Ben Sira 41

¹O death! How bitter is the thought of you[#Whether death seems bitter to one who enjoys peace, success, and pleasure, or welcome to one who is weak and in despair, it comes to all and must be accepted as the will of God (vv. 1–4). The human body passes away (v. 11). Sinners as well as their offspring pass away as if they had never been (vv. 5–10). Only the good name of the virtuous endures (vv. 11–13).]

for the one at peace in his home,

For the one who is serene and always successful,

who can still enjoy life’s pleasures.

²O death! How welcome is your sentence

to the weak, failing in strength,

Stumbling and tripping on everything,

with sight gone and hope lost.

³Do not fear death’s decree for you;

remember, it embraces those before you and those to come.

⁴This decree for all flesh is from God;

why then should you reject a law of the Most High?

Whether one has lived a thousand years, a hundred, or ten,

in Sheol there are no arguments about life.

⁵The children of sinners are a reprobate line,[#Sir 3:9–11; Wis 3:16–19.]

and witless offspring are in the homes of the wicked.

⁶The inheritance of children of sinners will perish,

and on their offspring will be perpetual disgrace.

⁷Children curse their wicked father,

for they suffer disgrace because of him.

⁸Woe to you, O wicked people,

who forsake the Law of the Most High.

⁹If you have children, calamity will be theirs;

and if you beget them, it will be only for groaning.

When you stumble, there is lasting joy;

and when you die, you become a curse.

¹⁰All that is nought returns to nought,

so too the godless—from void to void.

¹¹The human body is a fleeting thing,

but a virtuous name will never be annihilated.

¹²Have respect for your name, for it will stand by you

more than thousands of precious treasures.

¹³The good things of life last a number of days,

but a good name, for days without number.

¹⁴Hidden wisdom and concealed treasure,

of what value is either?

¹⁵Better is the person who hides his folly

than the one who hides his wisdom.

¹⁴My children, listen to instruction about shame;

¹⁶judge of disgrace according to my rules,

¹⁶Not every kind of shame is shameful,

nor is every kind of disgrace to be recognized.

¹⁷Before father and mother be ashamed of immorality,

before prince and ruler, of falsehood;

¹⁸Before master and mistress, of deceit;

before the public assembly, of crime;

Before associate and friend, of disloyalty,

¹⁹and in the place where you settle, of theft.

Be ashamed of breaking an oath or a covenant,

and of stretching your elbow at dinner;

Of refusing to give when asked,

²¹of rebuffing your own relatives;

Of defrauding another of his appointed share,

²⁰of failing to return a greeting;

²¹Of gazing at a man’s wife,

²⁰of entertaining thoughts about another woman;[#Sir 9:8; Mt 5:28.]

²²Of trifling with a servant girl you have,

of violating her bed;

Of using harsh words with friends,

of following up your gifts with insults;