Wisdom of Ben Sira 33:19-42:14

New Catholic Bible

¹⁹ Listen to me, you who hold high positions among the people!
    You leaders of the assembly, pay heed to what I have to say!
²⁰ Neither to son or wife, nor to brother or friend,
    give power over yourself as long as you live.
And do not give your property to another,
    in case you change your mind and want it back.
²¹ As long as you are alive and have breath within you,
    do not yield authority over yourself to anyone.
²² It is far better for your children to beg for your help
    than for you to have recourse to their handouts.
²³ Be in control in everything that you do,
    and allow no stain to tarnish your reputation.
²⁴ Only on the day that your life draws to a close,
    at the hour of death, should you distribute your inheritance.

²⁵ To a donkey belong fodder, the stick, and burdens;
    to slaves belong bread, discipline, and work.
²⁶ If you work your slave hard, you will have rest for yourself;
    if you allow his hands to be idle, he will seek his freedom.
²⁷ Yoke and harness will bow the neck of an ox;
    for a wicked slave, apply the rack and torture.
²⁸ Put him to work so that he will not be idle,
²⁹     for idleness is a superb teacher of mischief.
³⁰ Put him to work, for that is his purpose in life;
    and if he does not obey, burden him with fetters.
However, do not be overbearing toward anyone,
    and do nothing contrary to justice.
³¹ If you have only one slave, treat him like yourself,
    for you have acquired him with blood.
If you have only one slave, treat him as a brother,
    since you will need him as much as you need yourself.
³² If you ill-treat him and he runs away,
³³     where will you go to look for him?

¹ Vain and false are the hopes of the senseless,
    and dreams offer wings to a fool.
² Like one who clutches at shadows or chases the wind
    is someone who pays heed to dreams.
³ What you see in dreams is simply an image,
    the reflection of a face in a mirror.
⁴ From something unclean what can be clean?
    From something false what can be true?
⁵ Divinations, omens, and dreams are all unreal;
    the mind portrays what you already expect.
⁶ Unless they are sent through the intervention of the Most High,
    pay no attention to them.
⁷ For dreams have led many astray,
    and those who have placed their hopes in them have been greatly disappointed.
⁸ Without such deceptions the law is fulfilled,
    and wisdom is perfected in the mouth of the faithful.^[e]

⁹ Someone who is well traveled^[f] knows many things,
    and someone who is experienced understands what he is talking about.
¹⁰ Someone who is inexperienced knows few things,
¹¹     whereas one who has traveled extensively acquires cleverness.
¹² I have seen many things during my travels
    and have come to understand more than I can put into words.
¹³ I have often been in danger of death,
    but I have been saved because of these things.

¹⁴ The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live,
¹⁵     for their hope is in him who is their Savior.
¹⁶ The man who fears the Lord is never fearful of anything else,
    never cowardly, for he is his hope.
¹⁷ Blessed is the soul that fears the Lord.
¹⁸     To whom does he look? Who is his support?
¹⁹ The eyes of the Lord watch over those who love him;
    he is their powerful shield and firm support,
a shelter from the scorching wind and a shade from the noonday sun,
    a guard against stumbling and a help against falling.
²⁰ He revives the soul and brightens the eyes;
    he gives health, life, and blessing.

²¹ A sacrifice of ill-gotten goods is tainted;
²²     the gifts of the wicked are not acceptable.
²³ The Most High takes no pleasure in the offerings of the godless,
    nor do their many sacrifices gain his pardon for their sins.
²⁴ Like the man who slays a son in his father’s presence
    is the one who offers a sacrifice taken from the possessions of the poor.
²⁵ The bread of charity is life itself to the poor;
    whoever deprives them of it is a murderer.
²⁶ To take away a neighbor’s livelihood is to commit murder;
²⁷     to deny a laborer his wages is to shed blood.
²⁸ When one builds up and another tears down,
    what have they gotten out of it but hard work?
²⁹ When one prays and another curses,
    to whose voice will the Lord listen?
³⁰ If someone bathes after touching a corpse and then touches it again,
    what has been gained by washing?
³¹ So it is with the one who fasts for his sins
    and then goes out and commits them again.
Who will listen to his prayer?
    And what has he gained by his penance?

