Sirak 21

¹Oğlum, günah mı işledin? Bir daha yeni günahlar ekleme ve geçmişte işlediklerin hakkında yakar.

²Günahtan bir yılanın huzurundan kaçar gibi kaç; çünkü ona yaklaşırsan seni ısırır. Onun dişleri, insanların canını alan aslan dişleridir.

³Her yasa tanımazlık iki ağızlı bir kılıç gibidir, onun açtığı yaraya şifa yoktur.

⁴Dehşet saçmak ve küstahlık zenginliği yok eder; kibirlinin evi de böylece viran olur.

⁵Yoksulun ağzından çıkan yakarış O'nun kulaklarına kadar erişir ve O'nun yargısı gecikmeden, hızla gelir.

⁶Azarlanmaktan nefret eden günahkarın izindedir, Rab'den korkan ise yürekten tövbe edip O'na döner.

⁷Konuşması güçlü olan uzaktan bile tanınır, ama sağduyulu kişi onun ne zaman tökezleyeceğini bilir.

⁸Kendi evini başkasının parasıyla kuran kişi, kış mevsimi için taş toplayan kimse gibidir.

⁹Yasa tanımazların topluluğu bir araya getirilmiş üstüpü gibidir, sonları ise alev alev yanan ateştir.

¹⁰Günahkarların yolu taşlarla düzlenmiştir, ama yolun sonu ölüler diyarının çukurudur.

¹¹Yasayı tutan kendi zihnine egemen olur, Rab korkusunun yetkinliği ise bilgeliktir.

¹²Pratik zekası olmayan eğitilemez, ama sadece acılığı çoğaltan kötü niyetli bir kurnazlık da vardır.

¹³Bilgenin bilgisi taşkın bir sel gibi çoğalır, onun öğüdü de yaşam pınarı gibidir.

¹⁴Aptalın içi kırık bir kaba benzer, hiçbir bilgiyi içinde tutamaz.

¹⁵Bilgili bir kişi bilgece bir söz duyduğunda onu över ve ona kendisinden de bir şeyler katar; keyfine düşkün olan ise bunu duyduğunda hoşnut kalmaz ve onu sırtının arkasına atıp gider.

¹⁶Aptalın açıklaması yoldaki bir yük gibidir, ama anlayışlı kişinin dudaklarında lütuf bulunur.

¹⁷Sağduyulu kişinin ağzından çıkanlar toplulukta aranır ve onun sözleri yüreklerde derin derin düşünülür.

¹⁸Yıkılmış bir ev aptal için bilgelik neyse odur, anlayışsızın bilgisi ise üzerinde düşünülmemiş karmaşık sözlerden ibarettir.

¹⁹Akılsızlar için eğitim ayaklardaki pranga ve sağ eldeki kelepçe gibidir.

²⁰Aptal gülerken sesini yükseltir, temkinli insan ise ancak hafifçe gülümser.

²¹Sağduyulu kişi için eğitim altın bir süs ve sağ koldaki bir bilezik gibidir.

²²Aptalın ayağı bir eve girmekte acele eder, çok deneyimli insan ise başkalarının huzurunda hicap duyar.

²³Akılsız kapıdan içeriye, evin içine doğru gizlice bakar; terbiyeli insan ise dışarıda bekler.

²⁴Kapı eşiğinde kulak kabartmak insanın eğitimsizliğini gösterir, sağduyulu kişi ise böyle bir onursuzluktan acı duyar.

²⁵Yabancıların dudakları boş sözlerle ağırlaşır, sağduyulu kişilerin sözleri ise terazide tartılır.

²⁶Aptalların yüreği ağızlarındadır, bilgelerin ağzı ise yüreklerindedir.

²⁷Tanrısız kişi Şeytan'a lanet okuduğunda, aslında kendi canına lanet okumuş olur.

²⁸Dedikoducu kendi canını kirletir ve oturduğu mahallede herkesten nefret kazanır.

