The Book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)
Chapter 32
1 – Have they made thee ruler? be not lifted up: be among them as one of them.
2 – Have care of them, and so sit down, and when thou hast acquitted thyself of all thy charge, take thy place :
3 – That thou mayst rejoice for them, and receive a crown as an ornament of grace, and get the honour of the contribution.
4 – Speak, thou that art elder: for it becometh thee,
5 – To speak the first word with care knowledge, and hinder not music.
6 – Where there is no hearing, pour out words, and be not lifted up out season with thy wisdom.
7 – 7A concert of music in a banquet wine is as a carbuncle set in gold.
8 – As a signet of an emerald in a work of gold: so is the melody of music with pleasant and moderate wine.
9 – Hear in silence, and for thy reverence good grace shall come to thee.
10 – Young man, scarcely speak in thy own cause.
11 – If thou be asked twice, let thy answer be short.
12 – In many things be as if thou wert ignorant, and hear in silence and withal seeking.
13 – In the company of great men bake not upon thee: and when the ancients are present, speak not much.
14 – Before a storm goeth lightning: and before shamefacedness goeth favour: and for thy reverence good grace shall come to thee.
15 – And at the time of rising be not slack: but be first to run home to thy house, and there withdraw thyself, and there take thy pastime.
16 – And do what thou hast a mind, but not in sin or proud speech.
17 – And for all these things bless the Lord, that made thee, and that replenisheth thee with all his good things.
18 – He that feareth the Lord, will receive his discipline: and they that will seek him early, shall find a blessing.
19 – He that seeketh the law, shall be filled with it: and he that dealeth deceitfully, shall meet with a stumblingblock therein.
20 – They that fear the Lord, shall find just judgment, and shall kindle justice as a light.
21 – A sinful man will flee reproof, and will find an excuse according to his will.
22 – A man of counsel will not neglect understanding, a strange and proud man will not dread fear:
23 – Even after he hath done with fear without counsel, he shall be controlled by the things of his own seeking.
24 – My son, do thou nothing without counsel, and thou shalt not repent when thou hast done.
25 – Go not in the way of ruin, and thou shalt not stumble against the stones; trust not thyself to a rugged may, lest thou set a stumblingblock to thy soul.
26 – And beware of thy own children, and take heed of them of thy household.
27 – In every work of thine regard thy soul in faith: for this is the keeping of the commandments.
28 – He that believeth God, taketh heed to the commandments: and he that trusteth in him, shall fare never the worse.
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.