¹ The one who observes the law multiplies his offerings;
²     one who keeps the commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
³ The one who returns a kindness offers choice flour,^[i]
4     and one who gives alms presents a sacrifice of praise.
⁵ If you wish to please the Lord, abandon wickedness;
    to forsake wrongdoing is a sacrifice of atonement.
⁶ Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed,
⁷     for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the commandments.
⁸ The offering of the righteous enriches the altar,
    and its pleasing odor rises before the Most High.
⁹ The sacrifice of the righteous is acceptable,
    nor will it ever be forgotten.
¹⁰ Have a spirit of generosity when you honor the Lord;
    do not begrudge the firstfruits of your labor.
¹¹ With every gift show a cheerful countenance,
    and dedicate your tithes in a spirit of joy.
¹² Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
    as generously as your means allow.
¹³ For the Lord never neglects to repay,
    and he will reward you sevenfold.
[The man who gives to the poor makes God his debtor;
    who will make recompense if not God?]^[j]

¹⁴ Do not offer God a bribe, for he will not accept it,
¹⁵     and do not place your hope in a dishonest sacrifice.
For the Lord is a judge,
    and he is completely impartial.
¹⁶ He will not show favoritism to the detriment of the poor,
    and he listens to the cries of the oppressed.
¹⁷ He does not ignore the supplication of the orphan,
    or that of the widow when she pours out her complaint.
¹⁸ Do not the tears of the widow stream down her cheeks
¹⁹     as she cries out against the one who has been their cause?
²⁰ The one who serves God wholeheartedly will be heard;
    his petition will reach the heavens.
²¹ The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds;
    it does not rest until it reaches its goal.
Nor will it desist until the Most High responds,
²²     relieves the sufferings of the righteous, and reestablishes equity.
Indeed God will not delay,
    nor will he cease to act on their behalf,^[l]
until he has crushed the bones of the merciless
²³     and wreaked vengeance on the nations,
until he has destroyed the insolent multitude
    and shattered the scepters of the wicked,
²⁴ until he has requited each one according to his deeds
    and repaid his works as his intentions deserve,
²⁵ until he has rendered justice to his people
    and disposed them to rejoice in his mercy.
²⁶ His mercy is as welcome in a time of affliction
    as rain clouds in a time of drought.

¹ Have pity on us, Master, Lord of the universe,
²     and put the nations in dread of you.
³ Lift up your hand against the foreign nations,
    and let them behold your mighty deeds.
⁴ As you have used us to display your holiness to them,
    so now use them to show your glory to us.
⁵ Let them acknowledge^[n] you, as we ourselves have acknowledged
    that there is no God but you, O Lord.
⁶ Give new signs and work other wonders;
⁷     show forth the glorious splendor of your right hand and arm.
⁸ Rouse your anger and pour forth your wrath;
⁹     destroy the adversary and wipe out the foe.
¹⁰ Hasten the day and remember your oath;^[o]
    give people cause to recount your mighty deeds.
¹¹ Let your burning wrath consume the survivors,
    and let destruction be the fate of those who oppress your people.
¹² Crush the heads of hostile rulers
    who proclaim, “There is no one else but us.”
¹³ Gather all the tribes of Jacob,^[p]
16     and grant them their inheritance as you did in earlier times.
¹⁷ Show mercy, Lord, to the people called by your name,
    Israel, whom you treated as^[q] your firstborn.
¹⁸ Have compassion on the holy city,
    Jerusalem, your dwelling place.
¹⁹ Fill Zion with your majesty^[r]
    and your people with your glory.
²⁰ Vindicate those whom you created in the beginning,^[s]
    and fulfill the prophecies spoken in your name.
²¹ Reward those who hope in you,
    and let your prophets be proved true.
²² Hear, O Lord, the prayer of your servants,
    according to the blessing of Aaron for^[t] your people.
Thus, all who live on the earth will acknowledge
    that you are the Lord, the God of the ages.

