Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 6

CHAPTER 6

¹Do not thou for a friend be made an enemy to thy neighbour; for why an evil man shall inherit upbraiding and despising [or reproof and strife] , and each sinner envious and double-tongued [or twisel-tongued] .

²Enhance thee not in the thought [or thinking] of thy soul, as a bull doeth ; lest thy virtue [or thy strength] be hurtled down by folly,

³and it eat thy leaves, and lose thy fruits, and thou be left as a dry tree in desert [or in wilderness] .

⁴Forsooth a wicked soul shall lose [or destroy] him that hath it, and it giveth him into the joy of the enemy, and it shall lead forth into the part of wicked men.

⁵A sweet word multiplieth friends, and assuageth enemies; and a tongue well gracious shall be plenteous in a good man [or a gracious tongue in a good man shall abound] .

⁶Many peaceable men be to thee, and one of a thousand be a counsellor to thee.

⁷If thou hast a friend, have him in temptation, that is, prove thou him in thine adversity , and betake not lightly [or not lightly open, or trust] , thyself to him.

⁸For there is a friend by his time, and he shall not dwell in the day of tribulation.

⁹And there is a friend which is turned to enmity; and there is a friend, that shall show openly hatred, and chiding, and despisings, [or there is a friend, that hate, and strife, and reproofs shall discover] .

¹⁰Forsooth there is a friend, fellow of table, and dwelleth not in the day of need.

¹¹If a friend dwelleth steadfast, he shall be as a man even with thee, and he shall do trustily in thy menial [or homely] things.

¹²If he meeketh himself before thee, and hideth him from thy face, thou shalt have good friendship of one accord [or of one will] .

¹³Be thou parted from thine enemies, and take heed of thy friends.

¹⁴A faithful friend is a strong defending [or a strong protection] ; forsooth he that findeth him, findeth treasure.

¹⁵No comparison is to a faithful friend; weighing of gold and of silver is not worthy against the goodness of his faithfulness.

¹⁶A faithful friend is medicine of life, and of undeadliness; and they that dread the Lord, shall find him.

¹⁷He that dreadeth the Lord, shall have evenly good friendship [or evenly shall have good friendship] ; for why his friend shall be at the likeness of him.

¹⁸Son, from thy youth take thou doctrine, and till to [thine] hoar hairs thou shalt find wisdom.

¹⁹As he that eareth, and that soweth, nigh thou to it, and abide thou the good fruits thereof. For thou shalt travail a little in the work thereof, and thou shalt eat soon of the generations thereof [or and soon thou shalt eat of the gettings of it] .

²⁰Wisdom is over-sharp or full-sharp to untaught men, and an heart-less man shall not dwell therein.

²¹As the virtue of a stone, proving shall be in them; and they shall not tarry to cast away it [or to throw it afar] .

²²Forsooth the wisdom of teaching is by the name thereof, and it is not open to many men; but it dwelleth with them, of whom it is known, till to the sight of God.

²³Son, hear thou [or Hear, son] , and take the counsel of understand-ing, and cast thou not away my counsel.

²⁴Set in thy foot into the stocks thereof, and thy neck into the bies [or collars] thereof.

²⁵Make subject [or Underlay] thy shoulder, and bear it, and be thou not annoyed in the bonds thereof.

²⁶In all thy will go to it, and in all thy virtue keep the ways thereof.

²⁷Inquire thou about it [or Ensearch it] , and it shall be made open to thee; and thou made holding wisdom forsake not it.

²⁸For in the last things thou shalt find rest therein, and it shall turn [or it shall be turned] to thee into delight-ing.

²⁹And the stocks thereof shall be to thee in defence of strength, and the foundaments of virtue, and the bies, [or collars] thereof, into a stole of glory.

³⁰For why the fairness of life is in wisdom, and the bonds thereof be healful or healthful [or wholesome] binding.

³¹Thou shalt wear it as a stole of glory, and thou shalt set [or put] on thee a crown of thanking.

³²Son, if thou takest heed to me, thou shalt learn wisdom; and if thou givest thy will, thou shalt be wise.

³³If thou bowest down thine ear, thou shalt take teaching; and if thou lovest for to hear, thou shalt be wise.

³⁴Stand thou in the multitude of prudent priests, and be thou joined of heart to the wisdom of them;

³⁵that thou mayest hear each telling [or all the telling] of God, and the proverbs of praising flee or fly not away [or escape not] from thee.

³⁶And if thou seest a wise man, wake thou to or watch him, and thy foot [often] tread on the grees of his doors.

³⁷Have thou thought in the commandments of God, and be thou most busy in his behests; and he shall give to thee [an] heart, and covetous-ness [or coveting] of wisdom shall be given to thee.