Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 27

¹ Many have sinned for the sake of profit, he who hopes to be rich must be ruthless.

² A peg will stick in the joint between two stones, and sin will wedge itself between selling and buying.

³ If a man does not hold earnestly to the fear of the Lord, his House will soon be overthrown.

⁴ In a shaken sieve the rubbish is left behind, so too the defects of a man appear in his talk.

⁵ The kiln tests the work of the potter, the test of a man is in his conversation.

⁶ The orchard where the tree grows is judged on the quality of its fruit, similarly a man’s words betray what he feels.

⁷ Do not praise a man before he has spoken, since this is the test of men.

⁸ If you pursue justice you will achieve it and put it on like a festal gown.

⁹ Birds consort with their kind, justice comes home to those who practise it.

¹⁰ The lion lies in wait for its prey, so does sin for those who do wrong.

¹¹ The devout man’s conversation is wisdom at all times, but the fool is as changeable as the moon.

¹² Among stupid people look for your opportunity to leave, but among thoughtful men take your time.

¹³ The conversation of fools is disgusting, raucous their laughter at their sinful orgies.

¹⁴ The talk of hard-swearing men makes your hair stand on end, their brawls make you stop your ears.

¹⁵ A quarrel between proud men leads to bloodshed, their abuse is painful to hear.

¹⁶ A betrayer of secrets forfeits all esteem and will never find the kind of friend he wants.

¹⁷ Be fond of a friend and keep faith with him, but if you have betrayed his secrets, do not pursue him any more;

¹⁸ for as a man destroys his enemy, so you have destroyed the friendship of your neighbour,

¹⁹ and as you let a bird slip through your fingers, so you have let your friend go, and will not catch him

²⁰ Do not go after him – he is far away, he has fled like a gazelle from the snare.

²¹ For a wound can be bandaged and abuse forgiven, but for the man who has betrayed a secret there is no hope.

²² The man with a sly wink is plotting mischief, no one can dissuade him from it.

²³ Honey-tongued to your face, he is lost in admiration at your words; but behind your back he has other things to say, and makes your own words sound offensive.

²⁴ I have found many things to hate, but nothing to equal this man, and the Lord hates him too.

²⁵ The man who throws a stone in the air, throws it on to his own head; a treacherous blow cuts both ways.

²⁶ The man who digs a pit falls into it, he who sets a snare will be caught by it.

²⁷ On the man who does evil, evil will recoil, though where it came from he will not know.

²⁸ Sarcasm and abuse are the mark of an arrogant man, but vengeance lies in wait like a lion for him.

²⁹ The trap will close on all who rejoice in the downfall of the devout, and pain will eat them up before they die.

³⁰ Resentment and anger, these are foul things too, and both are found with the sinner.