²³ The stomach takes in all kinds of food,
    yet some foods are better than others.
²⁴ As the palate discerns the types of meat,
    so a discerning mind can recognize lying words.
²⁵ A perverse mind causes grief,
    but a man of experience knows how to pay such a one back.

²⁶ A woman will accept any man as a husband,
    yet one daughter will be preferable to another.
²⁷ A woman’s beauty causes a man’s face to light up,
    and there is nothing a man desires more.
²⁸ And if, perchance, her speech is kind and gentle,
    her husband is the most fortunate of men.
²⁹ A wife is her husband’s greatest treasure,
    a suitable helper for him and a pillar to provide support.
³⁰ Where there is no fence, the property will be plundered;
    when a man has no wife, he wanders about aimlessly and in misery.
³¹ Who will trust an armed thief
    who shifts quickly from city to city?
³² So it is with the man who has no nest
    but lodges wherever night overtakes him.

¹ Every friend can say, “I too am your friend,”
    but some are friends in name only.
² Is it not a sorrow comparable to that of death
    when a dear friend turns into an enemy?
³ O inclination to evil, why were you created
    to blanket the earth with deceit?
⁴ A false friend will rejoice in your prosperity
    but turn against you when misfortune strikes.
⁵ A good friend will help you for his stomach’s sake
    but will serve as your shield-bearer against your enemies.
⁶ Do not forget your friend in your heart,
    and remember him in your prosperity.

⁷ All counselors praise the advice they offer,
    but some provide counsel with their own interests in mind.
⁸ Be wary of one who offers advice;
    find out first what his interest is.
For he may be thinking only of his own best interests,
    and his advice may not be to your advantage.
⁹ He may tell you how good your way will be
    and then stand aside to see what happens to you.
¹⁰ Do not consult anyone who regards you with suspicion
    or reveal your plans to those who are jealous of you.
¹¹ Never consult with a woman about her rival
    or with a coward about war,
with a merchant about business
    or with a buyer about selling,
with a miser about generosity
    or with a cruel person about goodness of heart,
with an idler about any kind of work
    or with a casual worker about completing the job,
with a lazy servant about a large undertaking:
    do not depend on these for any counsel.
¹² Rather, associate with a devout person
    whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments,
who is of one mind with you
    and who will sympathize with you if you fall.
¹³ In addition, trust your own judgment,
    for you have no counselor more reliable for you.
¹⁴ Your own conscience will sometimes give you a more accurate warning
    than seven watchmen stationed on a high tower.
¹⁵ But above all, pray to the Most High,
    asking that he direct your steps on the path of truth.

¹⁶ Reason should precede every work,
    and deliberation should come before every undertaking.
¹⁷ Thoughts are rooted in the heart,
    which sprouts forth four branches:
¹⁸ good and evil, life and death,
    and their mistress is always the tongue.
¹⁹ One man may be clever enough to teach many
    and yet be useless to himself.
²⁰ Another may be a brilliant speaker and be detested,
    then end up by starving to death,
²¹ if the Lord has withheld grace and charm
    by depriving him of wisdom.
²² When one is wise to his own advantage,
    the fruits of his knowledge are seen in his own person.
²³ When one is wise to his people’s advantage,
    the fruits of his knowledge will be enduring.
²⁴ One who is truly wise has praise heaped upon him,
    and all who see him will call him blessed.
²⁵ The days of a man’s life are numbered,
    but the days of Israel are without number.
²⁶ One who is truly wise will gain the confidence^[z] of his people,
    and his name will endure forever.

²⁷ My child, test yourself throughout your life;
    determine what is bad for you and do not indulge in it.
²⁸ For not everything is good for everyone,
    nor do we all enjoy the same things.
²⁹ Do not go to excess with any enjoyment,
    and do not be greedy for food.
³⁰ For overeating leads to illness,
    and gluttony brings on nausea.
³¹ Many have died as a result of gluttony,
    but one who guards against it prolongs his life.

