Ecclesiasticus 32

¹Have they made thee ruler of a feast ?[#Cp. John 2.8,9.]

Be not lifted up,

Be thou among them as one of them;

Take thought for them, and so sit down.

²And when thou hast done all thy office, take thy place,

That thou mayest be gladdened on their account,

And receive a crown for thy well ordering.

³Speak, thou that art the elder, for it becometh thee, but with sound knowledge;[#Cp. ver. 7.]

And hinder not music.

⁴Pour not out talk where there is a performance of music,

And display not thy wisdom out of season.

⁵As a signet of carbuncle in a setting of gold,

So is a concert of music in a banquet of wine.

⁶As a signet of emerald in a work of gold,

So is a strain of music with pleasant wine.

⁷Speak, young man, if there be need of thee;[#Cp. ver. 3, & Job 32.6.]

Yet scarcely if thou be twice asked.

⁸Sum up thy speech, many things in few words;[#Cp. Prov. 17.27.]

Be as one that knoweth and yet holdeth his tongue.

⁹If thou be among great men, behave not as their equal;[#Cp. ch. 7.14.; #ch. 13.11.]

And when another is speaking, make not much babbling.

¹⁰Before thunder speedeth lightning;

And before a shamefast man favour shall go forth.

¹¹Rise up betimes, and be not the last;

Get thee home quickly and loiter not:

¹²There take thy pastime, and do what is in thy heart;

And sin not by proud speech:

¹³And for these things bless him that made thee,[#Deut. 8.10. Cp. 1 Tim. 4.3,4.]

And giveth thee to drink freely of his good things.

¹⁴He that feareth the Lord will receive his discipline;[#Cp. ch. 18.14.]

And they that seek him early shall find favour.

¹⁵He that seeketh the law shall be filled therewith:

But the hypocrite shall stumble thereat.

¹⁶They that fear the Lord shall find judgement,

And shall kindle righteous acts as a light.

¹⁷A sinful man shunneth reproof,

And will find a judgement according to his will.

¹⁸A MAN of counsel will not neglect a thought;

A strange and proud man will not crouch in fear,

Even after he hath done a thing by himself without counsel.

¹⁹Do nothing without counsel;[#ch. 37.16. Cp. Tob. 4.18.]

And when thou hast once done, repent not.

²⁰Go not in a way of conflict;[#Cp. Prov. 16.17.]

And stumble not in stony places.

²¹Be not confident in a smooth way.[#32.21 Gr. without stumbling blocks.; #Cp. 1 Cor. 10.32 (for mg.).]

²²And beware of thine own children.[#Cp. ch. 33.19, & Mic. 7.5,6, & Mat. 10.36.]

²³In every work trust thine own soul;[#Cp. ch. 37.13, & Rom. 14.5.]

For this is the keeping of the commandments.

²⁴He that believeth the law giveth heed to the commandment;[#Cp. ch. 35.1,2.]

And he that trusteth in the Lord shall suffer no loss.