Ecclesiasticus, 10

1. A wise magistrate lends stability to his people, and the government of a prudent man is well ordered.

1. A sagacious ruler educates his people, and he makes his subjects understand order.

2. As the people's judge, so are his ministers; as the head of a city, its inhabitants.

2. As the magistrate is, so will his officials be, as the governor is, so will be the inhabitants of his city.

3. A wanton king destroys his people, but a city grows through the wisdom of its princes.

3. An undisciplined king will be the ruin of his people, a city owes its prosperity to the intelligence of its leading men.

4. Sovereignty over the earth is in the hand of God, who raises up on it the man of the hour;

4. The government of the earth is in the hands of the Lord, he sets the right leader over it at the right time.

5. Sovereignty over every man is in the hand of God, who imparts his majesty to the ruler.

5. Human success is in the hands of the Lord. He invests the scribe with honour.

6. No matter the wrong, do no violence to your neighbor, and do not walk the path of arrogance.

6. Do not resent your neighbour's every offence, and never act in a fit of passion.

7. Odious to the LORD and to men is arrogance, and the sin of oppression they both hate.

7. Pride is hateful to God and humanity, and injustice is abhorrent to both.

8. Dominion is transferred from one people to another because of the violence of the arrogant.

8. Sovereignty passes from nation to nation because of injustice, arrogance and money.

9. Why are dust and ashes proud? even during life man's body decays;

9. What has dust and ashes to pride itself on? Even in life its entrails are repellent.

10. A slight illness--the doctor jests, a king today--tomorrow he is dead.

10. A long illness makes a fool of the doctor; a king today is a corpse tomorrow.

11. When a man dies, he inherits corruption; worms and gnats and maggots.

11. For in death the portion of all alike will be insects, wild animals and worms.

12. The beginning of pride is man's stubbornness in withdrawing his heart from his Maker;

12. The first stage of pride is to desert the Lord and to turn one's heart away from one's Maker.

13. For pride is the reservoir of sin, a source which runs over with vice; Because of it God sends unheard-of afflictions and brings men to utter ruin.

13. Since the first stage of pride is sin, whoever clings to it will pour forth filth. This is why the Lord inflicts unexpected punishments on such people, utterly destroying them.

14. The thrones of the arrogant God overturns and establishes the lowly in their stead.

14. The Lord has turned mighty princes off their thrones and seated the humble there instead.

15. The roots of the proud God plucks up, to plant the humble in their place:

15. The Lord has plucked up the proud by the roots, and planted the lowly in their place.

16. He breaks down their stem to the level of the ground, then digs their roots from the earth.

16. The Lord has overthrown the lands of the nations and destroyed them to the very foundations of the earth.

17. The traces of the proud God sweeps away and effaces the memory of them from the earth.

17. Sometimes he has taken them away and destroyed them, and blotted out their memory from the earth.

18. Insolence is not allotted to a man, nor stubborn anger to one born of woman.

18. Pride was not created for human beings, nor furious rage for those born of woman.

19. Whose offspring can be in honor? Those of men. Which offspring are in honor? Those who fear God. Whose offspring can be in disgrace? Those of men. Which offspring are in disgrace? Those who transgress the commandments.

19. What race deserves honour? The human race. What race deserves honour? Those who fear the Lord. What race deserves contempt? The human race. What race deserves contempt? Those who break the Law.

20. Among brethren their leader is in honor; he who fears God is in honor among his people.

20. A leader is honoured by his brothers, and those who fear the Lord are honoured by him.

21. Be it tenant or wayfarer, alien or pauper, his glory is the fear of the LORD.

21.

22. It is not just to despise a man who is wise but poor, nor proper to honor any sinner.

22. The rich, the noble, the poor, let them pride themselves on fearing the Lord.

23. The prince, the ruler, the judge are in honor; but none is greater than he who fears God.

23. It is not right to despise one who is poor but intelligent, and it is not good to honour one who is a sinner.

24. When free men serve a prudent slave, the wise man does not complain.

24. Magnate, magistrate, potentate, all are to be honoured, but none is greater than the one who fears the Lord.

25. Flaunt not your wisdom in managing your affairs, and boast not in your time of need.

25. A wise slave will have free men waiting on him, and the enlightened will not complain.

26. Better the worker who has plenty of everything than the boaster who is without bread.

26. Do not try to be smart when you do your work, do not put on airs when you are in difficulties.

27. My son, with humility have self-esteem; prize yourself as you deserve.

27. Better the hardworking who has plenty of everything, than the pretentious at a loss for a meal.

28. Who will acquit him who condemns himself? who will honor him who discredits himself?

28. My child, be modest in your self-esteem, and value yourself at your proper worth.

29. The poor man is honored for his wisdom as the rich man is honored for his wealth;

29. Who can justify one who inflicts injuries on himself, or respect one who is full of self-contempt?

30. Honored in poverty, how much more so in wealth! Dishonored in wealth, in poverty how much the more!

30. The poor is honoured for wit, and the rich for wealth.

31.

31. Honoured in poverty, how much the more in wealth! Dishonoured in wealth, how much the more in poverty!