¹ Honor the physician, for he is essential to you;
    for that profession was established by the Lord.
² The gift of healing comes from the Most High,
    and the king provides for the physician’s sustenance.
³ His knowledge gives the physician high standing
    and earns him the admiration of those who are great.
⁴ The Lord has created medicines from the earth,
    and no one who is sensible will despise them.
⁵ Was not water once sweetened by a tree^[ac]
    so that his power might be revealed?
⁶ He has endowed human beings with skill
    so that he might be glorified in his marvelous works.
⁷ Through them the physician heals and relieves pain,
⁸     and the pharmacist prepares suitable medicines.
Thus, there is no end to the works of God,
    from whom well-being continues to spread throughout the entire world.
⁹ My child, when you are ill, do not delay,
    but pray to God and he will heal you.
¹⁰ Purify yourself, keep your hands unsoiled,
    and cleanse your heart from all sin.
¹¹ Offer your sweet-smelling oblation and a memorial sacrifice of flour,
    and a rich sacrifice according to your means.
¹² Then summon the physician—the Lord created him too—
    and do not let him leave you, for you need him at your side.
¹³ There are times when your recovery will be in the hands of a physician,
¹⁴     for he too prays to the Lord
to grant him success in relieving the sickness
    and in finding a cure to preserve a patient’s life.
¹⁵ One who sins against his Maker
    will fall into the hands of the physician.^[ad]

¹⁶ My child, shed tears for one who has died,
    and as one in great sorrow, begin the lament.
Bury the body with proper ceremony,
    and do not neglect to honor the grave.
¹⁷ Let your weeping be bitter and your wailing passionate;
    make your mourning worthy of the departed.
Mourn for a day or two to avoid criticism;
    then be comforted in your sorrow.
¹⁸ For grief can lead to death,
    and a grieving heart can sap one’s strength.
¹⁹ After the burial, grief should cease,
    for a life of misery weighs down the heart.
²⁰ Do not abandon yourself to grief;
    banish it, and think rather of your own end.
²¹ Do not forget: there is no coming back;
    you cannot help the dead person, and you will only harm yourself.
²² Remember that his fate will also be yours;
    for him it was yesterday; for you it will be today.
²³ When the dead have been laid to rest, let their memory cease;
    be comforted for them once their spirits have departed.

²⁴ Leisure affords the scribe the opportunity to increase in wisdom;
    only the one who is burdened by few tasks can become wise.
²⁵ How can anyone become wise who handles a plow
    and who takes great pride in wielding the goad,
who drives oxen, engrossed in that task,
    and whose main topic of conversation centers around cattle?
²⁶ His major concern is for plowing furrows,
    and he loses sleep in order to give the heifers their fodder.
²⁷ The same is true for every artisan and craftsman
    who labors both night and day,
intent on engraving seals
    and diligently fashioning a variety of designs;
he concentrates on producing an exact likeness
    and stays up late to finish the task.
²⁸ So too with the smith who sits by his anvil,
    intent on forging iron.
The intensity of the fire scorches his flesh
    as he toils amid the searing heat of the furnace.
The noise of the hammer deafens his ears,
    and his eyes are focused on the model of the object.
He concentrates on completing his task
    and stays up late to finish it perfectly.
²⁹ So too with the potter sitting at his work
    and turning the wheel with his feet.
He is always concerned about his products,
    and he turns them out in quantity.
³⁰ He molds the clay with his hands
    and softens it with his feet.
He concentrates on doing the glazing correctly
    and stays up late to clean the furnace.
³¹ All of these workers rely on their hands,
    and all are experts in their craft.
³² Without them no city would be constructed,
    neither could people live or walk in one.^[ah]
33 Yet they are not sought out for public discussions,
    nor do they attain prominent positions in the assembly.
They do not sit on the judge’s bench,
    nor do they comprehend the decisions of the courts.
They do not expound on culture or law,
    nor are they counted among the authors of proverbs.
³⁴ However, they maintain the fabric of this world,
    and their concern is for the experience of their craft.

