Ecclesiasticus, 23

1. And let not the naming of God be usual in thy mouth, and meddle not with the names of saints, for thou shalt not escape free from them.

1. κύριε πάτερ καὶ δέσποτα ζωῆς μου μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς με ἐν βουλῇ αὐτῶν μὴ ἀφῇς με πεσεῖν ἐν αὐτοῖς

2.

2. τίς ἐπιστήσει ἐπὶ τοῦ διανοήματός μου μάστιγας καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς καρδίας μου παιδείαν σοφίας ἵνα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγνοήμασίν μου μὴ φείσωνται καὶ οὐ μὴ παρῇ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν

3.

3. ὅπως μὴ πληθυνθῶσιν αἱ ἄγνοιαί μου καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μου πλεονάσωσιν καὶ πεσοῦμαι ἔναντι τῶν ὑπεναντίων καὶ ἐπιχαρεῖταί μοι ὁ ἐχθρός μου

4.

4. κύριε πάτερ καὶ θεὲ ζωῆς μου μετεωρισμὸν ὀφθαλμῶν μὴ δῷς μοι

5.

5. καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν ἀπόστρεψον ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ

6.

6. κοιλίας ὄρεξις καὶ συνουσιασμὸς μὴ καταλαβέτωσάν με καὶ ψυχῇ ἀναιδεῖ μὴ παραδῷς με

7.

7. παιδείαν στόματος ἀκούσατε τέκνα καὶ ὁ φυλάσσων οὐ μὴ ἁλῷ

8.

8. ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ καταληφθήσεται ἁμαρτωλός καὶ λοίδορος καὶ ὑπερήφανος σκανδαλισθήσονται ἐν αὐτοῖς

9.

9. ὅρκῳ μὴ ἐθίσῃς τὸ στόμα σου καὶ ὀνομασίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου μὴ συνεθισθῇς

10.

10. ὥσπερ γὰρ οἰκέτης ἐξεταζόμενος ἐνδελεχῶς ἀπὸ μώλωπος οὐκ ἐλαττωθήσεται οὕτως καὶ ὁ ὀμνύων καὶ ὀνομάζων διὰ παντὸς ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας οὐ μὴ καθαρισθῇ

11. For as a slave daily put to the question, is never without a blue mark: so every one that sweareth, and nameth, shall not be wholly pure from sin.

11. ἀνὴρ πολύορκος πλησθήσεται ἀνομίας καὶ οὐκ ἀποστήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ μάστιξ ἐὰν πλημμελήσῃ ἁμαρτία αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ κἂν ὑπερίδῃ ἥμαρτεν δισσῶς καὶ εἰ διὰ κενῆς ὤμοσεν οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πλησθήσεται γὰρ ἐπαγωγῶν ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ

12. A man that sweareth much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house.

12. ἔστιν λέξις ἀντιπαραβεβλημένη θανάτῳ μὴ εὑρεθήτω ἐν κληρονομίᾳ Ιακωβ ἀπὸ γὰρ εὐσεβῶν ταῦτα πάντα ἀποστήσεται καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις οὐκ ἐγκυλισθήσονται

13. And if he make it void, his sin shall be upon him: and if he dissemble it, he offendeth double:

13. ἀπαιδευσίαν ἀσυρῆ μὴ συνεθίσῃς τὸ στόμα σου ἔστιν γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ λόγος ἁμαρτίας

14. And if he swear in vain, he shall not be justified: for his house shall be filled with his punishment.

14. μνήσθητι πατρὸς καὶ μητρός σου ἀνὰ μέσον γὰρ μεγιστάνων συνεδρεύεις μήποτε ἐπιλάθῃ ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν καὶ τῷ ἐθισμῷ σου μωρανθῇς καὶ θελήσεις εἰ μὴ ἐγεννήθης καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ τοκετοῦ σου καταράσῃ

15. There is also another speech opposite to death, let it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob.

15. ἄνθρωπος συνεθιζόμενος λόγοις ὀνειδισμοῦ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ παιδευθῇ

16. For from the merciful all these things shall be taken away, and they shall not wallow in sins.

16. δύο εἴδη πληθύνουσιν ἁμαρτίας καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐπάξει ὀργήν

