Sirach 14

1Blessed is a man who does not slip and fall because of his mouth, And is not stung with pain caused by his sin.

μακάριος ἀνήρ ὃς οὐκ ὠλίσθησεν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ κατενύγη ἐν λύπῃ ἁμαρτιῶν

2Blessed is he whose soul does not condemn him, And who has not fallen away from his hope.

μακάριος οὗ οὐ κατέγνω ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὃς οὐκ ἔπεσεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος αὐτοῦ

3Wealth is not fitting for a small-minded man, And to what end is wealth for an envious man?

ἀνδρὶ μικρολόγῳ οὐ καλὸς ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ ἀνθρώπῳ βασκάνῳ ἵνα τί χρήματα

4For he who gathers for himself, gathers for others, And others will live in luxury with his goods.

ὁ συνάγων ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ συνάγει ἄλλοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς αὐτοῦ τρυφήσουσιν ἕτεροι

5If a man does evil to himself, for whom shall he do good? And he will not rejoice in his wealth.

ὁ πονηρὸς ἑαυτῷ τίνι ἀγαθὸς ἔσται καὶ οὐ μὴ εὐφρανθήσεται ἐν τοῖς χρήμασιν αὐτοῦ

6When a man envies himself, there is no one worse off, And this is the reward for his vice.

τοῦ βασκαίνοντος ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἔστιν πονηρότερος καὶ τοῦτο ἀνταπόδομα τῆς κακίας αὐτοῦ

7Even if he does good, he does it unintentionally, And in the end he reveals his vice.

κἂν εὖ ποιῇ ἐν λήθῃ ποιεῖ καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων ἐκφαίνει τὴν κακίαν αὐτοῦ

8He who envies with his eye is evil; He turns away his face and despises souls.

πονηρὸς ὁ βασκαίνων ὀφθαλμῷ ἀποστρέφων πρόσωπον καὶ ὑπερορῶν ψυχάς

9The eye of a greedy man is not satisfied with his share, And useless wrongdoing dries up the soul.

πλεονέκτου ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ ἐμπίπλαται μερίδι καὶ ἀδικία πονηρὰ ἀναξηραίνει ψυχήν

10The evil eye of a man is envious over his bread; Thus it is lacking at his table.

ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρὸς φθονερὸς ἐπ᾿ ἄρτῳ καὶ ἐλλιπὴς ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης αὐτοῦ

11My son, whatever you have, treat yourself well, And offer sacrifices worthily to the Lord.

τέκνον καθὼς ἐὰν ἔχῃς εὖ ποίει σεαυτὸν καὶ προσφορὰς κυρίῳ ἀξίως πρόσαγε

12Remember that death does not delay, And the covenant of Hades has not been shown to you.

μνήσθητι ὅτι θάνατος οὐ χρονιεῖ καὶ διαθήκη ᾅδου οὐχ ὑπεδείχθη σοι

13Before you die, do good to a friend, And reach out and give to him based on your ability.

πρίν σε τελευτῆσαι εὖ ποίει φίλῳ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἰσχύν σου ἔκτεινον καὶ δὸς αὐτῷ

14Do not let a day go by without doing something good, And do not let any of your desire for doing good escape you.

μὴ ἀφυστερήσῃς ἀπὸ ἀγαθῆς ἡμέρας καὶ μερὶς ἐπιθυμίας ἀγαθῆς μή σε παρελθάτω

15Will you not leave all your hard work to another, And all your hard work to be divided by lot?

οὐχὶ ἑτέρῳ καταλείψεις τοὺς πόνους σου καὶ τοὺς κόπους σου εἰς διαίρεσιν κλήρου

16Give and receive and deprive yourself, Because in Hades there is nowhere to seek luxury.

δὸς καὶ λαβὲ καὶ ἀπάτησον τὴν ψυχήν σου ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ᾅδου ζητῆσαι τρυφήν

17All flesh becomes old like a garment, For the covenant from of old is, 'You shall die by death.'

πᾶσα σὰρξ ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιοῦται ἡ γὰρ διαθήκη ἀπ᾿ αἰῶνος θανάτῳ ἀποθανῇ

18Like flourishing leaves on a thick tree, Which sheds some leaves and puts forth others, So also is the generation of flesh and blood: One dies and another is born.

ὡς φύλλον θάλλον ἐπὶ δένδρου δασέος τὰ μὲν καταβάλλει ἄλλα δὲ φύει οὕτως γενεὰ σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος ἡ μὲν τελευτᾷ ἑτέρα δὲ γεννᾶται

19Every work of man decays and fails, And he who made it will depart with it.

πᾶν ἔργον σηπόμενον ἐκλείπει καὶ ὁ ἐργαζόμενος αὐτὸ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἀπελεύσεται

20Blessed is the man who practices wisdom And discourses with insight.

μακάριος ἀνήρ ὃς ἐν σοφίᾳ μελετήσει καὶ ὃς ἐν συνέσει αὐτοῦ διαλεχθήσεται

21Whoever ponders the ways of wisdom in his heart Will also reflect on her secrets.

ὁ διανοούμενος τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῆς ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀποκρύφοις αὐτῆς ἐννοηθήσεται

22Pursue wisdom like a tracker And lie in wait on her paths.

ἔξελθε ὀπίσω αὐτῆς ὡς ἰχνευτὴς καὶ ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῆς ἐνέδρευε

23He who looks intently through her windows Will also listen at her doors.

ὁ παρακύπτων διὰ τῶν θυρίδων αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θυρωμάτων αὐτῆς ἀκροάσεται

24He who lodges near her house Will also fasten his tent peg to her walls.

ὁ καταλύων σύνεγγυς τοῦ οἴκου αὐτῆς καὶ πήξει πάσσαλον ἐν τοῖς τοίχοις αὐτῆς

25He will establish his home according to her will, And so lodge in a good dwelling place.

στήσει τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ κατὰ χεῖρας αὐτῆς καὶ καταλύσει ἐν καταλύματι ἀγαθῶν

26He will put his children in her shelter And lodge under her branches.

θήσει τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ σκέπῃ αὐτῆς καὶ ὑπὸ τοὺς κλάδους αὐτῆς αὐλισθήσεται

27He will be sheltered by her from the burning heat And will dwell in her glory. He who fears the Lord will do this, And he who holds fast to the law will obtain wisdom.

σκεπασθήσεται ὑπ᾿ αὐτῆς ἀπὸ καύματος καὶ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτῆς καταλύσει