Sirach 22

Sirach 22

The Idler

¹The idler is like a filthy stone,

and every one hisses at his disgrace.

²The idler is like a lump of dung;

anyone who picks it up will shake it off his hand.

Degenerate Children

³It is a disgrace to be the father of an undisciplined son,[#Prov 10.1]

and the birth of a daughter is a loss.

⁴A sensible daughter obtains a husband of her own,[#Sir 42.10]

but one who acts shamefully is a grief to her father.

⁵An impudent daughter disgraces father and husband[#Prov 12.4]

and is despised by both.

⁶Like music in time of mourning is ill-timed conversation,[#Prov 25.20; 29.15; Sir 20.20]

but a thrashing and discipline are at all times wisdom.

Wisdom and Folly

⁹Whoever teaches a fool is like one who glues potsherds together

or who rouses a sleeper from deep slumber.

¹⁰Whoever tells a story to a fool tells it to a drowsy man,

and at the end he will say, “What is it?”

¹¹Weep for the dead, for they have left the light behind,[#Jer 22.10; Sir 38.16]

and weep for the fool, for they have left intelligence behind.

Weep less bitterly for the dead, for they are at rest,

but the life of the fool is worse than death.

¹²Mourning for the dead lasts seven days,[#Jdt 16.24]

but for the foolish or the ungodly it lasts all the days of their lives.

¹³Do not talk much with senseless people

or visit unintelligent people.

Stay clear of them, or you may have trouble

and be spattered when they shake themselves off.

Avoid them and you will find rest,

and you will never be wearied by their lack of sense.

¹⁴What is heavier than lead?

And what is its name except “Fool”?

¹⁵Sand, salt, and a piece of iron[#Prov 27.3; Sir 21.16]

are easier to bear than a stupid person.

¹⁶A wooden beam firmly bonded into a building[#Ps 112.7; Prov 1.33]

is not loosened by an earthquake;

so the mind firmly resolved after due reflection

will not be afraid in a crisis.

¹⁷A mind settled on an intelligent thought

is like plaster decoration that makes a wall smooth.

¹⁸Fences set on a high place[#Prov 28.1; #22.18 Other ancient authorities read Pebbles]

will not stand firm against the wind;

so a timid mind with a fool’s resolve

will not stand firm against any fear.

The Preservation of Friendship

¹⁹One who pricks the eye brings tears,

and one who pricks the heart makes clear its feelings.

²⁰One who throws a stone at birds scares them away,[#Deut 28.26; Jer 7.33]

and one who reviles a friend destroys a friendship.

²¹Even if you draw your sword against a friend,

do not despair, for there is a way back.

²²If you open your mouth against your friend,[#Prov 20.19; Sir 27.16, 17, 21]

do not worry, for reconciliation is possible.

But as for reviling, arrogance, disclosure of secrets, or a treacherous blow—

in these cases any friend will take to flight.

²³Gain the trust of your neighbor in his poverty,[#Prov 17.17]

so that you may rejoice with him in his prosperity.

Stand by him in time of distress,

so that you may share with him in his inheritance.

²⁴The vapor and smoke of the furnace precede the fire;[#Prov 15.18; 26.21]

so insults precede bloodshed.

²⁵I am not ashamed to shelter a friend,

and I will not hide from him,

²⁶but if harm should come to me because of him,

whoever hears of it will beware of him.

A Prayer for Help against Sinning

²⁷Who will set a guard over my mouth[#Ps 39.1; 141.3; Sir 28.25]

and an effective seal upon my lips,

so that I may not fall because of them

and my tongue may not destroy me?