Sirach 7

1Do no evil things, And evil will never overtake you.

μὴ ποίει κακά καὶ οὐ μή σε καταλάβῃ κακόν

2Stay away from wrongdoing, And it will turn away from you.

ἀπόστηθι ἀπὸ ἀδίκου καὶ ἐκκλινεῖ ἀπὸ σοῦ

3My son, do not sow on the furrows of wrongdoing, And you will not reap the same things sevenfold.

υἱέ μὴ σπεῖρε ἐπ᾿ αὔλακας ἀδικίας καὶ οὐ μὴ θερίσῃς αὐτὰ ἑπταπλασίως

4Do not seek authority from a lord Nor the seat of honor from a king.

μὴ ζήτει παρὰ κυρίου ἡγεμονίαν μηδὲ παρὰ βασιλέως καθέδραν δόξης

5Do not declare yourself righteous before a lord, Nor play the wise man before a king.

μὴ δικαιοῦ ἔναντι κυρίου καὶ παρὰ βασιλεῖ μὴ σοφίζου

6Do not try to be a judge If you will not be strong enough to remove wrongdoing, Lest you respect the presence of the powerful And compromise your integrity.

μὴ ζήτει γενέσθαι κριτής μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύσεις ἐξᾶραι ἀδικίας μήποτε εὐλαβηθῇς ἀπὸ προσώπου δυνάστου καὶ θήσεις σκάνδαλον ἐν εὐθύτητί σου

7Do not sin against the population of a city, Nor disgrace yourself before the people.

μὴ ἁμάρτανε εἰς πλῆθος πόλεως καὶ μὴ καταβάλῃς σεαυτὸν ἐν ὄχλῳ

8Do not repeat your sin, For you will not be unpunished even for one.

μὴ καταδεσμεύσῃς δὶς ἁμαρτίαν ἐν γὰρ τῇ μιᾷ οὐκ ἀθῷος ἔσῃ

9Do not say, 'He will look upon the multitude of my gifts, And when I bring an offering to God Most High, He will accept it.'

μὴ εἴπῃς τῷ πλήθει τῶν δώρων μου ἐπόψεται καὶ ἐν τῷ προσενέγκαι με θεῷ ὑψίστῳ προσδέξεται

10Do not be fainthearted in your prayer And do not neglect to do alms.

μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην ποιῆσαι μὴ παρίδῃς

11Do not laugh at a man who is in bitterness of soul, For there is One who humbles and exalts.

μὴ καταγέλα ἄνθρωπον ὄντα ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ ἔστιν γὰρ ὁ ταπεινῶν καὶ ἀνυψῶν

12Do not devise a lie against your brother, Nor do the same against a friend.

μὴ ἀροτρία ψεῦδος ἐπ᾿ ἀδελφῷ σου μηδὲ φίλῳ τὸ ὅμοιον ποίει

13Do not desire to tell any lie, For the habit of lying never does any good.

μὴ θέλε ψεύδεσθαι πᾶν ψεῦδος ὁ γὰρ ἐνδελεχισμὸς αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰς ἀγαθόν

14Do not talk idly in the assembly of the elders, And do not repeat yourself in prayer.

μὴ ἀδολέσχει ἐν πλήθει πρεσβυτέρων καὶ μὴ δευτερώσῃς λόγον ἐν προσευχῇ σου

15Do not hate hard work, especially farming, Which was created by the Most High.

μὴ μισήσῃς ἐπίπονον ἐργασίαν καὶ γεωργίαν ὑπὸ ὑψίστου ἐκτισμένην

16Do not number yourself among an assembly of sinners; Remember that wrath will not tarry long.

μὴ προσλογίζου σεαυτὸν ἐν πλήθει ἁμαρτωλῶν μνήσθητι ὅτι ὀργὴ οὐ χρονιεῖ

17Humble yourself greatly, For the punishment of the ungodly is fire and worms.

ταπείνωσον σφόδρα τὴν ψυχήν σου ὅτι ἐκδίκησις ἀσεβοῦς πῦρ καὶ σκώληξ

18Do not exchange a friend for money, Nor a genuine brother for the gold of Ophir.

μὴ ἀλλάξῃς φίλον ἕνεκεν διαφόρου μηδὲ ἀδελφὸν γνήσιον ἐν χρυσίῳ Σουφιρ

19Do not ignore a wise and good wife, For her grace is worth more than gold.

