and overturned the houses of the great.
15Slanderd has driven virtuous women from their homes,
and deprived them of the fruit of their toil.
16Those who pay heed to slandere will not find rest,
nor will they settle down in peace.
17The blow of a whip raises a welt,
but a blow of the tongue crushes the bones.
18Many have fallen by the edge of the sword,
but not as many as have fallen because of the tongue.
19Happy is the one who is protected from it,
who has not been exposed to its anger,
who has not borne its yoke,
and has not been bound with its fetters.
20For its yoke is a yoke of iron,
and its fetters are fetters of bronze;
21its death is an evil death,
and Hades is preferable to it.
22It has no power over the godly;
they will not be burned in its flame.
23Those who forsake the Lord will fall into its power;
it will burn among them and will not be put out.
It will be sent out against them like a lion;
like a leopard it will mangle them.
24f As you fence in your property with thorns,
25g so make a door and a bolt for your mouth.
24h As you lock up your silver and gold,
25i so make balances and scales for your words.
26Take care not to err with your tongue,j
and fall victim to one lying in wait.
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a Other ancient authorities read for he firmly establishes
b Other ancient authorities read burn
c Gk A third tongue
d Gk A third tongue
e Gk it
f Gk A third tongue
g Gk it
h Gk it
i Gk A third tongue
j Gk with it
28.1 That the Lord keeps a strict account of one’s sins (and deeds of mercy) occurs repeatedly in Sirach. See 2.14; 3.14, 31; 5.3–8; 11.26; 12.2; 16.14; 17.23; 18.20; 35.13, 24.
28.2 Forgive your neighbor…when you pray. Cf. Mk 11.25; Lk 11.4.
28.5 Since one made sacrifice for one’s own sins, the implied answer to this question (regarding the person who harbors wrath, vv. 2–5) is no one. This puts an ethical condition upon the efficacy of sacrifice for sins.
28.7 Do not be angry with your neighbor may be an interpretation of Lev 19.18.
28.12–26 On slander.
28.22 Burned in its flame, a reference to slander, the subject throughout this section, not to Hades, mentioned in v. 21. On the fiery nature of the tongue, see Jas 3.5b–6.
SIRACH 29
On Lending and Borrowing
1The merciful lend to their neighbors;
by holding out a helping hand they keep the commandments.
2Lend to your neighbor in his time of need;
repay your neighbor when a loan falls due.
3Keep your promise and be honest with him,
and on every occasion you will find what you need.
4Many regard a loan as a windfall,
and cause trouble to those who help them.
5One kisses another’s hands until he gets a loan,
and is deferential in speaking of his neighbor’s money;
but at the time for repayment he delays,
and pays back with empty promises,
and finds fault with the time.
6If he can pay, his creditora will hardly get back half,
and will regard that as a windfall.
If he cannot pay, the borrowerb has robbed the other of his money,
and he has needlessly made him an enemy;
he will repay him with curses and reproaches,
and instead of glory will repay him with dishonor.
7Many refuse to lend, not because of meanness,
but from fearc of being defrauded needlessly.
8Nevertheless, be patient with someone in humble circumstances,
and do not keep him waiting for your alms.
9Help the poor for the commandment’s sake,
and in their need do not send them away empty-handed.
10Lose your silver for the sake of a brother or a friend,
and do not let it rust under a stone and be lost.
11Lay up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High,
and it will profit you more than gold.
12Store up almsgiving in your treasury,
and it will rescue you from every disaster;
13better than a stout shield and a sturdy spear,
it will fight for you against the enemy.
On Guaranteeing Debts
14A good person will be surety for his neighbor,
but the one who has lost all sense of shame will fail him.
15Do not forget the kindness of your guarantor,
for he has given his life for you.
16A sinner wastes the property of his guarantor,
17and the ungrateful person abandons his rescuer.
18Being surety has ruined many who were prosperous,
and has tossed them about like waves of the sea;
it has driven the influential into exile,
and they have wandered among foreign nations.
19The sinner comes to grief through surety;
his pursuit of gain involves him in lawsuits.
20Assist your neighbor to the best of your ability,
but be careful not to fall yourself.
Home and Hospitality
21The necessities of life are water, bread, and clothing,
and also a house to assure privacy.
22Better is the life of the poor under their own crude roof
than sumptuous food in the house of others.
23Be content with little or much,
and you will hear no reproach for being a guest.d
24It is a miserable life to go from house to house;
as a guest you should not open your mouth;
25you will play the host and provide drink without being thanked,
and besides this you will hear rude words like these:
26“Come here, stranger, prepare the table;
let me eat what you have there.”
