¹Nothing bad will happen to those who fear the Lord;

he will rescue them from trials again and again.

²The wise do not hate the law,

but those who are insincere about it are tossed about like a boat in a storm.

³A sensible person trusts in the law,

for it is as dependable as a divine oracle.

⁴Carefully prepare what you will say,

and people will listen to you.

Make use of your learning as you give your answer.

⁵The heart of a fool turns like a wheel of a cart,

and his thoughts spin like an axle.

⁶Mocking friends are like stallions;

they neigh no matter who is on their back.

Creation Was Established by the Lord’s Wisdom

⁷Why is one day more important than another

when every day receives its light from the sun?

⁸By the Lord’s wisdom they are different;

he established the various seasons and festivals.

⁹The Lord made some days important and holy,

and some of them he made ordinary.

¹⁰And all humans come from the ground,

the dust from which Adam was created.

¹¹With perfect knowledge the Lord distinguished people from each other

and assigned them their various ways of life.

¹²Some people he has blessed and exalted;

some he has made holy and drawn to himself;

and some he has cursed and humbled,

removing them from the place they once lived.

¹³As the potter’s clay is in his hand

to be shaped as he pleases,

so all people are in the hand of their Maker,

and they will be given whatever he decides.

¹⁴Good is the opposite of evil, and life is the opposite of death.

In the same way, sinners are the opposite of the godly.

¹⁵Look at everything the Most High has made;

they come in pairs, one opposite the other.

The Author Comments on His Work

¹⁶I, Sirach, kept watch at the end

like one who gleans what the grape gatherers have left behind.

¹⁷By God’s blessing I arrived before the other gleaners,

and I filled my winepress as full as any of the grape pickers’ presses.

¹⁸Notice that I have not labored only for myself

but for all who seek learning.

¹⁹Listen to me, you who hold prestige among the people,

and pay attention, you leaders of the congregation.

Managing a Household Wisely

²⁰Don’t give to your son or wife, brother or friend

power over yourself as long as you live.

Don’t give your property to someone else,

for you might change your mind and have to ask for it back.

²¹As long as you live and have breath in you,

don’t let anyone take over your position.

²²It is better for your children to ask from you

than for you to depend on your children.

²³Maintain the upper hand in all you do,

and never allow your honor to be stained.

²⁴When you come to the end of your life,

then, at the hour of your death, distribute your inheritance.

²⁵Fodder, the stick, and burdens are for a donkey;

bread, discipline, and work are for a slave.

²⁶Keep your slaves busy at work, and you will find rest.

Allow them to be idle, and they will seek freedom.

²⁷The yoke and the harness make an ox obey,

and torture and pain are for a wicked slave.

²⁸Put him to work so that he will not be idle,

²⁹for idleness trains a person to be very evil.

³⁰Put him to work, as is fitting for him,

and if he does not obey, make his fetters heavy.

But don’t be too demanding of anyone,

and do nothing unjust.

³¹If you have only one slave, treat him like yourself,

for you have bought him at a high price.

If you have only one slave, treat him like a brother,

for you need him as much as you need your own life.

³²If you mistreat him, and he runs away,

³³where will you go to find him?