The Book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)
Chapter 14
1 – Blessed is the man that hath not slipped by a word out of his mouth, and is not pricked with the remorse of sin.
2 – Happy is he that hath had no sadness of his mind, and who is not fallen from his hope.
3 – Riches are not comely for a covetous man and a niggard, and what should an envious man do with gold?
4 – He that gathereth together by wronging his own soul, gathereth for others, and another will squander away his goods in rioting.
5 – He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? and he shall not take pleasure in his goods.
6 – There is none worse than he that envieth himself, and this is the reward of his wickedness:
7 – And if he do good, he doth it ignorantly, and unwillingly: and at the last he discovereth his wickedness.
8 – The eye of the envious is wicked: and he turneth away his face, and despiseth his own soul.
9 – The eye of the covetous man is insatiable in his portion of iniquity: he will not be satisfied till he consume his own soul, drying it up.
10 – An evil eye is towards evil things: and he shall not have his fill of bread, but shall be needy and pensive at his own table.
11 – My son, if thou have any thing, do good to thyself, and offer to God worthy offerings.
12 – Remember that death is not slow, and that the covenant of hell hath been shewn to thee: for the covenant of this world shall surely die.
13 – Do good to thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability, stretching out thy hand give to the poor.
14 – Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good gift over- pass thee.
15 – Shalt thou not leave to others to divide by lot thy sorrows and labours?
16 – Give and take, and justify thy soul.
17 – Before thy death work justice: for in hell there is no finding food.
18 – All flesh shall fade as grass, and as the leaf that springeth out on a green tree.
19 – Some grow, and some fall off: so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born.
20 – Every work that is corruptible shall fail in the end: and the worker thereof shall go with it.
21 – And every excellent work shall be justified: and the worker thereof shall be honoured therein.
22 – Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and that shall meditate in his justice, and in his mind shall think of the all seeing eye of God.
23 – He that considereth her ways in his heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, who goeth after her as one that traceth, and stayeth in her ways:
24 – He who looketh in at her windows, and hearkeneth at her door:
25 – He that lodgeth near her house, and fastening a pin in her walls shall set up his tent nigh unto her, where good things shall rest in his lodging for ever.
26 – He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches:
27 – He shall be protected under her covering from the heat, and shall rest in her glory.
The Catholic Bible Online. Scriptures are from The Douay Rheims Catholic Bible 1582-1610 a.d. Version In the Public Domain. The Douay Rheims Bible is a translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English undertaken by members of the English College, Douai in the service of the Catholic Church.