Ecclesiasticus, 19

1. A drunken workman will never grow rich, and one who makes light of small matters will gradually sink.

1. A labouring man that A is given to drunkenness shall not be rich: and he that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little.

2. Wine and women corrupt intelligent men, the customer of whores loses all sense of shame.

2. Wine and women will make men of understanding to fall away: and he that cleaveth to harlots will become impudent.

3. Grubs and worms will have him as their legacy, and the man who knows no shame will lose his life.

3. Moths and worms shall have him to heritage, and a bold man shall be taken away.

4. Being too ready to trust shows shallowness of mind, and sinning harms the sinner.

4. He that is hasty to give credit is lightminded; and he that sinneth shall offend against his own soul.

5. Taking pleasure in evil earns condemnation;

5. Whoso taketh pleasure in wickedness shall be condemned: but he that resisteth pleasures crowneth his life.

6. by hating gossip one avoids evil.

6. He that can rule his tongue shall live without strife; and he that hateth babbling shall have less evil.

7. Never repeat what you are told and you will come to no harm;

7. Rehearse not unto another that which is told unto thee, and thou shalt fare never the worse.

8. whether to friend or foe, do not talk about it, unless it would be sinful not to, do not reveal it;

8. Whether it be to friend or foe, talk not of other men's lives; and if thou canst without offence, reveal them not.

9. you would be heard out, then mistrusted, and in due course you would be hated.

9. For he heard and observed thee, and when time cometh he will hate thee.

10. Have you heard something? Let it die with you. Courage! It will not burst you!

10. If thou hast heard a word, let it die with thee; and be bold, it will not burst thee.

11. A fool will suffer birthpangs over a piece of news, like a woman labouring with child.

11. A fool travaileth with a word, as a woman in labour of a child.

12. Like an arrow stuck in the flesh of the thigh, so is a piece of news inside a fool.

12. As an arrow that sticketh in a man's thigh, so is a word within a fool's belly.

13. Question your friend, he may have done nothing at all; and if he has done anything, he will not do it again.

13. Admonish a friend, it may be he hath not done it: and if he have done it, that he do it no more.

14. Question your neighbour, he may have said nothing at all; and if he has said anything, he will not say it again.

14. Admonish thy friend, it may be he hath not said it: and if he have, that he speak it not again.

15. Question your friend, for slander is very common, do not believe all you hear.

15. Admonish a friend: for many times it is a slander, and believe not every tale.

16. People sometimes make a slip, without meaning what they say; and which of us has never sinned by speech?

16. There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart; and who is he that hath not offended with his tongue?

17. Question your neighbour before you threaten him, and defer to the Law of the Most High.

17. Admonish thy neighbour before thou threaten him; and not being angry, give place to the law of the most High.

18.

18. The fear of the Lord is the first step to be accepted [of him,] and wisdom obtaineth his love.

19.

19. The knowledge of the commandments of the Lord is the doctrine of life: and they that do things that please him shall receive the fruit of the tree of immortality.

20. Wisdom consists entirely in fearing the Lord, and wisdom is entirely constituted by the fulfilling of the Law.

20. The fear of the Lord is all wisdom; and in all wisdom is the performance of the law, and the knowledge of his omnipotency.

21.

21. If a servant say to his master, I will not do as it pleaseth thee; though afterward he do it, he angereth him that nourisheth him.

22. Being learned in evil, however, is not wisdom, there is no prudence in the advice of sinners.

22. The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, neither at any time the counsel of sinners prudence.

23. There is a cleverness that is detestable; whoever has no wisdom is a fool.

23. There is a wickedness, and the same an abomination; and there is a fool wanting in wisdom.

24. Better be short of sense and full of fear, than abound in shrewdness and violate the Law.

24. He that hath small understanding, and feareth God, is better than one that hath much wisdom, and transgresseth the law of the most High.

25. There is a wickedness which is scrupulous but nonetheless dishonest, and there are those who misuse kindness to win their case.

25. There is an exquisite subtilty, and the same is unjust; and there is one that turneth aside to make judgment appear; and there is a wise man that justifieth in judgment.

26. There is the person who will walk bowed down with grief, when inwardly this is nothing but deceit:

26. There is a wicked man that hangeth down his head sadly; but inwardly he is full of deceit,

27. he hides his face and pretends to be deaf, if he is not unmasked, he will take advantage of you.

27. Casting down his countenance, and making as if he heard not: where he is not known, he will do thee a mischief before thou be aware.

28. There is the person who is prevented from sinning by lack of strength, yet he will do wrong when he gets the chance.

28. And if for want of power he be hindered from sinning, yet when he findeth opportunity he will do evil.

29. You can tell a person by his appearance, you can tell a thinker by the look on his face.

29. A man may be known by his look, and one that hath understanding by his countenance, when thou meetest him.

30. The way a person dresses, the way he laughs, the way he walks, tell you what he is.

30. A man's attire, and excessive laughter, and gait, shew what he is.