¹ΤΕΚΝΟΝ, ἥμαρτες, μὴ προσθῇς μηκέτι καὶ περὶ τῶν προτέρων σου δεήθητι.

²ὡς ἀπὸ προσώπου ὄφεως φεῦγε ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας, ἐὰν γὰρ προσέλθῃς, δήξεταί σε· ὀδόντες λέοντος οἱ ὀδόντες αὐτῆς ἀναιροῦντες ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων.

³ὡς ῥομφαία δίστομος πᾶσα ἀνομία, τῇ πληγῇ αὐτῆς οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις.

⁴καταπληγμὸς καὶ ὕβρις ἐρημώσουσι πλοῦτον· οὕτως οἶκος ὑπερηφάνου ἐρημωθήσεται.

⁵δέησις πτωχοῦ ἐκ στόματος ἕως ὠτίων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ κρίμα αὐτοῦ κατὰ σπουδὴν ἔρχεται.

⁶μισῶν ἐλεγμὸν ἐν ἴχνει ἁμαρτωλοῦ, καὶ ὁ φοβούμενος Κύριον ἐπιστρέψει ἐν καρδίᾳ.

⁷γνωστὸς μακρόθεν ὁ δυνατὸς ἐν γλώσσῃ, ὁ δὲ νοήμων οἶδεν ἐν τῷ ὀλισθαίνειν αὐτόν.

⁸ὁ οἰκοδομῶν τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ ἐν χρήμασιν ἀλλοτρίοις, ὡς ὁ συνάγων αὐτοῦ τοὺς λίθους εἰς χειμῶνα.

⁹στυππεῖον συνηγμένον συναγωγὴ ἀνόμων, καὶ ἡ συντέλεια αὐτῶν φλὸξ πυρός.

¹⁰ὁδὸς ἁμαρτωλῶν ὡμαλισμένη ἐκ λίθων, καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτῳ αὐτῆς βόθρος ᾅδου.

¹¹῾Ο φυλάσσων νόμον κατακρατεῖ τοῦ ἐννοήματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ συντέλεια τοῦ φόβου Κυρίου σοφία.

¹²οὐ παιδευθήσεται ὃς οὐκ ἔστι πανοῦργος· ἔστι πανουργία πληθύνουσα πικρίαν.

¹³γνῶσις σοφοῦ ὡς κατακλυσμὸς πληθυνθήσεται καὶ ἡ βουλὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς πηγὴ ζωῆς.

¹⁴ἔγκατα μωροῦ ὡς ἀγγεῖον συντετριμμένον καὶ πᾶσαν γνῶσιν οὐ κρατήσει.

¹⁵λόγον σοφὸν ἐὰν ἀκούσῃ ἐπιστήμων, αἰνέσει αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν προσθήσει· ἤκουσεν ὁ σπαταλῶν καὶ ἀπήρεσεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν αὐτὸν ὀπίσω τοῦ νώτου αὐτοῦ.

¹⁶ἐξήγησις μωροῦ ὡς ἐν ὁδῷ φορτίον, ἐπὶ δὲ χείλους συνετοῦ εὑρεθήσεται χάρις.

¹⁷στόμα φρονίμου ζητηθήσεται ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ διανοηθήσονται ἐν καρδίᾳ.

¹⁸ὡς οἶκος ἠφανισμένος οὕτως μωρῷ σοφία, καὶ γνῶσις ἀσυνέτου ἀδιεξέταστοι λόγοι.

¹⁹πέδαι ἐν ποσὶν ἀνοήτοις παιδεία καὶ ὡς χειροπέδαι ἐπὶ χειρὸς δεξιᾶς.

²⁰μωρὸς ἐν γέλωτι ἀνυψοῖ φωνὴν αὐτοῦ, ἀνὴρ δὲ πανοῦργος μόλις ἡσυχῇ μειδιάσει.

²¹ὡς κόσμος χρυσοῦ φρονίμῳ παιδεία καὶ ὡς χλιδὼν ἐπὶ βραχίονι δεξιῷ.

