Sirak 10

¹Bilge bir yargıç kendi halkını eğitecektir ve anlayışlı birinin yönetimi düzene sokulmuş olacaktır.

²Halkın yargıcı nasılsa, onun resmi hizmetlileri de öyledir; ve kentin yöneticisi nasılsa, orada yaşayanların hepsi de öyledir.

³Eğitimsiz bir kral kendi halkını mahveder, oysa bir kent muktedirlerin anlayışı sayesinde bayındır kılınır.

⁴Yeryüzünün egemenliği RAB'bin elindedir ve O, zamanı gelince onun üzerinde uygun olan lideri ortaya çıkaracaktır.

⁵İnsanın başarısı RAB'bin elindedir ve O, kendi görkemini yasa bilgininin şahsı üzerine koyacaktır.

⁶Herhangi bir haksızlıktan ötürü komşuna kin gütme ve küstahça eylemlerin hiçbirine kalkışma.

⁷Kibir hem RAB'bin hem de insanların huzurunda iğrençtir ve her ikisinden ötürü de haksız sapmalar işlenecektir.

⁸Egemenlik; haksızlık, küstahlıklar ve servet yüzünden bir ulustan diğerine geçer.

⁹Toprak ve kül olan insan neden kibirlenir? Çünkü ben Tanrı, o daha yaşarken onun iç organlarını fırlatıp attım.

¹⁰Uzun süren hastalığı hekim hafife alır; bugün kral olan, yarın ölecektir.

¹¹Çünkü insan öldüğünde sürüngenlere, yabanıl hayvanlara ve kurtçuklara miras kalır.

¹²İnsanın kibrinin başlangıcı RAB'den uzaklaşmasıdır ve yüreği kendisini yaratandan yüz çevirmiştir.

¹³Çünkü kibrin başlangıcı günahtır ve ona sımsıkı sarılan kişi iğrençlik yağdıracaktır; bu yüzden RAB onların üzerine şaşırtıcı felaketler getirdi ve onları tamamen yerle bir etti.

¹⁴RAB hükümdarların tahtlarını yıktı ve onların yerine uysal olanları oturttu.

¹⁵RAB ulusların köklerini söküp çıkardı ve onların yerine alçakgönüllüleri dikti.

¹⁶RAB ulusların topraklarını altüst etti ve onları yeryüzünün temellerine kadar yok etti.

¹⁷Onların köklerini kuruttu, onları yok etti ve anılarını yeryüzünden tamamen sildi.

¹⁸Kibir insanlar için yaratılmamıştır, kadından doğanlar için de öfkenin gazabı yaratılmamıştır.

¹⁹Onurlu soy hangisidir? İnsan soyu. Onurlu soy hangisidir? RAB'den korkanlar. Onursuz soy hangisidir? İnsan soyu. Onursuz soy hangisidir? Buyrukları çiğneyenler.

²⁰Kardeşlerin arasında onların önderi onurludur, RAB'den korkanlar da O'nun gözünde onurludur.

²²Zengin, soylu ya da yoksul olsun, hepsinin övünç kaynağı RAB korkusudur.

²³Anlayışlı bir yoksulu hor görmek doğru değildir ve günahkar bir adamı yüceltmek de uygun düşmez.

²⁴Soylular, yargıçlar ve güçlüler yüceltilecektir, ama onların hiçbiri RAB'den korkandan daha büyük değildir.

²⁵Bilge bir köleye özgür insanlar hizmet edecektir ve bilgili bir adam bundan ötürü şikayet edip söylenmeyecektir.

²⁶İşini yaparken bilgelik taslamaya çalışma ve sıkıntılı zamanında kendini yüceltme.

²⁷Çalışıp her şeyde bolluk içinde olmak, görkemli bir şekilde yürüyüp de ekmeğe muhtaç olmaktan daha iyidir.

²⁸Yavrum, alçakgönüllülükle canını onurlandır ve ona değerine göre hak ettiği değeri ver.

²⁹Kendi canına karşı günah işleyeni kim haklı çıkarır? Ve kendi yaşamını değersizleştireni kim onurlandırır?

³⁰Yoksul kendi bilgisiyle onurlandırılır, zengin ise kendi zenginliğiyle onurlandırılır.

