Sirak 3

¹Ey çocuklar, babanız olan beni dinleyin ve esenlik bulmanız için buna göre davranın.

²Çünkü RAB babayı çocukların üzerinde yüceltti ve annenin yetkisini oğulların üzerinde sarsılmaz kıldı.

³Babasını onurlandıran kişi günahlarına kefaret eder,

⁴ve annesini yücelten, hazine biriktiren biri gibidir.

⁵Babasını onurlandıran kişi kendi çocukları tarafından sevindirilecektir ve dua ettiği gün duası işitilecektir.

⁶Babasını yücelten uzun ömürlü olur ve RAB'be itaat eden kişi annesini huzura kavuşturur;

⁷ve kendisini dünyaya getirenlere, efendilerine hizmet eden bir köle gibi hizmet eder.

⁸Eyleminle ve sözünle babanı onurlandır ki, onun katından gelen kutsama senin üzerine ulaşsın;

⁹çünkü babanın kutsaması çocukların evlerini sağlamlaştırıp ayakta tutar, annenin laneti ise temelleri kökünden söker.

¹⁰Babanın itibarsızlığıyla gururlanma, çünkü babanın itibarsızlığı senin için bir onur değildir;

¹¹çünkü insanın onuru babasının saygınlığından gelir ve itibarsızlık içindeki bir anne çocuklar için bir yüz karasıdır.

¹²Oğlum, yaşlandığında babanın elinden tut ve ömrü boyunca onu kederlendirme;

¹³aklı ve anlayışı onu terk etse bile ona hoşgörü göster ve tüm gücünle onu hor görmekten kaçın.

¹⁴Çünkü babaya yapılan merhamet eylemi unutulmayacak ve günahlarına karşılık senin için bir onarım olarak yeniden inşa edilecektir.

¹⁵Sıkıntılı gününde bu merhametin hatırlanacaktır; donmuş toprağın üzerine doğan güneşli hava gibi, günahların da öylece çözülüp gidecektir.

¹⁶Babasını terk eden kişi Tanrı'ya saygısızlık eden bir küfürbaz gibidir ve annesini gazaba getiren RAB tarafından lanetlenmiştir.

¹⁷Oğlum, işlerini uysallıkla yürüt, böylece makbul insanlar tarafından sevilirsin.

¹⁸Ne kadar büyük olursan, kendini o kadar alçalt, böylece RAB'bin önünde lütuf bulursun;

²⁰çünkü RAB'bin egemenlik gücü büyüktür ve alçakgönüllüler tarafından yüceltilir.

²¹Seni aşan zorluktaki şeyleri arama ve gücünün yetmediği şeyleri araştırma;

²²sana buyrulan şeyler üzerinde derin derin düşün, çünkü gizli olan şeylere senin ihtiyacın yoktur.

²³Seni aşan işlerle meraklıca uğraşma, çünkü sana insan kavrayışının ötesinde olan şeyler gösterilmiştir;

²⁴çünkü birçoklarını kendi zanları saptırdı ve kötü şüpheler zihinlerini kaydırdı. [25 Gözbebeklerin yoksa ışıktan mahrum kalırsın; bilgiden yoksunsan da bilgin varmış gibi iddiada bulunma.]

²⁶Katı bir yürek sonunda kötülüğe uğrayacaktır ve tehlikeyi seven onun içinde yok olup gidecektir.

²⁷Katı yürekli olan acılarla ağırlaşır ve günahkar günah üstüne günah yığar.

²⁸Kibirlinin uğradığı musibetin şifası yoktur, çünkü kötülük fidanı onun içinde kök salmıştır.

²⁹Anlayışlı bir yürek özdeyişleri zihninde tartar ve dinleyen bir kulak bilgenin arzusudur.

³⁰Alev alev yanan ateşi su söndürür, merhamet eylemi de günahları bağışlatır.

³¹İyiliklerin karşılığını ödeyen kişi gelecek olanı hatırda tutar ve düştüğü zaman bir dayanak bulur.

