Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 21

¹ My son, have you sinned? Do not do it again, and ask forgiveness for your previous faults.

² Flee from sin as from a snake, if you approach it, it will bite you; its teeth are lion’s teeth, they deprive men of their lives.

³ All law-breaking is like a two-edged sword, the wounds it inflicts are beyond cure.

⁴ Panic and violence make havoc of palaces, similarly, desolation overtakes the houses of the proud.

⁵ A plea from a poor man’s mouth goes straight to the ear of God, whose judgement comes without delay.

⁶ Whoever resents reproof walks in the sinner’s footsteps; the man who fears the Lord bears repentance in his heart.

⁷ The glib speaker is known far and wide, but when he makes a slip the thinking man detects it.

⁸ To build your house on other people’s money is like collecting stones for your own tomb.

⁹ A meeting of lawless men is like a heap of tow: they will end in a blazing fire.

¹⁰ The sinner’s road is smoothly paved, but it ends at the pit of Sheol.

¹¹ Whoever keeps the Law will master his instincts; the fear of the Lord is made perfect in wisdom.

¹² The man who lacks intelligence cannot be taught, but intelligence can increase a man’s bitterness.

¹³ The wise man’s knowledge will increase like a flood, and his advice is like a living spring.

¹⁴ The heart of a fool is like a broken jar, it will not hold any knowledge.

¹⁵ If a cultured man hears a wise saying, he praises it and caps it with another; if an imbecile hears it, he laughs at it, and tosses it behind his back.

¹⁶ The talk of a fool is like a load on a journey, but it is a pleasure to listen to an intelligent man.

¹⁷ The shrewd man’s utterance will be eagerly awaited in the assembly, what he says will be given serious consideration.

¹⁸ The wisdom of a fool is like the wreckage of a house, the knowledge of a dolt is incoherent talk.

¹⁹ To the senseless fellow instruction is like fetters on his feet, like manacles on his right hand.

²⁰ A fool laughs at the top of his voice, but a man of intelligence quietly smiles.

²¹ To the shrewd man instruction is like a golden ornament, like a bracelet on his right arm.

²² The foot of a fool goes straight into a house, but a man of much experience is respectful in his approach;

²³ a stupid man peeps inside through the door, a well-bred man waits outside.

²⁴ Listening at doors is a sign of bad upbringing, a perceptive man would be ashamed to do so.

²⁵ The lips of gossips repeat the words of others, the words of wise men are carefully weighed.

²⁶ The heart of fools is exposed in their words; the words of wise men reveal their heart

²⁷ When a godless man curses his enemy, he is cursing himself.

²⁸ The scandal-monger sullies himself and earns the hatred of the neighbourhood.