Ecclesiasticus, 7

1. Do no evils, and no evils shall lay hold of thee.

1. μὴ ποίει κακά καὶ οὐ μή σε καταλάβῃ κακόν

2. Depart from the unjust, and evils shall depart from thee.

2. ἀπόστηθι ἀπὸ ἀδίκου καὶ ἐκκλινεῖ ἀπὸ σοῦ

3. My son, sow not evils in the furrows of injustice, and thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.

3. υἱέ μὴ σπεῖρε ἐπ’ αὔλακας ἀδικίας καὶ οὐ μὴ θερίσῃς αὐτὰ ἑπταπλασίως

4. Seek not of the Lord a pre-eminence, nor of the king the seat of honour.

4. μὴ ζήτει παρὰ κυρίου ἡγεμονίαν μηδὲ παρὰ βασιλέως καθέδραν δόξης

5. Justify not thyself before God, for he knoweth the heart: and desire not to appear wise before the king.

5. μὴ δικαιοῦ ἔναντι κυρίου καὶ παρὰ βασιλεῖ μὴ σοφίζου

6. Seek not to be made a judge, unless thou have strength enough to extirpate iniquities: lest thou fear the person of the powerful, and lay a stumblingblock for thy integrity.

6. μὴ ζήτει γενέσθαι κριτής μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύσεις ἐξᾶραι ἀδικίας μήποτε εὐλαβηθῇς ἀπὸ προσώπου δυνάστου καὶ θήσεις σκάνδαλον ἐν εὐθύτητί σου

7. Offend not against the multitude of a city, neither cast thyself in upon the people,

7. μὴ ἁμάρτανε εἰς πλῆθος πόλεως καὶ μὴ καταβάλῃς σεαυτὸν ἐν ὄχλῳ

8. Nor bind sin to sin: for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished.

8. μὴ καταδεσμεύσῃς δὶς ἁμαρτίαν ἐν γὰρ τῇ μιᾷ οὐκ ἀθῷος ἔσῃ

9. Be not fainthearted in thy mind:

9. μὴ εἴπῃς τῷ πλήθει τῶν δώρων μου ἐπόψεται καὶ ἐν τῷ προσενέγκαι με θεῷ ὑψίστῳ προσδέξεται

10. Neglect not to pray, and to give alms.

10. μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην ποιῆσαι μὴ παρίδῃς

11. Say not: God will have respect to the multitude of my gifts, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept my offerings.

11. μὴ καταγέλα ἄνθρωπον ὄντα ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ ἔστιν γὰρ ὁ ταπεινῶν καὶ ἀνυψῶν

12. Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is one that humbleth and exalteth, God who seeth

12. μὴ ἀροτρία ψεῦδος ἐπ’ ἀδελφῷ σου μηδὲ φίλῳ τὸ ὅμοιον ποίει

13. Devise not a lie against thy brother: neither do the like against thy friend.

13. μὴ θέλε ψεύδεσθαι πᾶν ψεῦδος ὁ γὰρ ἐνδελεχισμὸς αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰς ἀγαθόν

14. Be not willing to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good.

14. μὴ ἀδολέσχει ἐν πλήθει πρεσβυτέρων καὶ μὴ δευτερώσῃς λόγον ἐν προσευχῇ σου

15. Be not full of words in a multitude of ancients, and repeat not the word in thy prayer.

15. μὴ μισήσῃς ἐπίπονον ἐργασίαν καὶ γεωργίαν ὑπὸ ὑψίστου ἐκτισμένην

16. Hate not laborious works, nor husbandry ordained by the most High.

16. μὴ προσλογίζου σεαυτὸν ἐν πλήθει ἁμαρτωλῶν μνήσθητι ὅτι ὀργὴ οὐ χρονιεῖ

17. Number not thyself among the multitude of the disorderly.

17. ταπείνωσον σφόδρα τὴν ψυχήν σου ὅτι ἐκδίκησις ἀσεβοῦς πῦρ καὶ σκώληξ

18. Remember wrath, for it will not tarry long.

18. μὴ ἀλλάξῃς φίλον ἕνεκεν διαφόρου μηδὲ ἀδελφὸν γνήσιον ἐν χρυσίῳ Σουφιρ

19. Humble thy spirit very much: for the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms.

19. μὴ ἀστόχει γυναικὸς σοφῆς καὶ ἀγαθῆς ἡ γὰρ χάρις αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ τὸ χρυσίον

