf that springeth out on a green tree.
19 Some grow, and some fall off: so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born.
20 Every work that is corruptible shall fail in the end: and the worker thereof shall go with it.
21 And every excellent work shall be justified: and the worker thereof shall be honoured therein.
22 Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and that shall meditate in his justice, and in his mind shall think of the all seeing eye of God.
23 He that considereth her ways in his heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, who goeth after her as one that traceth, and stayeth in her ways.
24 He who looketh in at her windows, and hearkeneth at her door.
25 He that lodgeth near her house, and fastening a pin in her walls shall set up his tent high unto her, where good things shall rest in his lodging for ever.
26 He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches:
27 He shall be protected under her covering from the heat, and shall rest in her glory.
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 Beatus vir qui non est lapsus verbo ex ore suo,
et non est stimulatus in tristitia delicti.
2 Felix qui non habuit animi sui tristitiam,
et non excidit a spe sua.
3 Viro cupido et tenaci sine ratione est substantia:
et homini livido ad quid aurum?
4 Qui acervat ex animo suo injuste, aliis congregat,
et in bonis illius alius luxuriabitur.
5 Qui sibi nequam est, cui alii bonus erit?
et non jucundabitur in bonis suis.
6 Qui sibi invidet, nihil est illo nequius:
et hæc redditio est malitiæ illius.
7 Et si bene fecerit, ignoranter et non volens facit:
et in novissimo manifestat malitiam suam.
8 Nequam est oculus lividi:
et avertens faciem suam, et despiciens animam suam.
9 Insatiabilis oculus cupidi in parte iniquitatis:
non satiabitur donec consumat arefaciens animam suam.
10 Oculus malus ad mala, et non saturabitur pane,
sed indigens et in tristitia erit super mensam suam.
11 Fili, si habes, benefac tecum,
et Deo dignas oblationes offer.
12 Memor esto quoniam mors non tardat,
et testamentum inferorum, quia demonstratum est tibi:
testamentum enim hujus mundi morte morietur.
13 Ante mortem benefac amico tuo,
et secundum vires tuas exporrigens da pauperi.
14 Non defrauderis a die bono,
et particula boni doni non te prætereat.
15 Nonne aliis relinques dolores et labores tuos
in divisione sortis?
16 Da et accipe,
et justifica animam tuam.
17 Ante obitum tuum operare justitiam,
quoniam non est apud inferos invenire cibum.
18 Omnis caro sicut fœnum veterascet,
et sicut folium fructificans in arbore viridi.
19 Alia generantur, et alia dejiciuntur:
sic generatio carnis et sanguinis, alia finitur, et alia nascitur.
20 Omne opus corruptibile in fine deficiet,
et qui illud operatur ibit cum illo.
21 Et omne opus electum justificabitur,
et qui operatur illud honorabitur in illo.
22 Beatus vir qui in sapientia morabitur,
et qui in justitia sua meditabitur,
et in sensu cogitabit circumspectionem Dei:
23 qui excogitat vias illius in corde suo,
et in absconditis suis intelligens,
vadens post illam quasi investigator,
et in viis illius consistens:
24 qui respicit per fenestras illius,
et in januis illius audiens:
25 qui requiescit juxta domum illius,
et in parietibus illius figens palum,
statuet casulam suam ad manus illius,
et requiescent in casula illius bona per ævum.
26 Statuet filios suos sub tegmine illius,
et sub ramis ejus morabitur.
27 Protegetur sub tegmine illius a fervore,
et in gloria ejus requiescet.
Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition