Ecclesiasticus 5

¹Set not thy heart upon thy goods;[#Ps. 62.10. 1 Tim. 6.17. Cp. Job 31.24.]

And say not, They are sufficient for me.

²Follow not thine own mind and thy strength,[#Cp. Prov. 3.5.]

To walk in the desires of thy heart;

³And say not, Who shall have dominion over me?[#Ps. 12.4.]

For the Lord will surely take vengeance on thee.

⁴Say not, I sinned, and what happened unto me?[#Cp. Eccles. 8.11.]

For the Lord is longsuffering.

⁵Concerning atonement, be not without fear,

To add sin upon sins:

⁶And say not, His compassion is great;

He will be pacified for the multitude of my sins:

For mercy and wrath are with him,

And his indignation will rest upon sinners.

⁷Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord;[#Cp. Is. 55.6.]

And put not off from day to day:

For suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth;

And thou shalt perish in the time of vengeance.

⁸SET not thine heart upon unrighteous gains:[#Cp. Prov. 10.2 & 11.4.]

For thou shalt profit nothing in the day of calamity.

⁹Winnow not with every wind,

And walk not in every path:

Thus doeth the sinner that hath a double tongue.

¹⁰Be stedfast in thy understanding;

And let thy word be one.

¹¹Be swift to hear;[#James 1.19.; #5.11 The remainder of this line is omitted by the best authorities.]

And with patience make thine answer.

¹²If thou hast understanding, answer thy neighbour;[#Cp. ch. 18.19.]

And if not, let thy hand be upon thy mouth.

¹³Glory and dishonour is in talk:[#Cp. Prov. 18.21 & Mat. 12.37.]

And the tongue of a man is his fall.

¹⁴Be not called a whisperer;[#ch. 21.28 & 28.13. Prov. 18.8 & 26.22. Rom. 1.29.2 Cor. 12.29.]

And lie not in wait with thy tongue:

For upon the thief there is shame,

And an evil condemnation upon him that hath a double tongue.

¹⁵In a great matter and in a small, be not ignorant;