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41
1 O death, how bitter is the remembrance of you to a man that is at peace in his possessions,
To the man that has nothing to distract him, and has prosperity in all things,
And that still has strength to receive meat!
2 O death, acceptable is your sentence to a man that is needy, and that fails in strength,
That is in extreme old age, and is distracted about all things,
And is perverse, and has lost patience!
3 Don’t be afraid of the sentence of death;
Remember those who have been before you, and that come after:
This is the sentence from the Lord over all flesh.
4 And why do you refuse, when it is the good pleasure of the Most High?
Whether it be ten, or a hundred, or a thousand years,
There is no inquisition of life in* Gr. hades the grave.
5 The children of sinners are abominable children,
And they frequent the dwellings of the ungodly.
6 The inheritance of sinners’ children shall perish,
And with their posterity shall be a perpetual reproach.
7 Children will complain of an ungodly father,
Because they shall be reproached for his sake.
8 Woe to you, ungodly men,
Which have forsaken the law of the Most High God!† The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.
9 If you° be born, you° shall be born to a curse;
If you° die, a curse shall be your portion.
10 All things that are of the earth shall go back to the earth:
So the ungodly shall go from a curse to perdition.
11 The mourning of men is about their bodies:
But the name of sinners being evil shall be blotted out.
12 Have regard to your name;
For it continues with you longer than a thousand great treasures of gold.
13 A good life has its number of days;
And a good name continues forever.
14 My children, keep instruction in peace:
But wisdom that is hid, and a treasure that is not seen,
What profit is in them both?
15 Better is a man that hides his foolishness
Than a man that hides his wisdom.
16 Wherefore show reverence to my word:
For it is not good to retain every kind of shame;
And not all things are approved by all in good faith.
17 Be ashamed of whoredom before father and mother:
And of a lie before a prince and a mighty man;
18 Of an offense before a judge and ruler;
Of iniquity before the congregation and the people;
Of unjust dealing before a partner and friend;
19 And of theft in regard of the place where you sojourn,
And in regard of the truth of God and his covenant;
And of leaning with your elbow at meat;
And of scurrility in the matter of giving and taking;
20 And of silence before those who salute you;
And of looking upon a woman that is a prostitute;
21 And of turning away‡ Or, the face of a kinsman your face from a kinsman;
Of taking away a portion or a gift;
And of gazing upon a woman that has a husband;
22 Of being over busy with his maid; and come not near her bed;
Of upbraiding speeches before friends;
And after you have given, upbraid not;
23 Of repeating and speaking what you have heard;
And of revealing of secrets.
24 So shall you be truly shamefast,
And find favor in the sight of every man.

- Sirach
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*41:4 Gr. hades

†41:8 The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.

‡41:21 Or, the face of a kinsman

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