³¹Yoksulluk içinde onurlandırılmış olan kişi zenginlikte kim bilir kaç kat daha fazla onurlandırılır? Zenginlik içinde onursuz olan kişi ise yoksullukta kim bilir kaç kat daha fazla onursuzlaşır?

¹ΚΡΙΤΗΣ σοφὸς παιδεύσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡγεμονία συνετοῦ τεταγμένη ἔσται.

²κατὰ τὸν κριτὴν τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ οὕτως καὶ οἱ λειτουργοὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἡγούμενον τῆς πόλεως πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες αὐτήν.

³βασιλεὺς ἀπαίδευτος ἀπολεῖ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πόλις οἰκισθήσεται ἐν συνέσει δυναστῶν.

⁴ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου ἐξουσία τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὸν χρήσιμον ἐγερεῖ εἰς καιρὸν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς.

⁵ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου εὐοδία ἀνδρός, καὶ προσώπῳ γραμματέως ἐπιθήσει δόξαν αὐτοῦ.

⁶᾿Επὶ παντὶ ἀδικήματι μὴ μηνιάσῃς τῷ πλησίον καὶ μὴ πρᾶσσε μηδὲν ἐν ἔργοις ὕβρεως.

⁷μισητὴ ἔναντι Κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων ὑπερηφανία, καὶ ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων πλημμελήσει ἄδικα.

⁸βασιλεία ἀπὸ ἔθνους εἰς ἔθνος μετάγεται διὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ὕβρεις καὶ χρήματα.

⁹τί ὑπερηφανεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός; ὅτι ἐν ζωῇ ἔρριψα τὰ ἐνδόσθια αὐτοῦ.

¹⁰μακρὸν ἀρρώστημα σκώπτει ἰατρός· καὶ βασιλεὺς σήμερον, καὶ αὔριον τελευτήσει.

¹¹ἐν γὰρ τῷ ἀποθανεῖν ἄνθρωπον κληρονομήσει ἑρπετὰ καὶ θηρία καὶ σκώληκας.

¹²ἀρχὴ ὑπερηφανίας ἀνθρώπου ἀφισταμένου ἀπὸ Κυρίου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ποιήσαντος αὐτὸν ἀπέστη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ.

¹³ὅτι ἀρχὴ ὑπερηφανίας ἁμαρτία, καὶ ὁ κρατῶν αὐτῆς ἐξομβρήσει βδέλυγμα· διὰ τοῦτο παρεδόξασε Κύριος τὰς ἐπαγωγὰς καὶ κατέστρεψεν εἰς τέλος αὐτούς.

¹⁴θρόνους ἀρχόντων καθεῖλεν ὁ Κύριος καὶ ἐκάθισε πρᾳεῖς ἀντ᾿ αὐτῶν.

¹⁵ῥίζας ἐθνῶν ἐξέτιλεν ὁ Κύριος καὶ ἐφύτευσε ταπεινοὺς ἀντ᾿ αὐτῶν.

¹⁶χώρας ἐθνῶν κατέστρεψεν ὁ Κύριος καὶ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτὰς ἕως θεμελίων γῆς.

¹⁷ἐξήρανεν ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτοὺς καὶ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ γῆς τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν.

¹⁸οὐκ ἔκτισται ἀνθρώποις ὑπερηφανία, οὐδὲ ὀργὴ θυμοῦ γεννήμασι γυναικῶν.

¹⁹Σπέρμα ἔντιμον ποῖον; σπέρμα ἀνθρώπου. σπέρμα ἔντιμον ποῖον; οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον. σπέρμα ἄτιμον ποῖον; σπέρμα ἀνθρώπου. σπέρμα ἄτιμον ποῖον; οἱ παραβαίνοντες ἐντολάς.

²⁰ἐν μέσῳ ἀδελφῶν ὁ ἡγούμενος αὐτῶν ἔντιμος, καὶ οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ.

²²πλούσιος καὶ ἔνδοξος καὶ πτωχός, τὸ καύχημα αὐτῶν φόβος Κυρίου.

²³οὐ δίκαιον ἀτιμάσαι πτωχὸν συνετόν, καὶ οὐ καθήκει δοξάσαι ἄνδρα ἁμαρτωλόν.

²⁴μεγιστὰν καὶ κριτὴς καὶ δυνάστης δοξασθήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῶν τις μείζων τοῦ φοβουμένου τὸν Κύριον.

