Sirak 11

¹Düşük konumdaki birinin bilgeliği onun başını yukarı kaldırır ve onu nüfuzlu yöneticilerin arasında oturtur.

²Bir adamı sadece güzelliğine bakarak övme ve bir kimseden sadece dış görünüşüne bakarak iğrenme.

³Arı, kanatlı yaratıklar arasında küçük bir yer tutar, fakat onun ürünü tatlıların en üstünüdür.

⁴Gösterişli giysilerinle övünme ve görkemli gününde kendini yüceltme; çünkü Rab'bin işleri harikuladedir ve O'nun işleri insanlardan gizlenmiştir.

⁵Birçok tiran toprak üzerinde oturmuştur, hiç hesaba katılmayan biri ise taç giymiştir.

⁶Birçok egemen büyük ölçüde itibarsızlaştırıldı ve şanlı kişiler başkalarının eline teslim edildi.

⁷Konuyu araştırmadan önce suçlama; önce zihninde kavra, sonra azarla.

⁸Dinlemeden önce yanıt verme ve sözlerin ortasında konuşmaya müdahale etme.

⁹Senin için bir gereklilik olmayan konu hakkında çekişmeye girme ve günahkarların davasında onlarla birlikte oturma.

¹⁰Yavrum, girişimlerin çok fazla olmasın; eğer onları çoğaltırsan cezasız kalmazsın; peşinden koşsan da asla yetişemezsin ve kaçıp kurtulmayı da başaramazsın.

¹¹Öyle biri vardır ki zahmet çeker, çabalar ve acele eder, fakat o oranda daha fazla yoksunluk içinde kalır.

¹²Öyle biri de vardır ki hantal ve yardıma muhtaçtır, güçten yoksundur ve sefalet içindedir; fakat Rab'bin gözleri ona iyilikle bakar ve onu düşkünlüğünden kaldırıp doğrultur.

¹³Onun başını yukarı kaldırır ve birçokları onun bu durumuna şaşakalır.

¹⁴İyi ve kötü, yaşam ve ölüm, yoksulluk ve zenginlik Rab'dendir.

¹⁷Rab'bin armağanı dindarların üzerinde kalıcıdır ve O'nun rızası sonsuza dek başarıya ulaştıracaktır.

¹⁸Öyle biri vardır ki aşırı dikkati ve cimriliği sayesinde zenginleşir ve bu onun ödülünün payıdır.

¹⁹"Rahatlığa kavuştum, şimdi mallarımdan yiyip içeceğim" dediğinde, zamanın nasıl geçip gideceğini, bunları başkalarına bırakıp öleceğini bilmez.

²⁰Antlaşmana bağlı kal, onunla hemhal ol ve kendi işinde yaşlan.

²¹Günahkarın işlerine hayran kalma, Rab'be güven ve kendi emeğine sadık kal; çünkü yoksul birini ansızın ve çabucak zengin etmek Rab'bin gözünde kolay bir iştir.

²²Rab'bin kutsaması dindarın ödülündedir ve O, kutsamasını tez zamanda yeşertir.

²³"Neye ihtiyacım var ve bundan sonra benim için hangi iyilikler olacak?" deme.

²⁴"Kendime yetecek kadar var, bundan sonra bana ne kötülük gelebilir ki?" deme.

²⁵İyi günde kötü günler unutulur, kötü günde ise iyi günler hatırlanmaz.

²⁶Çünkü ölüm gününde insana yaşam yollarına göre karşılık vermek Rab'bin önünde kolay bir iştir.

²⁷Bir anlık sıkıntı geçmişteki tüm keyifleri unutturur ve insanın sonunda işleri açığa çıkar.

²⁸Ölümünden önce hiç kimseyi mutlu sayma; çünkü bir adam çocuklarıyla tanınır.

²⁹Her insanı evine sokma; çünkü hilekarın pusuları çoktur.

³⁰Kafesteki avcı keklik neyse, kibirlinin yüreği de öyledir; bir casus gibi senin düşüşünü gözler.

³¹Çünkü o, iyiyi kötüye çevirerek pusu kurar ve en seçkin şeylere bile leke sürer.

³²Bir kıvılcımdan bir yığın kömür alevlenir, günahkar insan da kan dökmek için pusuya yatar.

³³Kötülük yapandan sakın, çünkü o kötülük tasarlar; yoksa üzerinde sonsuza dek kalacak bir leke bırakır.

³⁴Yabancıyı evine alırsan seni kargaşaya sürükler ve seni kendi yakınlarına yabancılaştırır.

