Siracide, 15
1. Chi teme il Signore farà tutto questo, e chi possiede la legge ha la sapienza.
1. Blessed is the man who does not blunder with his lips and need not suffer grief for sin.
2. Questa gli andrà incontro come madre, l'attenderà come vergine sposa,
2. Blessed is he whose heart does not condemn him, and who has not given up his hope.
3. lo nutrirà col pane della comprensione, lo disseterà con l'acqua dell'intelligenza.
3. Riches are not seemly for a stingy man; and of what use is property to an envious man?
4. Ad essa si appoggerà e non vacillerà, in essa confiderà e non sarà deluso.
4. Whoever accumulates by depriving himself, accumulates for others; and others will live in luxury on his goods.
5. Essa l'esalterà tra i suoi vicini, gli aprirà la bocca in mezzo all'assemblea.
5. If a man is mean to himself, to whom will he be generous? He will not enjoy his own riches.
6. Egli troverà letizia e corona d'allegrezza, avrà in eredità un nome duraturo.
6. No one is meaner than the man who is grudging to himself, and this is the retribution for his baseness;
7. Gli stolti non la raggiungeranno, i peccatori non la vedranno.
7. even if he does good, he does it unintentionally, and betrays his baseness in the end.
8. E' lontana dall'arroganza, i bugiardi non la ricorderanno.
8. Evil is the man with a grudging eye; he averts his face and disregards people.
9. La lode non s'addice in bocca al peccatore, perché non gli è stata destinata dal Signore.
9. A greedy man's eye is not satisfied with a portion, and mean injustice withers the soul.
10. La lode, infatti, suppone la sapienza, ed è il Signore che la concede.
10. A stingy man's eye begrudges bread, and it is lacking at his table.
11. Non dire: "Ho peccato per opera del Signore", perché egli non fa quello che odia.
11. My son, treat yourself well, according to your means, and present worthy offerings to the Lord.
12. Non dire: "Lui mi ha sedotto", perché non gli serve l'uomo peccatore.
12. Remember that death will not delay, and the decree of Hades has not been shown to you.
13. Il Signore odia ogni abominio: esso non è amato da quanti lo temono.
13. Do good to a friend before you die, and reach out and give to him as much as you can.
14. Egli ha fatto l'uomo dal principio e l'ha lasciato in balìa del suo consiglio.
14. Do not deprive yourself of a happy day; let not your share of desired good pass by you.
15. Se vuoi, osserva i comandamenti, chi ha buona volontà pratica la fedeltà.
15. Will you not leave the fruit of your labors to another, and what you acquired by toil to be divided by lot?
16. Egli ti ha messo davanti il fuoco e l'acqua: dove tu vuoi, stendi la mano.
16. Give, and take, and beguile yourself, because in Hades one cannot look for luxury.
17. Davanti all'uomo, la vita e la morte, quanto desidera gli viene dato.
17. All living beings become old like a garment, for the decree from of old is, "You must surely die!"
18. La sapienza del Signore è grande: forte in potenza, lui vede tutto.
18. Like flourishing leaves on a spreading tree which sheds some and puts forth others, so are the generations of flesh and blood: one dies and another is born.
19. I suoi occhi sopra quelli che lo temono, egli osserva tutta l'opera dell'uomo.
19. Every product decays and ceases to exist, and the man who made it will pass away with it.
20. A nessuno ha comandato l'empietà, a nessuno ha dato la facoltà di peccare.
20. Blessed is the man who meditates on wisdom and who reasons intelligently.
21.
21. He who reflects in his mind on her ways will also ponder her secrets.
22.
22. Pursue wisdom like a hunter, and lie in wait on her paths.
23.
23. He who peers through her windows will also listen at her doors;
24.
24. he who encamps near her house will also fasten his tent peg to her walls;
25.
25. he will pitch his tent near her, and will lodge in an excellent lodging place;
26.
26. he will place his children under her shelter, and will camp under her boughs;
27.
27. he will be sheltered by her from the heat, and will dwell in the midst of her glory.
