### Douay Rheims Bible

Sirach 3

## The Book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)

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| # Chapter 4
#### 1 | Son, defraud not the poor of alms, and turn not away thy eyes from the poor.
#### 2 | Despise not the hungry soul: and provoke not the Boor in his want.
#### 3 | Afflict not the heart of the needy, and defer not to give to him that is in distress.
#### 4 | Reject not the petition of the afflicted: and turn not away thy face from the needy.
#### 5 | Turn not away thy eyes from the poor for fear of anger: and leave not to them that ask of thee to curse thee behind thy back.
#### 6 | For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of his soul, shall be heard, for he that made him will hear him.
#### 7 | Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poor, and humble thy soul to the ancient, and bow thy head to a great man.
#### 8 | Bow down thy ear cheerfully to the poor, and pay what thou owest, and answer him peaceable words with mildness.
#### 9 | Deliver him that suffereth wrong out of the hand of the proud: and be not fainthearted in thy soul.
#### 10 | In judging be merciful to the fatherless as a father, and as a husband to their mother.
#### 11 | And thou shalt be as the obedient son of the most High, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother.
#### 12 | Wisdom inspireth life into her children, and protecteth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice.
#### 13 | And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness.
#### 14 | They that hold her fast, shall inherit life: and whithersoever she entereth, God will give a blessing.
#### 15 | They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy one: and God loveth them that love her.
#### 16 | He that hearkeneth to her, shall judge nations: and he that looketh upon her, shall remain secure.
#### 17 | If he trust to her, he shall inherit her, and his generation shall be in assurance.
#### 18 | For she walketh with him in temptation, and at the first she chooseth him.
#### 19 | She will bring upon him fear and dread and trial: and she will scourge him with the affliction of her discipline, till she try him by her laws, and trust his soul.
#### 20 | Then she will strengthen him, and make a straight way to him, and give him joy,
#### 21 | And will disclose her secrets to him, and will heap upon him treasures of knowledge and understanding of justice.
#### 22 | But if he go astray, she will forsake him, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy.
#### 23 | Son, observe the time, and fly from evil.
#### 24 | For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth.
#### 25 | For there is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace.
#### 26 | Accept no person against thy own person, nor against thy soul a lie.
#### 27 | Reverence not thy neighbour in his fall:
#### 28 | And refrain not to speak in the time of salvation. Hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.
#### 29 | For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and understanding, and knowledge, and learning by the word of the wise, and steadfastness in the works of justice.
#### 30 | In nowise speak against the truth, but be ashamed of the lie of thy ignorance.
#### 31 | Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but submit not thyself to every man for sin.
#### 32 | Resist not against the face of the mighty, and do not strive against the stream of the river.
#### 33 | Strive for justice for thy soul, and even unto death fight for justice, and God will overthrow thy enemies for thee.
#### 34 | Be not hasty in thy tongue: and slack and remiss in thy works.
#### 35 | Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household, and oppressing them that are under thee.
#### 36 | Let not thy hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldst give.

Sirach 5

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