Sirach 28

1These things are hard for a sensible man to take: The rebuke of a household and the abuse of a creditor.

ὁ ἐκδικῶν παρὰ κυρίου εὑρήσει ἐκδίκησιν καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ διατηρῶν διατηρήσει

2Forgive a wrong done you by your neighbor; Then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.

ἄφες ἀδίκημα τῷ πλησίον σου καὶ τότε δεηθέντος σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου λυθήσονται

3Can a man preserve wrath against his neighbor And still seek healing from the Lord?

ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπῳ συντηρεῖ ὀργήν καὶ παρὰ κυρίου ζητεῖ ἴασιν

4Can he show no mercy toward a man like himself And still beg God for mercy for himself?

ἐπ᾿ ἄνθρωπον ὅμοιον αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔχει ἔλεος καὶ περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτοῦ δεῖται

5If he being flesh keeps his anger continually, Who will atone for his sins?

αὐτὸς σὰρξ ὢν διατηρεῖ μῆνιν τίς ἐξιλάσεται τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ

6Remember the end of your life And cease from enmity; Remember destruction and death And stand fast in the commandments.

μνήσθητι τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ παῦσαι ἐχθραίνων καταφθορὰν καὶ θάνατον καὶ ἔμμενε ἐντολαῖς

7Remember the commandments And do not vent your wrath against your neighbor; Remember the covenant of the Most High And overlook faults.

μνήσθητι ἐντολῶν καὶ μὴ μηνίσῃς τῷ πλησίον καὶ διαθήκην ὑψίστου καὶ πάριδε ἄγνοιαν

8Refrain from quarreling and you will decrease your sins, For a man who is hot-tempered will kindle quarreling.

ἀπόσχου ἀπὸ μάχης καὶ ἐλαττώσεις ἁμαρτίας ἄνθρωπος γὰρ θυμώδης ἐκκαύσει μάχην

9A sinful man will trouble his friends, And among those who live in peace he will inject unfriendliness.

καὶ ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλὸς ταράξει φίλους καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον εἰρηνευόντων ἐμβαλεῖ διαβολήν

10The heat of a fire will be kindled according to the amount of wood; So also the heat of a fire will be kindled according to the obstinacy of quarreling. According to the strength of a man, so his anger shall be; And according to his wealth, he will increase his wrath.

κατὰ τὴν ὕλην τοῦ πυρὸς οὕτως ἐκκαυθήσεται καὶ κατὰ τὴν στερέωσιν τῆς μάχης ἐκκαυθήσεται κατὰ τὴν ἰσχὺν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ ἔσται καὶ κατὰ τὸν πλοῦτον ἀνυψώσει ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ

11A hasty quarrel kindles a fire, And a vigorous quarrel sheds blood.

ἔρις κατασπευδομένη ἐκκαίει πῦρ καὶ μάχη κατασπεύδουσα ἐκχέει αἷμα

12If you blow on a spark, it will kindle a fire, But if you spit on it, it will be quenched; Yet both come out of your mouth.

ἐὰν φυσήσῃς εἰς σπινθῆρα ἐκκαήσεται καὶ ἐὰν πτύσῃς ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν σβεσθήσεται καὶ ἀμφότερα ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου ἐκπορεύεται

13Curse a slanderous and deceitful man, For he has destroyed many who were at peace.

ψίθυρον καὶ δίγλωσσον καταράσασθε πολλοὺς γὰρ εἰρηνεύοντας ἀπώλεσεν

14Slander has unsettled many And scattered them from nation to nation; And it has destroyed strong cities And overturned the houses of great men.

γλῶσσα τρίτη πολλοὺς ἐσάλευσεν καὶ διέστησεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ ἔθνους εἰς ἔθνος καὶ πόλεις ὀχυρὰς καθεῖλεν καὶ οἰκίας μεγιστάνων κατέστρεψεν

15Slander has driven away courageous women And robbed them of their labors.

γλῶσσα τρίτη γυναῖκας ἀνδρείας ἐξέβαλεν καὶ ἐστέρεσεν αὐτὰς τῶν πόνων αὐτῶν

16He who devotes himself to slander will not find rest, Nor shall he dwell in quietness.

ὁ προσέχων αὐτῇ οὐ μὴ εὕρῃ ἀνάπαυσιν οὐδὲ κατασκηνώσει μεθ᾿ ἡσυχίας

17The blow from a whip causes a wound, But a blow from the tongue breaks bones.

πληγὴ μάστιγος ποιεῖ μώλωπα πληγὴ δὲ γλώσσης συγκλάσει ὀστᾶ

18Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, But not so many as those who have fallen because of the tongue.

πολλοὶ ἔπεσαν ἐν στόματι μαχαίρας καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἱ πεπτωκότες διὰ γλῶσσαν

19Blessed is the man who is sheltered from it, Who has not passed through the anger of the tongue; Who does not drag its yoke And is not bound by its chains.

μακάριος ὁ σκεπασθεὶς ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς ὃς οὐ διῆλθεν ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτῆς ὃς οὐχ εἵλκυσεν τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς αὐτῆς οὐκ ἐδέθη

20For its yoke is a yoke of iron, And its chains are chains of bronze.

ὁ γὰρ ζυγὸς αὐτῆς ζυγὸς σιδηροῦς καὶ οἱ δεσμοὶ αὐτῆς δεσμοὶ χάλκειοι

21Its death is an evil death, And Hades is preferable to it.

θάνατος πονηρὸς ὁ θάνατος αὐτῆς καὶ λυσιτελὴς μᾶλλον ὁ ᾅδης αὐτῆς

22An evil tongue will not prevail over the godly, And they will not be burned in its flame.

οὐ μὴ κρατήσῃ εὐσεβῶν καὶ ἐν τῇ φλογὶ αὐτῆς οὐ καήσονται

23Those who forsake the Lord will fall into it, And among them it will be kindled; And it will not be quenched. It will set upon them like a lion, And like a leopard it will mangle them.

οἱ καταλείποντες κύριον ἐμπεσοῦνται εἰς αὐτήν καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐκκαήσεται καὶ οὐ μὴ σβεσθῇ ἐπαποσταλήσεται αὐτοῖς ὡς λέων καὶ ὡς πάρδαλις λυμανεῖται αὐτούς

24See that you fence in your possessions with thorns; Lock up your silver and gold.

ἰδὲ περίφραξον τὸ κτῆμά σου ἀκάνθαις τὸ ἀργύριόν σου καὶ τὸ χρυσίον κατάδησον

25Make balances and scales for your words And bar and bolt the door of your mouth.

καὶ τοῖς λόγοις σου ποίησον ζυγὸν καὶ σταθμὸν καὶ τῷ στόματί σου ποίησον θύραν καὶ μοχλόν

26Beware lest you make a slip with your tongue, Lest you fall victim before him who lies in wait.

πρόσεχε μήπως ὀλίσθῃς ἐν αὐτῇ μὴ πέσῃς κατέναντι ἐνεδρεύοντος