¹ΣΟΦΙΑ ταπεινοῦ ἀνυψώσει κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ μεγιστάνων καθίσει αὐτόν.

²μὴ αἰνέσῃς ἄνδρα ἐν κάλλει αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ βδελύξῃ ἄνθρωπον ἐν ὁράσει αὐτοῦ.

³μικρὰ ἐν πετεινοῖς μέλισσα, καὶ ἀρχὴ γλυκασμάτων ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῆς.

⁴ἐν περιβολῇ ἱματίων μὴ καυχήσῃ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ δόξης μὴ ἐπαίρου· ὅτι θαυμαστὰ τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, καὶ κρυπτὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀνθρώποις.

⁵πολλοὶ τύραννοι ἐκάθισαν ἐπὶ ἐδάφους, ὁ δὲ ἀνυπονόητος ἐφόρεσε διάδημα.

⁶πολλοὶ δυνάσται ἠτιμάσθησαν σφόδρα, καὶ ἔνδοξοι παρεδόθησαν εἰς χεῖρας ἑτέρων.

⁷πρὶν ἐξετάσῃς, μὴ μέμψῃ· νόησον πρῶτον καὶ τότε ἐπιτίμα.

⁸πρὶν ἢ ἀκοῦσαι, μὴ ἀποκρίνου καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λόγων μὴ παρεμβάλλου.

⁹περὶ πράγματος, οὗ οὐκ ἔστι σοι χρεία, μὴ ἔριζε καὶ ἐν κρίσει ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ συνέδρευε.

¹⁰Τέκνον, μὴ περὶ πολλὰ ἔστωσαν αἱ πράξεις σου· ἐὰν πληθυνῇς, οὐκ ἀθωωθήσῃ· καὶ ἐὰν διώκῃς, οὐ μὴ καταλάβῃς, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγῃς διαδράς.

¹¹ἔστι κοπιῶν καὶ πονῶν καὶ σπεύδων, καὶ τόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑστερεῖται.

¹²ἔστι νωθρὸς καὶ προσδεόμενος ἀντιλήψεως, ὑστερῶν ἰσχύϊ καὶ πτωχείᾳ περισσεύει· καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου ἐπέβλεψαν αὐτῷ εἰς ἀγαθά, καὶ ἀνώρθωσεν αὐτὸν ἐκ ταπεινώσεως αὐτοῦ.

¹³καὶ ἀνύψωσε κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπεθαύμασαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ πολλοί.

¹⁴ἀγαθὰ καὶ κακά, ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος, πτωχεία καὶ πλοῦτος παρὰ Κυρίου ἐστί.

¹⁷δόσις Κυρίου παραμένει εὐσεβέσι, καὶ ἡ εὐδοκία αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εὐοδωθήσεται.

¹⁸ἔστι πλουτῶν ἀπὸ προσοχῆς καὶ σφιγγίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὕτη ἡ μερὶς τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ.

¹⁹ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν αὐτόν· εὗρον ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ νῦν φάγομαι ἐκ τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου, καὶ οὐκ οἶδε τίς καιρὸς παρελεύσεται καὶ καταλείψει αὐτὰ ἑτέροις καὶ ἀποθανεῖται.

²⁰στῆθι ἐν διαθήκῃ σου καὶ ὁμίλει ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ σου παλαιώθητι.

²¹μὴ θαύμαζε ἐν ἔργοις ἁμαρτωλοῦ, πίστευε τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἔμμενε τῷ πόνῳ σου· ὅτι κοῦφον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Κυρίου διὰ τάχους ἐξάπινα πλουτίσαι πένητα.

²²εὐλογία Κυρίου ἐν μισθῷ εὐσεβοῦς, καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ ταχινῇ ἀναθάλλει εὐλογίαν αὐτοῦ.

²³μὴ εἴπῃς· τίς ἐστί μου χρεία, καὶ τίνα ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἔσται μου τὰ ἀγαθά;

²⁴μὴ εἴπῃς· αὐτάρκη μοί ἐστι, καὶ τί ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν κακωθήσομαι;

²⁵ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀγαθῶν ἀμνησία κακῶν, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῶν οὐ μνησθήσεται ἀγαθῶν·

²⁶ὅτι κοῦφον ἔναντι Κυρίου ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τελευτῆς ἀποδοῦναι ἀνθρώπῳ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ.

²⁷κάκωσις ὥρας ἐπιλησμονὴν ποιεῖ τρυφῆς, καὶ ἐν συντελείᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀποκάλυψις ἔργων αὐτοῦ.