17. Let not thy mouth be accustomed to indiscreet speech: for therein is the word of sin.

17. ψυχὴ θερμὴ ὡς πῦρ καιόμενον οὐ μὴ σβεσθῇ ἕως ἂν καταποθῇ ἄνθρωπος πόρνος ἐν σώματι σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ παύσηται ἕως ἂν ἐκκαύσῃ πῦρ ἀνθρώπῳ πόρνῳ πᾶς ἄρτος ἡδύς οὐ μὴ κοπάσῃ ἕως ἂν τελευτήσῃ

18. Remember thy father and thy mother, for thou sittest is the midst of great men:

18. ἄνθρωπος παραβαίνων ἀπὸ τῆς κλίνης αὐτοῦ λέγων ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ τίς με ὁρᾷ σκότος κύκλῳ μου καὶ οἱ τοῖχοί με καλύπτουσιν καὶ οὐθείς με ὁρᾷ τί εὐλαβοῦμαι τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου οὐ μὴ μνησθήσεται ὁ ὕψιστος

19. Lest God forget thee in their sight, and thou, by thy daily custom, be infatuated and suffer reproach: and wish that thou hadst not been born, and curse the day of thy nativity.

19. καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἀνθρώπων ὁ φόβος αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω ὅτι ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου μυριοπλασίως ἡλίου φωτεινότεροι ἐπιβλέποντες πάσας ὁδοὺς ἀνθρώπων καὶ κατανοοῦντες εἰς ἀπόκρυφα μέρη

20. The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words, will never be corrected all the days of his life.

20. πρὶν ἢ κτισθῆναι τὰ πάντα ἔγνωσται αὐτῷ οὕτως καὶ μετὰ τὸ συντελεσθῆναι

21. Two sorts of men multiply sins, and the third bringeth wrath and destruction.

21. οὗτος ἐν πλατείαις πόλεως ἐκδικηθήσεται καὶ οὗ οὐχ ὑπενόησεν πιασθήσεται

22. A hot soul is a burning fire, it will never be quenched, till it devour some thing.

22. οὕτως καὶ γυνὴ καταλιποῦσα τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ παριστῶσα κληρονόμον ἐξ ἀλλοτρίου

23. And a man that is wicked in the mouth of his flesh, will not leave off till he hath kindled a fire.

23. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἐν νόμῳ ὑψίστου ἠπείθησεν καὶ δεύτερον εἰς ἄνδρα αὐτῆς ἐπλημμέλησεν καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν πορνείᾳ ἐμοιχεύθη καὶ ἐξ ἀλλοτρίου ἀνδρὸς τέκνα παρέστησεν

24. To a man that is a fornicator all bread is sweet, he will not be weary of sinning unto the end.

24. αὕτη εἰς ἐκκλησίαν ἐξαχθήσεται καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἐπισκοπὴ ἔσται

25. Every man that passeth beyond his own bed, despising his own soul, and saying: Who seeth me?

25. οὐ διαδώσουσιν τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς εἰς ῥίζαν καὶ οἱ κλάδοι αὐτῆς οὐκ οἴσουσιν καρπόν

26. Darkness compasseth me about, and the walls cover me, and no man seeth me: whom do I fear? the most High will not remember my sins.

26. καταλείψει εἰς κατάραν τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ ὄνειδος αὐτῆς οὐκ ἐξαλειφθήσεται

27. And he understandeth not that his eye seeth all things, for such a man's fear driveth from him the fear of God, and the eyes of men fearing him:

27. καὶ ἐπιγνώσονται οἱ καταλειφθέντες ὅτι οὐθὲν κρεῖττον φόβου κυρίου καὶ οὐθὲν γλυκύτερον τοῦ προσέχειν ἐντολαῖς κυρίου

28. And he knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, beholding round about all the ways of men, and the bottom of the deep, and looking into the hearts of men, into the most hidden parts.

28.

29. For all things were known to the Lord God, before they were created: so also after they were perfected he beholdeth all things.

29.

30. This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and he shall be chased as a colt: and where he suspected not, he shall be taken.

30.

31. And he shall be in disgrace with all men, because he understood not the fear of the Lord.

31.

32. So every woman also that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another :

32.

33. For first she hath been unfaithful to the law of the most High: and secondly, she hath offended against her husband: thirdly, she hath fornicated in adultery, end hath gotten her children of another man.

33.

34. This woman shall be brought into the assembly, and inquisition shall be made of her children.

34.

35. Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit.

35.

36. She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her infamy shall not be blotted out.

36.

37. And they that remain shall know. that there is nothing better than the fear of God: and that there is nothing sweeter than to have regard to the commandments of the Lord.

37.

38. It is great glory to follow the Lord for length of days shall be received from him.

38.