Sirach 42

Common English Bible

42 of repeating gossip;
    and of revealing secrets—
        then you will be truly modest
        and find favor with every human being.

Don’t be ashamed of these things,
    and don’t show favoritism
    so that you sin.
²Don’t be ashamed:
    of the Law of the Most High
    or the covenant,
    of a just verdict
    in favor of an ungodly person,
³    of keeping a record of expenses with a partner or a traveling companion,
    of distributing an inheritance
    to others,
⁴    of accuracy with scales and weights,
    of acquiring a lot or a little,
⁵    of profit from business with merchants,
    of frequent discipline of children,
    and of whipping wicked
    household slaves until they bleed.
⁶In the case of a wicked wife,
using your seal on your documents and supplies^[a] is an excellent idea,
    and lock up things
    anywhere there are lots of hands.
⁷Whatever you deposit,
whether by number and weight,
    and whatever you give or receive,
    put everything in writing.
⁸Don’t be ashamed of discipline
for the stupid and foolish
    and for the old codger
    who is guilty of sexual immorality.
Then you will have been truly educated
    and approved by everyone alive.

On daughters

⁹A daughter is a hidden source
of sleeplessness for her father,
    and anxiety about her deprives him
    of sleep:
    in her youth, that she doesn’t pass
    her prime,
    and when she’s married,
    that she not be hated;
¹⁰    while she’s a virgin,
    that she not be seduced
    and become pregnant
    while still living at home;
    when she’s married,
    that she not go straying;
    or having married,
    that she not be infertile.
¹¹Keep a strict watch over
an unruly daughter
    so that she doesn’t make you
    an object of ridicule to your enemies,
    a topic of talk in the city
    and the assembly of the people,
    and she shame you before the crowd.

¹²Don’t consider the beauty
of any person,^[b]
    and don’t spend time among women.
¹³    Moths come out of clothes,
    and a woman’s wickedness
    comes from a woman.
¹⁴A man’s wickedness
is better than a woman who does good
    and a disgraced woman
    who brings shame.

God’s created order

¹⁵Now I’ll call to mind the works
of the Lord,
    and I’ll tell about what I’ve seen.
The Lord’s works came into being
by his words.^[c]
¹⁶The shining sun looked down
on everything,
    and the Lord’s work is radiant
    with his glory.
¹⁷The Lord has not allowed his holy ones
    to describe all of his wonders,
        which the Lord Almighty established
        so that the universe would stand firm
        in his glory.
¹⁸He has searched the abyss and the heart,
    and he took their great achievements
    into consideration,
        because the Most High
        knew everything to be known.
        He saw the sign of the age,^[d]
¹⁹        explaining what has passed
        and what will be,
        and revealing the clues to things
        that are hidden.
²⁰No thought escaped him,
    and not a single word
    was hidden from him.
²¹He ordered the splendors of his wisdom.
    He remains the same^[e]
    from the beginning of time
    all the way to eternity.
    Nothing can be added to him
    nor be taken away,
    and he needed no one to give him advice.
²²How desirable are all of his works,
    and how brilliant they are to look upon.
²³All these things live and remain forever
    in every circumstance,
    and everything obeys him.^[f]
²⁴All things exist in pairs,
one opposite the other,
    and he made nothing that
    was incomplete.
²⁵Each thing strengthens the good parts
of the other;
    who can get enough of seeing
    God’s glory?

Footnotes

Sirach 42:6 Gk lacks on your documents and supplies.
Sirach 42:12 Heb Don’t allow any latticework in her room nor a place that overlooks the entrance to the house; don’t let her display her beauty before any man.
Sirach 42:15 Heb adds and they agree to do his will; LXX^band judgment comes about by his good will.
Sirach 42:18 Heb and he saw what was to come forever
Sirach 42:21 Gk He is one
Sirach 42:23 Heb and all things are maintained for every need.