How different a situation it is with the man who devotes himself to the fear of God
    and to the study of the law of the Most High.

¹ He researches the wisdom of all the ancients
    and occupies himself with the study of the prophecies.
² He preserves the sayings of famous men
    and penetrates the subtleties of parables.
³ He seeks out the hidden meanings of proverbs
    and ponders the obscure sense of parables.
⁴ He enters the service of the great
    and appears in the presence of rulers.
He travels in foreign countries,
    experiencing a wide spectrum of human good and evil.
⁵ He makes sure to rise early
    to seek the Lord, his Maker;
he petitions the Most High
    as he opens his mouth in prayer
    and asks pardon for his sins.
⁶ If such is the will of the Lord Almighty,
    he will be filled with the spirit of understanding.
He will pour forth words of wisdom of his own devising
    and give thanks to the Lord in prayer.
⁷ The Lord will direct his counsel and his knowledge
    as he meditates upon the mysteries of God.
⁸ He will show the wisdom of what he has learned
    and will glory in the law of the Lord’s covenant.
⁹ Many will praise his intelligence,
    and his fame will never be forgotten.
The memory of him will never die,
    and his name will live through all generations.
¹⁰ Nations will speak of his wisdom,
    and the assembly will proclaim his praise.
¹¹ If his life span is great, his name will be more glorious
    than those of a thousand other people;
    and if he dies, that will be all right with him.

¹² I have still further thoughts on which I wish to expound;
    I am as full as the moon at mid-month.
¹³ Listen to me, my faithful children, and blossom,
    like a rose planted by a stream of water.
¹⁴ Send out your fragrance like incense,
    and bring forth blossoms like a lily;
scatter your fragrance and sing a hymn of praise,
    blessing the Lord for everything he has done.
¹⁵ Proclaim the greatness of his name,
    and offer your praise and gratitude to him;
with songs accompanied by harps and stringed instruments,
    this is what you must say in thanksgiving:
¹⁶ “All the works of God are marvelous,
    and everything that he commands will occur at the designated time.
Let no one ask ‘What is this?’ or ‘Why is that?’
    In due time all such questions will be answered.^[ak]
17 At his command the waters piled up,
    and the word of his mouth created reservoirs to encompass them.^[al]
18 When he commands, his will is done;
    no one can thwart his saving power.
¹⁹ The deeds of all people are before him,
    and nothing can be hidden from his eyes.
²⁰ His gaze stretches from the beginning to the end of time,
    and nothing is too marvelous for him.
²¹ Thus, let no one ask ‘What is this?’ or ‘Why is that?’
    for all things have been created for a purpose.
²² “His blessing overflows like a river,
    and like the flood it enriches the surface of the earth.
²³ Thus, the nations experience his wrath,
    just as he transformed the waters into a salt desert.
²⁴ For the devout his paths are smooth,
    but for the wicked they are full of obstacles.
²⁵ From the beginning good things were created for the upright,
    but also bad things for sinners.
²⁶ The basic necessities of human life
    are water, fire, iron, salt,
wheat flour, milk, and honey,
    the juice of the grape, oil, and clothing.
²⁷ All these are good for those who are good,
    but for the wicked they turn out to be bad.
²⁸ “Some winds have been created as means of punishment,
    and in their fury they can scourge mightily.^[am]
On the day of reckoning they will unleash their violence
    and appease the anger of their Maker.
²⁹ Fire and hail, famine and pestilence—
    all these have been created for retribution.
³⁰ Ravenous beasts, scorpions, and vipers,
    and the avenging sword to destroy the ungodly—
³¹ all of them delight in his commandment,
    always prepared for his service on the earth,
    and when their time comes, they never disobey his commands.
³² I have been convinced of all this from the beginning;
    that is why I have thought it all over and have written:
³³ All the works of God are good,
    and he supplies every need as it arises.
³⁴ There is therefore no reason to say: “This is worse than that,”
    for sooner or later everything will prove its worth.
³⁵ So now, sing with all your heart and voice,
    and bless the name of God.”

