Sirach 23
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1O Lord, father & gouernour of all my whole life, leaue me not to their counsel, and let me not fall by them. 2Who wil correct my thoght, and put the doctrine of wisdome in mine heart, that they may not spare me in mine ignorance, nether let their fautes passe? 3Lest mine ignorances increase, and my sinnes abounde to my destruction, and lest I fall before mine aduersarie, and mine enemies reioyce ouer me, whose hope is farre from thy mercie. 4O Lord, father & God of my life, [leaue me not in their imaginacion] nether giue me a proude looke, but turne away from thy seruants a stoute minde. 5Take from me vaine hope, and concupiscence, and reteine him in obedience, that desireth continually to serue thee. 6Let not the griedines of the bellie, nor lust of the flesh holde me, and giue not me thy seruant ouer into an impudent minde. 7¶Heare, ô ye children, the instruction of a mouth that shal speake trueth: who so kepeth it, shal not perishe thorow his lippes, [nor be hurte by wicked workes.] 8The sinner shalbe taken by his owne lippes: for the euil speaker and the proude do offende by them. 9Accustome not thy mouth to swearing: [for in it there are many falles,] nether take vp for a custome the naming of the Holy one: [for thou shalt not be vnpunished for suche things.] 10For as a seruant which is oft punished, can not be without some skarre, so he that sweareth and nameth God continually, shal not be fauteles. 11A man that vseth muche swearing, shalbe filled with wickednes, and the plague shal neuer go from his house: when he shal offend, his faute shalbe vpon him, and if he knowledge not his sinne, he maketh a double offence: and if he sweare in vaine, he shal not be innocent, but his house shalbe ful of plagues. 12There is a worde which is clothed with death: God grante that it be not founde in the heritage of Iacob: but they that feare God, eschewe all suche, & are not wrapped in sinne. 13Vse not thy mouth to ignorant rashnes: for therein is the occasion of sinne. 14¶Remember thy father and thy mother when thou art set among great men, lest thou be forgotten in their sight, and so through thy custome become a foole, and wish that thou hadest not bene borne, and curse the day of thy natiuitie. 15The man that is accustomed to opprobrious wordes, wil neuer be reformed all the daies of his life. 16There are two sortes [of men] that abounde in sinne, and the third bringeth wrath [and destruction:] a minde hote as fyre, that can not be quenched til it be consumed: an adulterous man that giueth his bodie no rest, til he haue kindled a fyre. 17(All bread is swete to a whoremonger: he wil not leaue of til he perish.) 18A man that breaketh wedlocke, & thinketh thus in his heart, Who seeth me? I am compassed about with darkenes: the walles couer me: no bodie seeth me: whome nede I to feare? the moste High wil not remember my sinnes. 19Suche a man onely feareth the eyes of men, & knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter then the sunne, beholding all the waies of men, [and the ground of the deepe,] and considereth the moste secret partes. 20He knewe all things or euer they were made, and after they be broght to passe also he loketh vpon them all. 21The same man shalbe punished in the streates of the citie, [& shalbe chased like a yong horsefoale,] and when he thinketh not vpon it, he shalbe taken: [thus shal he be put to shame of euerie man, because he wolde not vnderstand the feare of the Lord.] 22And thus shal it go also with euerie wife, that leaueth her housband, and getteth inheritance by another. 23For first she hathe disobeid the Law of the moste High, and secondly, she hathe trespaced against her owne housband, & thirdly, she hathe plaide the whore in adulterie, and gotten her children by another man. 24She shalbe broght out into the congregacion, and examinacion shalbe made of her children. 25Her children shal not take roote, and her branches shal bring forthe no frute. 26A shameful reporte shal she leaue, and her reproche shal not be put out. 27And they that remaine, shal knowe that there is nothing better then the feare of the Lord, and that there is nothing sweter then to take hede vnto the commandements of the Lord. 28It is great glorie to followe the Lord, and to be receiued of him is long life.
Chapters in Sirach