¹ΕΜΟΥ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀκούσατε, τέκνα, καὶ οὕτως ποιήσατε, ἵνα σωθῆτε·

²ὁ γὰρ Κύριος ἐδόξασε πατέρα ἐπὶ τέκνοις καὶ κρίσιν μητρὸς ἐστερέωσεν ἐφ᾿ υἱοῖς.

³ὁ τιμῶν πατέρα ἐξιλάσεται ἁμαρτίας,

⁴καὶ ὡς ὁ ἀποθησαυρίζων, ὁ δοξάζων μητέρα αὐτοῦ.

⁵ὁ τιμῶν πατέρα εὐφρανθήσεται ὑπὸ τέκνων, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ προσευχῆς αὐτοῦ εἰσακουσθήσεται.

⁶ὁ δοξάζων πατέρα μακροημερεύσει, καὶ ὁ εἰσακούων Κυρίου ἀναπαύσει μητέρα αὐτοῦ·

⁷καὶ ὡς δεσπόταις δουλεύσει ἐν τοῖς γεννήσασιν αὐτόν.

⁸ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου, ἵνα ἐπέλθῃ σοι εὐλογία παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ·

⁹εὐλογία γὰρ πατρὸς στηρίζει οἴκους τέκνων, κατάρα δὲ μητρὸς ἐκριζοῖ θεμέλια.

¹⁰μὴ δοξάζου ἐν ἀτιμίᾳ πατρός σου, οὐ γάρ ἐστί σοι δόξα πατρὸς ἀτιμία·

¹¹ἡ γὰρ δόξα ἀνθρώπου ἐκ τιμῆς πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὄνειδος τέκνοις μήτηρ ἐν ἀδοξίᾳ.

¹²τέκνον, ἀντιλαβοῦ ἐν γήρᾳ πατρός σου, καὶ μὴ λυπήσῃς αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ·

¹³κἂν ἀπολείπῃ σύνεσιν, συγγνώμην ἔχε καὶ μὴ ἀτιμάσῃς αὐτὸν ἐν πάσῃ ἰσχύϊ σου.

¹⁴ἐλεημοσύνη γὰρ πατρὸς οὐκ ἐπιλησθήσεται, καὶ ἀντὶ ἁμαρτιῶν προσανοικοδομηθήσεταί σοι.

¹⁵ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεώς σου ἀναμνησθήσεταί σου· ὡς εὐδία ἐπὶ παγετῷ, οὕτως ἀναλυθήσονταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι.

¹⁶ὡς βλάσφημος ὁ ἐγκαταλιπὼν πατέρα, καὶ κεκατηραμένος ὑπὸ Κυρίου ὁ παροργίζων μητέρα αὐτοῦ.

¹⁷τέκνον, ἐν πραΰτητι τὰ ἔργα σου διέξαγε, καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου δεκτοῦ ἀγαπηθήσῃ.

¹⁸ὅσῳ μέγας εἶ, τοσούτῳ ταπεινοῦ σεαυτόν, καὶ ἔναντι Κυρίου εὑρήσεις χάριν·

²⁰ὅτι μεγάλη ἡ δυναστεία τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ταπεινῶν δοξάζεται.

²¹χαλεπώτερά σου μὴ ζήτει καὶ ἰσχυρότερά σου μὴ ἐξέταζε·

²²ἃ προσετάγη σοι, ταῦτα διανοοῦ, οὐ γάρ ἐστί σοι χρεία τῶν κρυπτῶν.

²³ἐν τοῖς περισσοῖς τῶν ἔργων σου μὴ περιεργάζου· πλείονα γὰρ συνέσεως ἀνθρώπων ὑπεδείχθη σοι·

²⁴πολλοὺς γὰρ ἐπλάνησεν ἡ ὑπόληψις αὐτῶν, καὶ ὑπόνοια πονηρὰ ὠλίσθησε διανοίας αὐτῶν. [25 κόρας μὴ ἔχων ἀπορήσεις φωτός, γνώσεως δὲ ἄμοιρος ὢν μὴ ἐπαγγέλλου].