27“Be off, stranger, for an honored guest is here;
my brother has come for a visit, and I need the guest-room.”
28It is hard for a sensible person to bear
scolding about lodginge and the insults of the moneylender.
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a Gk he
b Gk he
c Other ancient authorities read many refuse to lend, therefore, because of such meanness; they are afraid
d Lat: Gk reproach from your family; other ancient authorities lack this line
e Or scolding from the household
29.1–20 A twenty-two-line poem on money matters.
29.1 That the merciful lend to their neighbors is a merger of wisdom piety with the traditional code on lending to fellow Jews; cf. Ex 22.25; Lev 25.35–37; Deut 15.7–11; 23.20–21; Neh 5.10–11. In v. 20, this advice is tempered with practicality.
29.8 Almsgiving was the most emphasized of all the acts of piety; see 3.30–4.6.
29.9 For the commandment, see Deut 15.7–11.
29.10 On treasure rusting, cf. Mt 6.19; Jas 5.2–3.
29.11 Lay up…treasure, an idiomatic expression for almsgiving, a way of adding credits to one’s account. See v. 12; cf. Tob 4.9; Mt 6.20–21.
29.14 Surety, collateral. Giving surety is a topic common to wisdom texts. In Proverbs the advice is against giving surety (Prov 6.1–5; 11.15; 17.18; 22.26). See also 4QInstruction (1Q26, 4Q415–418, 423) from the Dead Sea Scrolls.
29.15 Has given his life for you. The guarantor risks property or livelihood and hence his “life.” Cf. 33.31.
2
9.21–28 Supporting oneself is better than dependence upon others.
29.21 Another list of the necessities of life is given in 39.26.
29.25 Play the host, ironic; the host is being treated like a slave.
30.1–13 On the discipline of children.
30.1 Whip him often accords with the standard approach to discipline and education in antiquity. See 22.6; cf. Prov 13.24; 23.13–14.
30.4–6 The ancient Jewish conception of survival after death was the continuation of one’s name in one’s progeny, who can enhance the father’s reputation. An avenger, the son who will defend the father’s name and interests. Honor, obligation, and the keeping of accounts were trans-generational matters.
SIRACH 30
CONCERNING CHILDRENa
1He who loves his son will whip him often,
so that he may rejoice at the way he turns out.
2He who disciplines his son will profit by him,
and will boast of him among acquaintances.
3He who teaches his son will make his enemies envious,
and will glory in him among his friends.
4When the father dies he will not seem to be dead,
for he has left behind him one like himself,
5whom in his life he looked upon with joy
and at death, without grief.
6He has left behind him an avenger against his enemies,
and one to repay the kindness of his friends.
7Whoever spoils his son will bind up his wounds,
and will suffer heartache at every cry.
8An unbroken horse turns out stubborn,
and an unchecked son turns out headstrong.
9Pamper a child, and he will terrorize you;
play with him, and he will grieve you.
10Do not laugh with him, or you will have sorrow with him,
and in the end you will gnash your teeth.
11Give him no freedom in his youth,
and do not ignore his errors.
12Bow down his neck in his youth,b
and beat his sides while he is young,
or else he will become stubborn and disobey you,
and you will have sorrow of soul from him.c
13Discipline your son and make his yoke heavy,d
so that you may not be offended by his shamelessness.
14Better off poor, healthy, and fit
than rich and afflicted in body.
15Health and fitness are better than any gold,
and a robust body than countless riches.
16There is no wealth better than health of body,
and no gladness above joy of heart.
17Death is better than a life of misery,
and eternal sleepe than chronic sickness.
CONCERNING FOODSf
18Good things poured out upon a mouth that is closed
are like offerings of food placed upon a grave.
19Of what use to an idol is a sacrifice?
For it can neither eat nor smell.
So is the one punished by the Lord;
20he sees with his eyes and groans
as a eunuch groans when embracing a girl.g
21Do not give yourself over to sorrow,
and do not distress yourself deliberately.
22A joyful heart is life itself,
and rejoicing lengthens one’s life span.
23Indulge yourselfh and take comfort,
and remove sorrow far from you,
for sorrow has destroyed many,
and no advantage ever comes from it.
24Jealousy and anger shorten life,
and anxiety brings on premature old age.
25Those who are cheerful and merry at table
will benefit from their food.
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a This heading is included in the Gk text.
b Other ancient authorities lack this line and the preceding line
c Other ancient authorities lack this line
d Heb: Gk take pains with him
e Other ancient authorities lack eternal sleep
f This heading is included in the Gk text; other ancient authorities place the heading before verse 16
g Other ancient authorities add So is the person who does right under compulsion
h Other ancient authorities read Beguile yourself
30.14–25 A miscellany on attitudes in the face of illness.