¹ Strenuous labor is the lot of everyone,
    and a heavy yoke has been laid on the children of Adam,
from the day when one emerges from his mother’s womb
    until the day when he returns to the earth, the mother of all the living.^[ao]
2 Matter for his reflection and anxiety for his heart
    are offered by the thought of what awaits him and the day of death.
³ Whether he sits in splendor on a throne
    or grovels in dust and ashes,
⁴ whether he wears the purple and a crown
    or is clothed in burlap,
⁵ his life is filled with anger and envy, trouble and unrest,
    fear of death, fury and strife.
Even when he goes to bed at night,
    his sleep is disturbed by confusion and worry.
⁶ He receives little if any rest,
    struggling while he dreams as he does when he is awake.
Terrified by nightmares,
    he is like someone who has fled from the battlefield.
⁷ Just as he reaches safety, he wakes up,
    astonished to realize that his fears were groundless.
⁸ To all flesh, human and animal—
    but to sinners seven times more—
⁹ come death and bloodshed, strife and sword,
    disasters and famine, affliction and plague.
¹⁰ All these calamities were created for the wicked,
    and the flood came because of them.
¹¹ All that is of the earth returns to the earth,
    and all that is from the waters returns to the sea.^[ap]

¹² All bribery and injustice will be blotted out,
    but good faith will stand forever.
¹³ That wealth whose source is wickedness will dry up like a river
    and vanish as quickly as a clap of thunder during a storm.
¹⁴ As the righteous man rejoices in opening his hands,
    so transgressors will come to ruin.
¹⁵ The children of the godless put forth very few branches,
    for tainted roots are planted only on sheer rock.
¹⁶ They are like reeds along the riverbank
    that are plucked before any other plants.
¹⁷ However, goodness is a paradise of blessings.

¹⁸ Wealth and wages make life sweet,
    but better than either is finding a treasure.
¹⁹ Children and the founding of a city will preserve one’s name,
    but better than either is finding wisdom.
Cattle and orchards make a man well known,^[as]
    but better than either is a perfect wife.
²⁰ Wine and music gladden the heart,
    but better than either is the love of wisdom.
²¹ The flute and the harp make sweet melody,
    but better than either is a pleasant voice.
²² The eye delights to gaze upon grace and beauty,
    but better than either are the green shoots in a cornfield.
²³ A friend and a companion are encountered in good time,
    but better than either is a sensible wife.^[at]
24 A brother and a helper are cherished in times of stress,
    but better than either is the aid provided by almsgiving.
²⁵ Gold and silver make one’s way secure,
    but better than either is sound advice.
²⁶ Riches and vigor build up self-confidence,
    but better than either is fear of God.
With the fear of the Lord, nothing is lacking;
    whoever has it does not need to seek any further help.
²⁷ The fear of God is a paradise of blessings
    and offers greater protection than any possible glory able to be achieved.

²⁸ My child, do not lead the life of a beggar;
    it is better to die than to beg.
²⁹ When you start to eye someone else’s table,
    your life truly is not worth calling a life.
The gullet is defiled with the food of strangers;
    anyone who is wise and well-instructed will guard against doing that.
³⁰ In the mouth of the shameless, begging is sweet,
    but inside him the fires of resentment burn.

¹ O death, how bitter is the thought of you
    to someone who lives at ease among his possessions,
who is free from worries and prosperous in all things
    and still healthy enough to enjoy food.
² O death, how welcome is your sentence
    to someone in want whose strength is failing,
worn out with age and burdened by endless anxiety,
    resentful and no longer blessed with patience.
³ Do not fear death’s sentence;
    remember it embraces those who preceded you and those who will come after.
⁴ This is God’s sentence on all flesh,
    so why do you reject the pleasure of the Most High?
Whether one’s life lasts ten years, or a hundred, or a thousand,
    no questions will be asked about it in the netherworld.

