Ecclesiasticus 20

¹There is a reproof that is not comely;[#Cp. ver. 6,7,19,20 & Eccles. 3.7 & Amos 5.13.]

And there is a man that keepeth silence, and he is wise.

²How good is it to reprove, rather than to be wroth;

And he that maketh confession shall be kept back from hurt.

⁴As is the lust of an eunuch to deflower a virgin;[#ch. 30.20.]

So is he that executeth judgements with violence.

⁵There is one that keepeth silence and is found wise;[#ver. 1. Cp. Job 13.5 & Prov. 17.28.]

And there is one that is hated for his much talk.

⁶There is one that keepeth silence, for he hath no answer to make;

And there is that keepeth silence, as knowing his time.

⁷A wise man will be silent till his time come;[#Cp. ch. 32.4.]

But the braggart and fool will overpass his time.

⁸He that useth many words shall be abhorred;[#Cp. Prov. 10.19.]

And he that taketh to himself authority therein shall be hated.

⁹There is a prosperity that a man findeth in misfortunes;

And there is a gain that turneth to loss.

¹⁰There is a gift that shall not profit thee;

And there is a gift whose recompense is double.

¹¹There is an abasement because of glory;[#Cp. Mat. 23.12 & Luke 14.11 & 18.14.]

And there is that hath lifted up his head from a low estate.

¹²There is that buyeth much for a little,

And payeth for it again sevenfold.

¹³He that is wise in words shall make himself beloved;[#Cp. ch. 6.5.]

But the pleasantries of fools shall be wasted.

¹⁴The gift of a fool shall not profit thee;[#ch. 18.18.; #20.14 A line of this verse is here omitted by the best authorities.]

For his eyes are many instead of one.

¹⁵He will give little, and upbraid much;[#ch. 18.18.]

And he will open his mouth like a crier:

To-day he will lend, and to-morrow he will ask it again:

Such an one is a hateful man.

¹⁶The fool will say, I have no friend,

And I have no thanks for my good deeds;

They that eat my bread are of evil tongue.

¹⁷How oft, and of how many, shall he be laughed to scorn![#20.17 The latter part of verse 17 is omitted by the best authorities.]

¹⁸A SLIP on a pavement is better than a slip with the tongue;

So the fall of the wicked shall come speedily.

¹⁹A man without grace is as a tale out of season:[#Cp. ch. 22.6.]

It will be continually in the mouth of the ignorant.

²⁰A wise sentence from a fool's mouth will be rejected;[#20.20 Gr. parable.]

For he will not speak it in its season.

²¹There is that is hindered from sinning through want;[#Cp. Deut. 8.11-17.]

And when he taketh rest, he shall not be troubled.

²²There is that destroyeth his soul through bashfulness;[#Cp. ch. 4.21.]

And by a foolish countenance he will destroy it.

²³There is that for bashfulness promiseth to his friend;

And he maketh him his enemy for nothing.

²⁴A LIE is a foul blot in a man:[#ch. 25.2.]

It will be continually in the mouth of the ignorant.

²⁵A thief is better than a man that is continually lying:

But they both shall inherit destruction.

²⁶The disposition of a liar is dishonour;

And his shame is with him continually.

²⁷He that is wise in words shall advance himself;[#Cp. Gen. 41.39,40.]

And one that is prudent will please great men.

²⁸He that tilleth his land shall raise his heap high;[#Prov. 12.11 & 28.19.]

And he that pleaseth great men shall get pardon for iniquity.

²⁹Presents and gifts blind the eyes of the wise,[#See Ex. 23.8.]

And as a muzzle on the mouth, turn away reproofs.

³⁰Wisdom that is hid, and treasure that is out of sight,[#ch. 41.14., Cp. Wis. 7.13.]

What profit is in them both?

³¹Better is a man that hideth his folly[#ch. 41.15.]

Than a man that hideth his wisdom.