Ecclesiasticus 19

¹A workman that is a drunkard shall not become rich:[#Cp. Prov. 21.17.]

He that despiseth small things shall fall by little and little.

²Wine and women will make men of understanding to fall away:[#Hos. 4.11. Cp. Prov. 31.3-5.]

And he that cleaveth to harlots will be the more reckless.

³Moths and worms shall have him to heritage;[#Cp. Is. 51.8.]

And a reckless soul shall be taken away.

⁴He that is hasty to trust is lightminded;[#Cp. ver. 15.]

And he that sinneth shall offend against his own soul.

⁵He that maketh merry in his heart shall be condemned:[#19.5 The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.]

⁶And he that hateth talk hath the less wickedness.[#19.6 The preceding part of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.; #Prov. 21.23., Cp. James 3.2.]

⁷Never repeat what is told thee,[#Cp. ch. 41.23.]

And thou shalt fare never the worse.

⁸Whether it be of friend or foe, tell it not;

And unless it is a sin to thee, reveal it not.

⁹For he hath heard thee, and observed thee,

And when the time cometh he will hate thee.

¹⁰Hast thou heard a word? let it die with thee:

Be of good courage, it will not burst thee.

¹¹A fool will travail in pain with a word,[#Cp. ch. 8.17.]

As a woman in labour with a child.

¹²As an arrow that sticketh in the flesh of the thigh,[#19.12 Gr. thigh of flesh.]

So is a word in a fool's belly.

¹³REPROVE a friend; it may be he did it not:[#See Lev. 19.17.]

And if he did something, that he may do it no more.

¹⁴Reprove thy neighbour; it may be he said it not:[#See Lev. 19.17.]

And if he hath said it, that he may not say it again.

¹⁵Reprove a friend; for many times there is slander:[#See Lev. 19.17.]

And trust not every word.

¹⁶There is one that slippeth, and not from the heart:[#ch. 14.1.]

And who is he that hath not sinned with his tongue?

¹⁷Reprove thy neighbour before thou threaten him;[#See Lev. 19.17.]

And give place to the law of the Most High.

²⁰All wisdom is the fear of the Lord;[#See ch. 1.14.]

And in all wisdom is the doing of the law.

²²And the knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom;[#Cp. Jer. 4.22 & 1 Cor. 14.20.]

And the prudence of sinners is not counsel.

²³There is a wickedness, and the same is abomination;

And there is a fool wanting in wisdom.

²⁴Better is one that hath small understanding, and feareth,[#Cp. ch. 25.10,11.]

Than one that hath much prudence, and transgresseth the law.

²⁵There is an exquisite subtilty, and the same is unjust;

And there is one that perverteth favour to gain a judgement.

²⁶There is one that doeth wickedly, that hangeth down his head with mourning;[#Cp. ch. 12.11.]

But inwardly he is full of deceit,

²⁷Bowing down his face, and making as if he were deaf of one ear:

Where he is not known, he will be beforehand with thee.

²⁸And if for want of power he be hindered from sinning,

If he find opportunity, he will do mischief.

²⁹A man shall be known by his look,[#Cp. Is. 3.9.]

And one that hath understanding shall be known by his face, when thou meetest him.

³⁰A man's attire, and grinning laughter,[#19.30 Gr. laughter of the teeth.; #ch. 21.20., Eccles. 7.6.]

And gait, shew what he is.