Sirach 4

Common English Bible

4 Don’t deprive a poor person’s life,
    and don’t avoid looking
    the needy in the eyes.
²Don’t grieve a hungry person,
    and don’t make a person
    in dire straits angry.
³Don’t trouble an angry person,
    and don’t put off giving to the needy.
⁴Don’t keep rejecting the plea
of someone in distress,
    and don’t turn your face
    away from the poor.
⁵Don’t turn your
eyes away from someone begging,
    and don’t give anyone an opportunity
    to curse you.
⁶If some curse you
in their bitter circumstances,
    the one who made them
    will hear their prayer.

⁷Behave yourself pleasantly in the assembly,
    and bow your head
    to an influential person.
⁸Listen to the poor,
    and reply with peaceful
    and gentle speech.
⁹Set the wronged free
from the hand of the wrongdoer,
    and don’t be timid
    when you give judgment.
¹⁰Be like a parent to orphans,
    and take care of their mothers
    as you would your own wife or husband.
    Do this, and you will be like a child
    of the Most High,
    and God will love you
    more than your own mother does.

Submission to Wisdom

¹¹Wisdom will exalt^[a]
her children
    and take hold of those who seek her.
¹²Whoever loves her loves life.
    Those who wake early for her
    will be filled with gladness.
¹³Those who possess her will inherit glory.
    The Lord blesses the place
    where they enter.^[b]
¹⁴Those who serve her will serve
the holy one;
    the Lord loves those who love her.
¹⁵Whoever obeys her will judge nations.
    Whoever is devoted to her
    will live with confidence.
¹⁶If they persevere in faith,
they will inherit her,
    and their descendants will possess her.
¹⁷At first she will walk
in twists and turns with them.
    She will bring fear and dread upon them,
    and she will torture them
    with her discipline
        until she trusts them completely.
        She will test them
        with her commandments,
¹⁸        and again she will come straight back to them, make them glad,
        and reveal to them her secrets.
¹⁹If they go astray,
she will leave them behind
    and hand them over to their downfall.

Shame and speech

²⁰Watch closely for the right opportunity,
    be on guard against evil,
    and don’t be ashamed of yourself.
²¹There’s a kind of shame
that brings about sin,
    and there’s a kind of shame
that brings good reputation and favor.
²²Don’t show partiality to your own hurt,
    and don’t show respect
    to your own downfall.
²³Don’t keep from speaking
in a time of need,^[c]
²⁴    for wisdom will show itself
    in one’s speech,
        and education through one’s words.
²⁵Don’t contradict the truth,
    but don’t be ashamed
    when you don’t know the answer.
²⁶Don’t be ashamed to confess your sins,
    and don’t force the flow of a river.
²⁷Don’t lower yourself before a fool,
    and don’t show partiality
    toward the powerful.
²⁸    Fight to the death on behalf of truth,
    and the Lord God will fight for you.

²⁹Don’t be bold to speak,
    but sluggish and slack
    when it comes to action.
³⁰Don’t be like a lion in your house,
    putting on airs
    among your household slaves.
³¹Don’t stretch your hand out
to receive and withdraw it
when it is time to pay back.