²⁵οἰκέτῃ σοφῷ ἐλεύθεροι λειτουργήσουσι, καὶ ἀνὴρ ἐπιστήμων οὐ γογγύσει.

²⁶Μὴ σοφίζου ποιῆσαι τὸ ἔργον σου καὶ μὴ δοξάζου ἐν καιρῷ στενοχωρίας σου.

²⁷κρείσσων ἐργαζόμενος καὶ περισσεύων ἐν πᾶσιν ἢ περιπατῶν δοξαζόμενος καὶ ἀπορῶν ἄρτων.

²⁸τέκνον, ἐν πραΰτητι δόξασον τὴν ψυχήν σου καὶ δὸς αὐτῇ τιμὴν κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῆς.

²⁹τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίς δικαιώσει; καὶ τίς δοξάσει τὸν ἀτιμάζοντα τὴν ζωὴν αὐτοῦ;

³⁰πτωχὸς δοξάζεται δι᾿ ἐπιστήμην αὐτοῦ, καὶ πλούσιος δοξάζεται διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ.

³¹ὁ δεδοξασμένος ἐν πτωχείᾳ, καὶ ἐν πλούτῳ ποσαχῶς; καὶ ὁ ἄδοξος ἐν πλούτῳ, καὶ ἐν πτωχείᾳ ποσαχῶς;

¹A wise judge will instruct his people; and the government of a prudent man is well ordered.

²As the judge of the people is himself, so are his officers; and what manner of man the ruler of the city is, such are all they that dwell therein.

³An unwise king destroyeth his people; but through the prudence of them which are in authority the city shall be inhabited.

⁴The power of the earth is in the hand of the Lord, and in due time he will set over it one that is profitable.

⁵In the hand of God is the prosperity of man: and upon the person of the scribe shall he lay his honour.

⁶Bear not hatred to thy neighbour for every wrong; and do nothing at all by injurious practices.

⁷Pride is hateful before God and man: and by both doth one commit iniquity.

⁸Because of unrighteous dealings, injuries, and riches got by deceit, the kingdom is translated from one people to another.

⁹Why is earth and ashes proud? There is not a more wicked thing than a covetous man: for such an one setteth his own soul to sale; because while he liveth he casteth away his bowels.

¹⁰The physician cutteth off a long disease; and he that is to day a king to morrow shall die.

¹¹For when a man is dead, he shall inherit creeping things, beasts, and worms.

¹²The beginning of pride is when one departeth from God, and his heart is turned away from his Maker.

¹³For pride is the beginning of sin, and he that hath it shall pour out abomination: and therefore the Lord brought upon them strange calamities, and overthrew them utterly.

¹⁴The Lord hath cast down the thrones of proud princes, and set up the meek in their stead.

¹⁵The Lord hath plucked up the roots of the proud nations, and planted the lowly in their place.

¹⁶The Lord overthrew countries of the heathen, and destroyed them to the foundations of the earth.

¹⁷He took some of them away, and destroyed them, and hath made their memorial to cease from the earth.

¹⁸Pride was not made for men, nor furious anger for them that are born of a woman.

¹⁹They that fear the Lord are a sure seed, and they that love him an honourable plant: they that regard not the law are a dishonourable seed; they that transgress the commandments are a deceivable seed.

²⁰Among brethren he that is chief is honourably; so are they that fear the Lord in his eyes.

²¹The fear of the Lord goeth before the obtaining of authority: but roughness and pride is the losing thereof.

²²Whether he be rich, noble, or poor, their glory is the fear of the Lord.

²³It is not meet to despise the poor man that hath understanding; neither is it convenient to magnify a sinful man.

²⁴Great men, and judges, and potentates, shall be honoured; yet is there none of them greater than he that feareth the Lord.

²⁵Unto the servant that is wise shall they that are free do service: and he that hath knowledge will not grudge when he is reformed.

²⁶Be not overwise in doing thy business; and boast not thyself in the time of thy distress.

²⁷Better is he that laboureth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boasteth himself, and wanteth bread.

²⁸My son, glorify thy soul in meekness, and give it honour according to the dignity thereof.

²⁹Who will justify him that sinneth against his own soul? and who will honour him that dishonoureth his own life?

³⁰The poor man is honoured for his skill, and the rich man is honoured for his riches.

³¹He that is honoured in poverty, how much more in riches? and he that is dishonourable in riches, how much more in poverty?