⁵ The children of sinners are a loathsome lot,
    and they frequent the homes of the ungodly.
⁶ The inheritance of the children of sinners is doomed to perish,
    and their descendants will live in perpetual disgrace.
⁷ Children will blame a godless father
    for the reproach they endure because of him.
⁸ Woe to you who are godless,
    who have forsaken the law of God Most High.
⁹ If you have children, they will endure calamity;
    you will beget them solely for groaning.
When you stumble, lasting joy prevails;
    and when you die, a curse is your lot.
¹⁰ All that comes from the earth returns to the earth;
    so too the wicked go from malediction to destruction.
¹¹ Men grieve over their bodies,
    but the bad name of sinners will be blotted out.^[ax]

¹² Have regard for your name, for it will outlive you
    far longer than a thousand hoards of gold.
¹³ The days of a good life are numbered,
    but a good name lasts forever.

¹⁴ My children, keep my instructions,
    and live in peace.
Concealed wisdom and buried treasure—
    of what value is either?
¹⁵ Better is one who hides his folly
    than one who hides his wisdom.

¹⁶ Therefore, provide a sense of shame in the following matters,
    for shame is not always appropriate in every instance,
    nor is it to be approved in every situation.
¹⁷ Be ashamed to be caught by your father or mother in an act of sexual immorality,
    or by a ruler or a prince in lies,
¹⁸ or before a judge or a magistrate in a crime,
    or by the assembly of the people in a violation of the law,
or by a friend or a partner in dishonesty,
¹⁹     or by an act of thievery in the place where you live.
Be ashamed of violating the truth of God and his covenant
    and of putting your elbows on the table,
of being ungracious when giving or receiving
²⁰     and of ignoring those who greet you,
of gazing at a prostitute
²¹     and of rejecting an appeal for help from a relative,
of misappropriating someone’s rightful share
    and of eyeing another man’s wife,
²² of making advances toward his servant girl,
    or of approaching her bed,
of using abusive words to friends,
    or of giving an insulting lecture after an act of charity.

¹ Be ashamed of repeating everything you hear
    and of betraying a confidence.
Then you will show a proper sense of shame
    and find favor with everyone.

But of the following things do not be ashamed,
    and do not sin in fear of the opinions of others.
² Do not be ashamed of the law of the Most High and of his covenant,
    or of acting justly even if it results in the acquittal of the ungodly;
³ of reckoning expenses with a partner or a traveling companion,
    or of sharing an inheritance with friends;
⁴ of ensuring the accuracy of scales and measures,
    or of acquiring possessions, whether few or many;
⁵ of earning a profit in dealing with merchants,
    or of frequent disciplining of children,
    or of drawing blood from the back of a wicked servant;
⁶ of employing a seal on your door if you have an erring wife,
    or of using a key to make things secure where there are many hands;
⁷ of numbering every deposit,
    or of recording all that is taken in or given out;
⁸ of correcting an ignorant or a foolish man,
    or a dotard who bickers with the young;
in this way, you will exhibit your sound training
    and win universal approval.

⁹ A daughter is a treasure that makes her father anxious,
    and in his worry about her he loses sleep:
when she is young, for fear she may never marry,
    and when she is married, for fear her husband may hate her;
¹⁰ when she is a virgin, for fear she may be seduced
    and become pregnant in her father’s house;
when she has a husband, for fear she may prove unfaithful,
    and after marriage, for fear she may prove to be barren.
¹¹ Keep a close watch on a headstrong daughter,
    lest she make you an object of ridicule to your enemies,
causing you to be the talk of the town, the subject of gossip,
    and an object of derision in public gatherings.
Make sure that her room has no lattice,
    no spot that overlooks the approaches to the house.
¹² Do not allow her to parade her beauty before any man
    or spend her time with married women;
¹³ for just as out of clothes comes the moth
    so from a woman comes woman’s wickedness.
¹⁴ Better is the wickedness of a man than a woman’s goodness,
    but better is a religious daughter than a son without shame.