Ecclesiasticus, 10

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

1. Do not be jealous of the wife of your bosom, and do not teach her an evil lesson to your own hurt.

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

2. Do not give yourself to a woman so that she gains mastery over your strength.

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

3. Do not go to meet a loose woman, lest you fall into her snares.

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

4. Do not associate with a woman singer, lest you be caught in her intrigues.

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

5. Do not look intently at a virgin, lest you stumble and incur penalties for her.

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

6. Do not give yourself to harlots lest you lose your inheritance.

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

7. Do not look around in the streets of a city, nor wander about in its deserted sections.

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

8. Turn away your eyes from a shapely woman, and do not look intently at beauty belonging to another; many have been misled by a woman's beauty, and by it passion is kindled like a fire.

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

9. Never dine with another man's wife, nor revel with her at wine; lest your heart turn aside to her, and in blood you be plunged into destruction.

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

10. Forsake not an old friend, for a new one does not compare with him. A new friend is like new wine; when it has aged you will drink it with pleasure.

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

11. Do not envy the honors of a sinner, for you do not know what his end will be.

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

12. Do not delight in what pleases the ungodly; remember that they will not be held guiltless as long as they live.

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.

13. Keep far from a man who has the power to kill, and you will not be worried by the fear of death. But if you approach him, make no misstep, lest he rob you of your life. Know that you are walking in the midst of snares, and that you are going about on the city battlements.

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

14. As much as you can, aim to know your neighbors, and consult with the wise.

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

15. Let your conversation be with men of understanding, and let all your discussion be about the law of the Most High.

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

16. Let righteous men be your dinner companions, and let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord.

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

17. A work will be praised for the skill of the craftsmen; so a people's leader is proved wise by his words.

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

18. A babbler is feared in his city, and the man who is reckless in speech will be hated.

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.

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

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

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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