Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 20

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¹There is false reproving in the ire of a man full of despising or There is lying correction in wrath of the wrongful; and there is doom which is not proved to be good; and there is a still man, and he is prudent.

²It is full good to reprove, more than to be wroth, and to forbid not a man acknowledging in prayer.

³The covetousness or lust of a gelding hath defouled or deflowered the maidenhood of a young woman, so he that maketh wicked doom by violence or so he that doeth by force wicked doom.

⁴It is full good, that a man that is reproved, show openly penance or How good it is, the chastised to show penance; for so thou shalt escape willful sin.

⁵There is a still man, which is found wise; and he that is hateful, which is fool-hardy or greedy to speak.

⁶Soothly there is a still man, not having wit of speech; and there is a still man, knowing the season of covenable time.

⁷A wise man shall be still till to the right time; but a jolly man or the reckless, or wild and an unprudent man shall not keep time.

⁸He that useth many words, hurteth his soul; and he that taketh power to himself unjustly or wrong-fully, shall be hated.

⁹There is going forth in evils to a man unlearned or undisciplined; and there is finding into impairing or into harm.

¹⁰There is a gift, which is not profit-able; and there is a gift, whose yielding is double.

¹¹There is making less for glory; and there is a man, which shall raise the head from meekness.

¹²There is a man, that again-buyeth many sins or things for little price, and restoreth those or them in sevenfold.

¹³A wise man in words maketh himself amiable or lovable; but the graces of fools shall be shed or poured out.

¹⁴The gift of an unwise man shall not be profitable to thee; for his eyes be sevenfold, that is, his intent is manyfold and diverse.

¹⁵He shall give little things or Few things he shall give, and he shall upbraid many things; and the opening of his mouth is enflaming. Today a man lendeth, and tomorrow he asketh for it; and such a man is hateful.

¹⁶A friend shall not be to a fool, and grace shall not be to his goods. For they that eat his bread, be of false tongue, that is, flatterers praising his follies;

¹⁷how often, and how many men shall scorn him? For he parteth or dealed not by even wit that, that was worthy to be had; in like manner and that, that was not worthy to be had.

¹⁸The falling or sliding of a false tongue is as he that falleth in the pavement; so the falls of evil men shall come hastily.

¹⁹A man without grace is as a vain fable; and it shall be customable in the mouth of unlearned men. An unkind man as a vain fable; and it shall be often in the mouth of the undisciplined.

²⁰A parable, that is, a true sentence and great, shall be reproved when it cometh out of the mouth of a fool; for he saith not it or he saith it not in his time.

²¹There is a man, that is forbidden to do sin, for poverty; and he shall not be pricked in his rest.

²²There is a man, that shall lose his soul for shame; and for the un-prudence of a person he shall lose it. Forsooth he shall lose himself for the taking or favouring of a person.

²³There is a man, that for shame promiseth to a friend; and he hath gotten him an enemy without cause.

²⁴Leasing is a wicked shame in a man; and it shall be customably or busily in the mouth of unlearned men or the undisciplined.

²⁵Better, that is, less evil, is a thief than the customableness of a man, a leasing-monger or a liar; forsooth both they shall inherit perdition.

²⁶The manners of men leasing-mongers or liars be without honour; and their shame is with them without ceasing.

²⁷A wise man in words shall bring forth himself; and a prudent man shall please great men.

²⁸He that worketh his land, shall make high the heap of fruits; and he that worketh rightfulness or right-wiseness, shall be enhanced. Soothly he that pleaseth great men, shall escape wickedness.

²⁹Presents and gifts blind the eyes of judges; and as one dumb in the mouth it or he turneth away the chastisings of them.

³⁰Wisdom hid, and treasure unseen, what profit is in ever either?

³¹He is better, that hideth his unwisdom, than a man that hideth his wisdom.

³²(This verse is omitted in the original text.)