Sirach 4
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Sirach chapter 4 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
Patristic commentary for this chapter has not yet been attached. Related material may be found among the Church Fathers and the theology tables.
Sirach 4
1My son, defraud not the poor of his living, and make not the needy eyes to wait long.Τέκνον, τὴν ζωὴν τοῦ πτωχοῦ μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς, καὶ μὴ παρελκύσῃς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπιδεεῖς.
2Make not an hungry soul sorrowful; neither provoke a man in his distress.ψυχὴν πεινῶσαν μὴ λυπήσῃς, καὶ μὴ παροργίσῃς ἄνδρα ἐν ἀπορίᾳ αὐτοῦ.
3Add not more trouble to an heart that is vexed; and defer not to give to him that is in need.Καρδίαν παροργισμένην μὴ προσταράξῃς, καὶ μὴ παρελκύσῃς δόσιν προσδεομένου.
4Reject not the supplication of the afflicted; neither turn away your face from a poor man.Ἱκέτην θλιβόμενον μὴ ἀπαναίνου, καὶ μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ πτωχοῦ.
5Turn not away your eye from the needy, and give him none occasion to curse you:Ἀπὸ δεομένου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς ὀφθαλμόν, καὶ μὴ δῷς τόπον ἀνθρώπῳ καταράσασθαί σε.
6For if he curse you in the bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him.Καταρωμένου γάρ σε ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, τῆς δεήσεως αὐτοῦ ἐπακούσεται ὁ ποιήσας αὐτόν.
7Get yourself the love of the congregation, and bow your head to a great man.Προσφιλῆ συναγωγῇ σεαυτὸν ποίει, καὶ μεγιστᾶνι ταπεινοῦ τὴν κεφαλήν σου.
8Let it not grieve you to bow down your ear to the poor, and give him a friendly answer with meekness.Κλῖνον πτωχῷ τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἀποκρίθητι αὐτῷ εἰρηνικὰ ἐν πρᾳΰτητι.
9Deliver him that suffers wrong from the hand of the oppressor; and be not faint-hearted when you sit in judgment.Ἐξελοῦ ἀδικούμενον ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδικοῦντος, καὶ μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνειν σε.
10Be as a father to the fatherless, and instead of an husband to their mother: so shall you be as the son of the most High, and he shall love you more than your mother does.Γίνου ὀρφανοῖς ὡς πατὴρ, καὶ ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν· καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς υἱὸς ὑψίστου, καὶ ἀγαπήσει σε μᾶλλον ἡ μήτηρ σου.
11Wisdom exalts her children, and lays hold of them that seek her.Ἡ σοφία υἱοὺς ἑαυτῇ ἀνύψωσε, καὶ ἐπιλαμβάνεται τῶν ζητούντων αὐτήν·
12He that loves her loves life; and they that seek to her early shall be filled with joy.ὁ ἀγαπῶν αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ζωὴν, καὶ οἱ ὀρθρίζοντες πρὸς αὐτὴν ἐμπλησθήσονται εὐφροσύνης.
13He that holds her fast shall inherit glory; and wherever she enters, the Lord will bless.Ὁ κρατῶν αὐτῆς κληρονομήσει δόξαν, καὶ οὗ εἰσπορεύεται εὐλογήσει Κύριος.
14They that serve her shall minister to the Holy One: and them that love her the Lord does love.Οἱ λατρεύοντες αὐτῇ λειτουργήσουσιν Ἁγίῳ, καὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Κύριος.
15Whoso gives ear to her shall judge the nations: and he that attends to her shall dwell securely.Ὁ ὑπακούων αὐτῆς κρινεῖ ἔθνη, καὶ ὁ προσελθὼν αὐτῇ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθώς.
16If a man commit himself to her, he shall inherit her; and his generation shall hold her in possession.Ἐὰν ἐμπιστεύσῃς, κατακληρονομήσεις αὐτὴν, καὶ ἐν κατασχέσει ἔσονται αἱ γενεαὶ αὐτοῦ.
17For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline, until she may trust his soul, and try him by her laws.Ὅτι διεστραμμένως πορεύεται μετʼ αὐτοῦ ἐν πρώτοις· φόβον δὲ καὶ δειλίαν ἐπάξει ἐπʼ αὐτὸν, καὶ βασανίσει αὐτὸν ἐν παιδιᾷ αὐτῆς, ἕως οὗ ἐμπιστεύσῃ τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πειράσῃ αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασιν αὐτῆς.
18Then will she return the straight way to him, and comfort him, and show him her secrets.Καὶ πάλιν ἐπανήξει κατʼ εὐθεῖαν πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ εὐφρανεῖ αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀποκαλύψει αὐτῷ τὰ κρυπτὰ αὐτῆς.
19But if he go wrong, she will forsake him, and give him over to his own ruin.Ἐὰν ἀποπλανηθῇ, ἐγκαταλείψει αὐτὸν, καὶ παραδώσει αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας πτώσεως αὐτοῦ.
20Observe the opportunity, and beware of evil; and be not ashamed when it concerns your soul.Συντήρησον καιρὸν καὶ φύλαξαι ἀπὸ πονηροῦ, καὶ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς σου μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς.
21For there is a shame that brings sin; and there is a shame which is glory and grace.Ἔστι γὰρ αἰσχύνη ἐπάγουσα ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη δόξα καὶ χάρις.
22Accept no person against your soul, and let not the reverence of any man cause you to fall.Μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς σου, καὶ μὴ ἐντραπῇς εἰς πτῶσίν σου.
23And refrain not to speak, when there is occasion to do good, and hide not your wisdom in her beauty.Μὴ κωλύσῃς λόγον ἐν καιρῷ σωτηρίας,
24For by speech wisdom shall be known: and learning by the word of the tongue.ἐν γὰρ λόγῳ γνωσθήσεται σοφία, καὶ παιδεία ἐν ῥήματι γλώσσης.
25In no wise speak against the truth; but be abashed of the error of your ignorance.Μὴ ἀντίλεγε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀπαιδευσίας σου ἐντράπηθι.
26Be not ashamed to confess your sins; and force not the course of the river.Μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς ὁμολογῆσαι ἐφʼ ἁμαρτίαις σου, καὶ μὴ βιάζου ῥοῦν ποταμοῦ.
27Make not yourself an underling to a foolish man; neither accept the person of the mighty.Καὶ μὴ ὑποστρώσῃς σεαυτὸν ἀνθρώπῳ μωρῷ, καὶ μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον δυνάστου.
28Strive for the truth to death, and the Lord shall fight for you.Ἕως τοῦ θανάτου ἀγώνισαι περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς πολεμήσει ὑπὲρ σοῦ.
29Be not hasty in your tongue, and in your deeds slack and remiss.Μὴ γίνου τραχὺς ἐν γλώσσῃ σου, καὶ νωθρὸς καὶ παρειμένος ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις σου.
30Be not as a lion in your house, nor frantick among your servants.Μὴ ἴσθι ὡς λέων ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου, καὶ φαντασιοκοπῶν ἐν τοῖς οἰκέταις σου.
31Let not your hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when you should repay.Μὴ ἔστω ἡ χείρ σου ἐκτεταμένη εἰς τὸ λαβεῖν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀποδιδόναι συνεσταλμένη.
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