20. Do not transgress against thy friend deferring money, nor despise thy dear brother for the sake of gold.

20. μὴ κακώσῃς οἰκέτην ἐργαζόμενον ἐν ἀληθείᾳ μηδὲ μίσθιον διδόντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ

21. Depart not from a wise and good wife, whom thou best gotten in the fear of the Lord: for the grace of her modesty is above gold.

21. οἰκέτην συνετὸν ἀγαπάτω σου ἡ ψυχή μὴ στερήσῃς αὐτὸν ἐλευθερίας

22. Hurt not the servant that worketh faithfully, nor the hired man that giveth thee his life.

22. κτήνη σοί ἐστιν ἐπισκέπτου αὐτά καὶ εἰ ἔστιν σοι χρήσιμα ἐμμενέτω σοι

23. Let a wise servant be dear to thee as thy own soul, defraud him not of liberty, nor leave him needy.

23. τέκνα σοί ἐστιν παίδευσον αὐτὰ καὶ κάμψον ἐκ νεότητος τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῶν

24. Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.

24. θυγατέρες σοί εἰσιν πρόσεχε τῷ σώματι αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἱλαρώσῃς πρὸς αὐτὰς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου

25. Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their childhood.

25. ἔκδου θυγατέρα καὶ ἔσῃ τετελεκὼς ἔργον μέγα καὶ ἀνδρὶ συνετῷ δώρησαι αὐτήν

26. Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thy countenance gay towards them.

26. γυνή σοί ἐστιν κατὰ ψυχήν μὴ ἐκβάλῃς αὐτήν καὶ μισουμένῃ μὴ ἐμπιστεύσῃς σεαυτόν

27. Marry thy daughter well, and then shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.

27. ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ σου δόξασον τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ μητρὸς ὠδῖνας μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ

28. If thou hast a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful, trust not thyself. With thy whole heart,

28. μνήσθητι ὅτι δι’ αὐτῶν ἐγεννήθης καὶ τί ἀνταποδώσεις αὐτοῖς καθὼς αὐτοὶ σοί

29. Honour thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:

29. ἐν ὅλῃ ψυχῇ σου εὐλαβοῦ τὸν κύριον καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ θαύμαζε

30. Remember that thou hadst not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.

30. ἐν ὅλῃ δυνάμει ἀγάπησον τὸν ποιήσαντά σε καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς

31. With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.

31. φοβοῦ τὸν κύριον καὶ δόξασον ἱερέα καὶ δὸς τὴν μερίδα αὐτῷ καθὼς ἐντέταλταί σοι ἀπαρχὴν καὶ περὶ πλημμελείας καὶ δόσιν βραχιόνων καὶ θυσίαν ἁγιασμοῦ καὶ ἀπαρχὴν ἁγίων

32. With all thy strength love him that made thee: and forsake not his ministers.

32. καὶ πτωχῷ ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρά σου ἵνα τελειωθῇ ἡ εὐλογία σου

33. Honour God with all thy soul, and give honour to the priests, and purify thyself with thy arms.

33. χάρις δόματος ἔναντι παντὸς ζῶντος καὶ ἐπὶ νεκρῷ μὴ ἀποκωλύσῃς χάριν

34. Give them their portion, as it is commanded thee, of the firstfruits and of purifications: and for thy negligences purify thyself with a few.

34. μὴ ὑστέρει ἀπὸ κλαιόντων καὶ μετὰ πενθούντων πένθησον

35. Offer to the Lord the gift of thy shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things:

35. μὴ ὄκνει ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ἄρρωστον ἄνθρωπον ἐκ γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων ἀγαπηθήσῃ

36.

36. ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις σου μιμνῄσκου τὰ ἔσχατά σου καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεις

37. A gift hath grace in the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from the dead.

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38. Be not wanting in comforting them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.

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39. Be not slow to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.

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40. In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.

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