Sirach 19:1–30

¹ A worker who is a drunkard will not become rich. He who despises small things will fall little by little. (WEB) ² Wine and women will make men of understanding go astray. He who joins with prostitutes is reckless. (WEB) ³ Decay and worms will have him as their heritage. A reckless soul will be taken away. (WEB) ⁴ He who is hasty to trust is shallow-hearted. He who sins offends against his own soul. (WEB) ⁵ He who rejoices in wickedness will be condemned. (WEB) ⁶ He who hates gossip has less wickedness. (WEB) ⁷ Never repeat what is told you, and you won’t lose anything. (WEB) ⁸ Whether it is of friend or foe, don’t tell it. Unless it is a sin to you, don’t reveal it. (WEB) ⁹ For if he has heard you and observed you, when the time comes, he will hate you. (WEB) ¹⁰ Have you heard something? Let it die with you. Be brave: it will not make you burst! (WEB) ¹¹ A fool will travail in pain with a word, as a woman in labor with a child. (WEB) ¹² As an arrow that sticks in the flesh of the thigh, so is gossip in a fool. (WEB) ¹³ Question a friend; it may be he didn’t do it. If he did something, it may be that he may do it no more. (WEB) ¹⁴ Question your neighbor; it may be he didn’t say it. If he has said it, it may be that he may not say it again. (WEB) ¹⁵ Question a friend; for many times there is slander. Don’t trust every word. (WEB) ¹⁶ There is one who slips, and not from the heart. Who is he who hasn’t sinned with his tongue? (WEB) ¹⁷ Reprove your neighbor before you threaten him; and give place to the law of the Most High. (WEB) ¹⁸ The fear of the Lord is the first step to be accepted [of him], and wisdom obtaineth his love. (KJV) ¹⁹ The knowledge of the commandments of the Lord is the doctrine of life: and they that do things that please him shall receive the fruit of the tree of immortality. (KJV) ²⁰ All wisdom is the fear of the Lord. In all wisdom is the doing of the law. (WEB) ²¹ If a servant say to his master, I will not do as it pleaseth thee; though afterward he do it, he angereth him that nourisheth him. (KJV) ²² The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom. The prudence of sinners is not counsel. (WEB) ²³ There is a wickedness, and it is an abomination. There is a fool lacking in wisdom. (WEB) ²⁴ Better is one who has little understanding, and fears God, than one who has much intelligence and transgresses the law. (WEB) ²⁵ There is an exquisite subtlety, and it is unjust. And there is one who perverts favor to gain a judgment. (WEB) ²⁶ There is one who does wickedly, who hangs down his head with mourning; but inwardly he is full of deceit, (WEB) ²⁷ bowing down his face, and pretending to be deaf in one ear. Where he isn’t known, he will take advantage of you. (WEB) ²⁸ And if for lack of power he is hindered from sinning, if he finds opportunity, he will do mischief. (WEB) ²⁹ A man will be known by his appearance. On… (WEB)