²⁶καρδία σκληρὰ κακωθήσεται ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων, καὶ ὁ ἀγαπῶν κίνδυνον ἐν αὐτῷ ἐμπεσεῖται.

²⁷καρδία σκληρὰ βαρυνθήσεται πόνοις, καὶ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς προσθήσει ἁμαρτίαν ἐφ᾿ ἁμαρτίαις.

²⁸ἐπαγωγὴ ὑπερηφάνου οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις, φυτὸν γὰρ πονηρίας ἐρρίζωκεν ἐν αὐτῷ.

²⁹καρδία συνετοῦ διανοηθήσεται παραβολήν, καὶ οὖς ἀκροατοῦ ἐπιθυμία σοφοῦ.

³⁰πῦρ φλογιζόμενον ἀποσβέσει ὕδωρ, καὶ ἐλεημοσύνη ἐξιλάσεται ἁμαρτίας.

³¹ὁ ἀνταποδιδοὺς χάριτας μέμνηται εἰς τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ πτώσεως εὑρήσει στήριγμα.

¹Hear me your father, O children, and do thereafter, that ye may be safe.

²For the Lord hath given the father honour over the children, and hath confirmed the authority of the mother over the sons.

³Whoso honoureth his father maketh an atonement for his sins:

⁴And he that honoureth his mother is as one that layeth up treasure.

⁵Whoso honoureth his father shall have joy of his own children; and when he maketh his prayer, he shall be heard.

⁶He that honoureth his father shall have a long life; and he that is obedient unto the Lord shall be a comfort to his mother.

⁷He that feareth the Lord will honour his father, and will do service unto his parents, as to his masters.

⁸Honour thy father and mother both in word and deed, that a blessing may come upon thee from them.

⁹For the blessing of the father establisheth the houses of children; but the curse of the mother rooteth out foundations.

¹⁰Glory not in the dishonour of thy father; for thy father’s dishonour is no glory unto thee.

¹¹For the glory of a man is from the honour of his father; and a mother in dishonour is a reproach to the children.

¹²My son, help thy father in his age, and grieve him not as long as he liveth.

¹³And if his understanding fail, have patience with him; and despise him not when thou art in thy full strength.

¹⁴For the relieving of thy father shall not be forgotten: and instead of sins it shall be added to build thee up.

¹⁵In the day of thine affliction it shall be remembered; thy sins also shall melt away, as the ice in the fair warm weather.

¹⁶He that forsaketh his father is as a blasphemer; and he that angereth his mother is cursed: of God.

¹⁷My son, go on with thy business in meekness; so shalt thou be beloved of him that is approved.

¹⁸The greater thou art, the more humble thyself, and thou shalt find favour before the Lord.

¹⁹Many are in high place, and of renown: but mysteries are revealed unto the meek.

²⁰For the power of the Lord is great, and he is honoured of the lowly.

²¹Seek not out things that are too hard for thee, neither search the things that are above thy strength.

²²But what is commanded thee, think thereupon with reverence, for it is not needful for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are in secret.

²³Be not curious in unnecessary matters: for more things are shewed unto thee than men understand.

²⁴For many are deceived by their own vain opinion; and an evil suspicion hath overthrown their judgment.

²⁵Without eyes thou shalt want light: profess not the knowledge therefore that thou hast not.

²⁶A stubborn heart shall fare evil at the last; and he that loveth danger shall perish therein.

²⁷An obstinate heart shall be laden with sorrows; and the wicked man shall heap sin upon sin.

²⁸In the punishment of the proud there is no remedy; for the plant of wickedness hath taken root in him.

²⁹The heart of the prudent will understand a parable; and an attentive ear is the desire of a wise man.

³⁰Water will quench a flaming fire; and alms maketh an atonement for sins.

³¹And he that requiteth good turns is mindful of that which may come hereafter; and when he falleth, he shall find a stay.