²²ποὺς μωροῦ ταχὺς εἰς οἰκίαν, ἄνθρωπος δὲ πολύπειρος αἰσχυνθήσεται ἀπὸ προσώπου.

²³ἄφρων ἀπὸ θύρας παρακύπτει εἰς οἰκίαν, ἀνὴρ δὲ πεπαιδευμένος ἔξω στήσεται.

²⁴ἀπαιδευσία ἀνθρώπου ἀκροᾶσθαι παρὰ θύραν, ὁ δὲ φρόνιμος βαρυνθήσεται ἀτιμίᾳ.

²⁵χείλη ἀλλοτρίων ἐν τούτοις βαρυνθήσεται, λόγοι δὲ φρονίμων ἐν ζυγῷ σταθήσονται.

²⁶ἐν στόματι μωρῶν ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν, καρδία δὲ σοφῶν στόμα αὐτῶν.

²⁷ἐν τῷ καταρᾶσθαι ἀσεβῆ τὸν σατανᾶν αὐτὸς καταρᾶται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν.

²⁸μολύνει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ὁ ψιθυρίζων καὶ ἐν παροικήσει μισηθήσεται.

¹My son, hast thou sinned? do so no more, but ask pardon for thy former sins.

²Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent: for if thou comest too near it, it will bite thee: the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a lion, slaying the souls of men.

³All iniquity is as a two edged sword, the wounds whereof cannot be healed.

⁴To terrify and do wrong will waste riches: thus the house of proud men shall be made desolate.

⁵A prayer out of a poor man’s mouth reacheth to the ears of God, and his judgment cometh speedily.

⁶He that hateth to be reproved is in the way of sinners: but he that feareth the Lord will repent from his heart.

⁷An eloquent man is known far and near; but a man of understanding knoweth when he slippeth.

⁸He that buildeth his house with other men’s money is like one that gathereth himself stones for the tomb of his burial.

⁹The congregation of the wicked is like tow wrapped together: and the end of them is a flame of fire to destroy them.

¹⁰The way of sinners is made plain with stones, but at the end thereof is the pit of hell.

¹¹He that keepeth the law of the Lord getteth the understanding thereof: and the perfection of the fear of the Lord is wisdom.

¹²He that is not wise will not be taught: but there is a wisdom which multiplieth bitterness.

¹³The knowledge of a wise man shall abound like a flood: and his counsel is like a pure fountain of life.

¹⁴The inner parts of a fool are like a broken vessel, and he will hold no knowledge as long as he liveth.

¹⁵If a skilful man hear a wise word, he will commend it, and add unto it: but as soon as one of no understanding heareth it, it displeaseth him, and he casteth it behind his back.

¹⁶The talking of a fool is like a burden in the way: but grace shall be found in the lips of the wise.

¹⁷They enquire at the mouth of the wise man in the congregation, and they shall ponder his words in their heart.

¹⁸As is a house that is destroyed, so is wisdom to a fool: and the knowledge of the unwise is as talk without sense.

¹⁹Doctrine unto fools is as fetters on the feet, and like manacles on the right hand.

²⁰A fool lifteth up his voice with laughter; but a wise man doth scarce smile a little.

²¹Learning is unto a wise man as an ornament of gold, and like a bracelet upon his right arm.

²²A foolish man’s foot is soon in his neighbour’s house: but a man of experience is ashamed of him.

²³A fool will peep in at the door into the house: but he that is well nurtured will stand without.

²⁴It is the rudeness of a man to hearken at the door: but a wise man will be grieved with the disgrace.

²⁵The lips of talkers will be telling such things as pertain not unto them: but the words of such as have understanding are weighed in the balance.

²⁶The heart of fools is in their mouth: but the mouth of the wise is in their heart.

²⁷When the ungodly curseth Satan, he curseth his own soul.

²⁸A whisperer defileth his own soul, and is hated wheresoever he dwelleth.