30.18 A mouth that is closed probably refers to one who is sick, but the language is suggestive of one who has died; the Hebrew reads “one who cannot eat.” The hyperbole is followed by three examples of those incapable of enjoying the pleasures of life: the dead (v. 18), idols (v. 19), and eunuchs (v. 20). Offerings of food placed upon a grave, the Eastern Mediterranean custom of placing food and pouring out drink on the burial stones of the dead. See 7.33; Deut 4.28; 26.14; Ezek 24.17; Tob 4.7.
30.19 That sacrificial offerings are of no use to an idol is ridicule. Criticism of idolatry was characteristic of the Jews. The critique is based upon the second commandment (Ex 20.4; Deut 5.8) and phrased as a comparison between the Lord as the living God and idols, lifeless things made by human artisans. The ridicule is aimed at the way in which idols were treated as if they were alive (clothed, served with offerings of food and drink, conversed with, and handled) when in fact they were lifeless objects. Cf. Ps 115.4–7; Isa 44.9–11; 57.6; Wis 13; Let Jer 27; Bel 3–22.
30.21 Do not give yourself over to sorrow, the language of mourning, used as a transition from the imagery of death (vv. 17–19) to the topic of enjoyment. On mourning, see 38.17–20.
30.23 Indulge yourself, advice also common to the Epicurean tradition. Cf. 14.11, 16; Eccl 2.24.
30.25 After the images of mourning and eating in vv. 17–23 merry at table is a weak attempt to return to the theme of gladness in vv. 14–16. The translation follows the Greek text, since the Hebrew is uncertain. V. 25 occurs at a break in the Greek text where several pages of a Greek codex were mistakenly transposed; instead of continuing with ch. 31 (as do the Hebrew and the NRSV), the Septuagint inserts 33.16–36.13 at this point, thus giving rise to messy textual seams both here and at 36.13 (where see text note d). The Greek of 30.25 may have been rephrased after the transposition in the attempt to round off the preceding proverbial unit.
SIRACH 31
Right Attitude toward Riches
1Wakefulness over wealth wastes away one’s flesh,
and anxiety about it drives away sleep.
2Wakeful anxiety prevents slumber,
and a severe illness carries off sleep.a
3The rich person toils to amass a fortune,
and when he rests he fills himself with his dainties.
4The poor person toils to make a meager living,
and if ever he rests he becomes needy.
5One who loves gold will not be justified;
one who pursues money will be led astrayb by it.
6Many have come to ruin because of gold,
and their destruction has met them face to face.
7It is a stumbling block to those who are avid for it,
and every fool will be taken captive by it.
8Blessed is the rich person who is found blameless,
and who does not go after gold.
9Who is he, that we may praise him?
For he has done wonders among his people.
10Who has been tested by it and been found perfect?
Let it be for him a ground for boasting.
Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress,
and to do evil and did not do it?
11His prosperity will be established,c
and the assembly will proclaim his acts of charity.
Table Etiquette
12Are you seated at the table of the great?d
Do not be greedy at it,
and do not say, “How much food there is here!”
13Remember that a greedy eye is a bad thing.
Therefore it sheds tears for any reason.
14Do not reach out your hand for everything you see,
and do not crowd your neighbore at the dish.
15Judge your neighbor’s feelings by your own,
and in every matter be thoughtful.
16Eat what is set before you like a well brought-up person,f
and do not chew greedily, or you will give offense.
17Be the first to stop, as befits good manners,
and do not be insatiable, or you will give offense.
18If you are seated among many persons,
do not help yourselfg before they do.
19How ample a little is for a well-disciplined person!
He does not breathe heavily when in bed.
20Healthy sleep depends on moderate eating;
he rises early, and feels fit.
The distress of sleeplessness and of nausea
and colic are with the glutton.
21If you are overstuffed with food,
get up to vomit, and you will have relief.
22Listen to me, my child, and do not disregard me,
and in the end you will appreciate my words.
In everything you do be moderate,h
and no sickness will overtake you.
23People bless the one who is liberal with food,
and their testimony to his generosity is trustworthy.
24The city complains of the one who is stingy with food,
and their testimony to his stinginess is accurate.
Temperance in Drinking Wine
25Do not try to prove your strength by wine-drinking,
for wine has destroyed many.
26As the furnace tests the work of the smith,i
so wine tests hearts when the insolent quarrel.
27Wine is very life to human beings
if taken in moderation.
What is life to one who is without wine?
It has been created to make people happy.
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