²⁸πρὸ τελευτῆς μὴ μακάριζε μηδένα, καὶ ἐν τέκνοις αὐτοῦ γνωσθήσεται ἀνήρ.

²⁹Μὴ πάντα ἄνθρωπον εἴσαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, πολλὰ γὰρ τὰ ἔνεδρα τοῦ δολίου.

³⁰πέρδιξ θηρευτὴς ἐν καρτάλλῳ, οὕτως καρδία ὑπερηφάνου, καὶ ὡς ὁ κατάσκοπος ἐπιβλέπει πτῶσιν·

³¹τὰ γὰρ ἀγαθὰ εἰς κακὰ μεταστρέφων ἐνεδρεύει καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἱρετοῖς ἐπιθήσει μῶμον.

³²ἀπὸ σπινθῆρος πυρὸς πληθύνεται ἀνθρακιά, καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλὸς εἰς αἷμα ἐνεδρεύει.

³³πρόσεχε ἀπὸ κακούργου, πονηρὰ γὰρ τεκταίνει, μήποτε μῶμον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα δῷ σοι.

³⁴ἐνοίκισον ἀλλότριον καὶ διαστρέψει σε ἐν ταραχαῖς, καὶ ἀπαλλοτριώσει σε τῶν ἰδίων σου.

¹Wisdom lifteth up the head of him that is of low degree, and maketh him to sit among great men.

²Commend not a man for his beauty; neither abhor a man for his outward appearance.

³The bee is little among such as fly; but her fruit is the chief of sweet things.

⁴Boast not of thy clothing and raiment, and exalt not thyself in the day of honour: for the works of the Lord are wonderful, and his works among men are hidden.

⁵Many kings have sat down upon the ground; and one that was never thought of hath worn the crown.

⁶Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced; and the honourable delivered into other men’s hands.

⁷Blame not before thou hast examined the truth: understand first, and then rebuke.

⁸Answer not before thou hast heard the cause: neither interrupt men in the midst of their talk.

⁹Strive not in a matter that concerneth thee not; and sit not in judgment with sinners.

¹⁰My son, meddle not with many matters: for if thou meddle much, thou shalt not be innocent; and if thou follow after, thou shalt not obtain, neither shalt thou escape by fleeing.

¹¹There is one that laboureth, and taketh pains, and maketh haste, and is so much the more behind.

¹²Again, there is another that is slow, and hath need of help, wanting ability, and full of poverty; yet the eye of the Lord looked upon him for good, and set him up from his low estate,

¹³And lifted up his head from misery; so that many that saw from him is peace over all the

¹⁴Prosperity and adversity, life and death, poverty and riches, come of the Lord.

¹⁵Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the law, are of the Lord: love, and the way of good works, are from him.

¹⁶Error and darkness had their beginning together with sinners: and evil shall wax old with them that glory therein.

¹⁷The gift of the Lord remaineth with the devout, and his favour bringeth prosperity for ever.

¹⁸There is that waxeth rich by his wariness and pinching, and this his the portion of his reward:

¹⁹Whereas he saith, I have found rest, and now will eat continually of my goods; and yet he knoweth not what time shall come upon him, and that he must leave those things to others, and die.

²⁰Be stedfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and wax old in thy work.

²¹Marvel not at the works of sinners; but trust in the Lord, and abide in thy labour: for it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord on the sudden to make a poor man rich.

²²The blessing of the Lord is in the reward of the godly, and suddenly he maketh his blessing flourish.

²³Say not, What profit is there of my service? and what good things shall I have hereafter?

²⁴Again, say not, I have enough, and possess many things, and what evil shall I have hereafter?

²⁵In the day of prosperity there is a forgetfulness of affliction: and in the day of affliction there is no more remembrance of prosperity.

²⁶For it is an easy thing unto the Lord in the day of death to reward a man according to his ways.

²⁷The affliction of an hour maketh a man forget pleasure: and in his end his deeds shall be discovered.

²⁸Judge none blessed before his death: for a man shall be known in his children.

²⁹Bring not every man into thine house: for the deceitful man hath many trains.

³⁰Like as a partridge taken and kept in a cage, so is the heart of the proud; and like as a spy, watcheth he for thy fall:

³¹For he lieth in wait, and turneth good into evil, and in things worthy praise will lay blame upon thee.

³²Of a spark of fire a heap of coals is kindled: and a sinful man layeth wait for blood.

³³Take heed of a mischievous man, for he worketh wickedness; lest he bring upon thee a perpetual blot.

³⁴Receive a stranger into thine house, and he will disturb thee, and turn thee out of thine own.