μὴ ἀστόχει γυναικὸς σοφῆς καὶ ἀγαθῆς ἡ γὰρ χάρις αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ τὸ χρυσίον

20Do not mistreat a servant who does his work in truth Nor a hired worker who devotes himself to you.

μὴ κακώσῃς οἰκέτην ἐργαζόμενον ἐν ἀληθείᾳ μηδὲ μίσθιον διδόντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ

21Let your soul love an intelligent servant; Do not deprive him of his freedom.

οἰκέτην συνετὸν ἀγαπάτω σου ἡ ψυχή μὴ στερήσῃς αὐτὸν ἐλευθερίας

22Do you have cattle? Take care of them; And if they are profitable to you, keep them.

κτήνη σοί ἐστιν ἐπισκέπτου αὐτά καὶ εἰ ἔστιν σοι χρήσιμα ἐμμενέτω σοι

23Do you have children? Correct them, And make them obey from their youth.

τέκνα σοί ἐστιν παίδευσον αὐτὰ καὶ κάμψον ἐκ νεότητος τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῶν

24Do you have daughters? Watch carefully over their chastity, And do not be too easy on them.

θυγατέρες σοί εἰσιν πρόσεχε τῷ σώματι αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἱλαρώσῃς πρὸς αὐτὰς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου

25Give a daughter in marriage And you will have completed a great work; But give her to a man of understanding.

ἔκδου θυγατέρα καὶ ἔσῃ τετελεκὼς ἔργον μέγα καὶ ἀνδρὶ συνετῷ δώρησαι αὐτήν

26Do you have a wife after your own heart? Do not reject her, But do not trust yourself to a wife whom you disregard.

γυνή σοί ἐστιν κατὰ ψυχήν μὴ ἐκβάλῃς αὐτήν καὶ μισουμένῃ μὴ ἐμπιστεύσῃς σεαυτόν

27Honor your father with all your heart, And do not forget the birth pangs of your mother.

ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ σου δόξασον τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ μητρὸς ὠδῖνας μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ

28Remember that you were begotten through them, And what can you give back to them To the degree they gave to you?

μνήσθητι ὅτι δι᾿ αὐτῶν ἐγεννήθης καὶ τί ἀνταποδώσεις αὐτοῖς καθὼς αὐτοὶ σοί

29Fear the Lord with all your soul And honor His priests.

ἐν ὅλῃ ψυχῇ σου εὐλαβοῦ τὸν κύριον καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ θαύμαζε

30Love Him who made you And do not forsake His ministers.

ἐν ὅλῃ δυνάμει ἀγάπησον τὸν ποιήσαντά σε καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς

31Fear the Lord and honor His priests, And give them their portion as commanded: The firstfruits, the trespass offering, The gift of the shoulder offering, The sacrifice of sanctification, And the firstfruits of the holy things.

φοβοῦ τὸν κύριον καὶ δόξασον ἱερέα καὶ δὸς τὴν μερίδα αὐτῷ καθὼς ἐντέταλταί σοι ἀπαρχὴν καὶ περὶ πλημμελείας καὶ δόσιν βραχιόνων καὶ θυσίαν ἁγιασμοῦ καὶ ἀπαρχὴν ἁγίων

32Stretch forth your hand to the poor, That your blessing may be complete.

καὶ πτωχῷ ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρά σου ἵνα τελειωθῇ ἡ εὐλογία σου

33Let the kindness of giving be shown In the presence of all the living, And do not withhold kindness from the dead.

χάρις δόματος ἔναντι παντὸς ζῶντος καὶ ἐπὶ νεκρῷ μὴ ἀποκωλύσῃς χάριν

34Do not withdraw yourself from those who weep, And mourn with those who mourn.

μὴ ὑστέρει ἀπὸ κλαιόντων καὶ μετὰ πενθούντων πένθησον

35Do not hesitate to visit a sick man, For by such visits you will be loved.

μὴ ὄκνει ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ἄρρωστον ἄνθρωπον ἐκ γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων ἀγαπηθήσῃ

36With all your words, remember the time you will die, And you will never sin.

ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις σου μιμνῄσκου τὰ ἔσχατά σου καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεις