The Book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)
Chapter 4
1 – Son, defraud not the poor of alms, and turn not away thy eyes from the poor.
2 – Despise not the hungry soul: and provoke not the Boor in his want.
3 – Afflict not the heart of the needy, and defer not to give to him that is in distress.
4 – Reject not the petition of the afflicted: and turn not away thy face from the needy.
5 – Turn not away thy eyes from the poor for fear of anger: and leave not to them that ask of thee to curse thee behind thy back.
6 – For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of his soul, shall be heard, for he that made him will hear him.
7 – Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poor, and humble thy soul to the ancient, and bow thy head to a great man.
8 – Bow down thy ear cheerfully to the poor, and pay what thou owest, and answer him peaceable words with mildness.
9 – Deliver him that suffereth wrong out of the hand of the proud: and be not fainthearted in thy soul.
10 – In judging be merciful to the fatherless as a father, and as a husband to their mother.
11 – And thou shalt be as the obedient son of the most High, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother.
12 – Wisdom inspireth life into her children, and protecteth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice.
13 – And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness.
14 – They that hold her fast, shall inherit life: and whithersoever she entereth, God will give a blessing.
15 – They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy one: and God loveth them that love her.
16 – He that hearkeneth to her, shall judge nations: and he that looketh upon her, shall remain secure.
17 – If he trust to her, he shall inherit her, and his generation shall be in assurance.
18 – For she walketh with him in temptation, and at the first she chooseth him.
19 – She will bring upon him fear and dread and trial: and she will scourge him with the affliction of her discipline, till she try him by her laws, and trust his soul.
20 – Then she will strengthen him, and make a straight way to him, and give him joy,
21 – And will disclose her secrets to him, and will heap upon him treasures of knowledge and understanding of justice.
22 – But if he go astray, she will forsake him, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy.
23 – Son, observe the time, and fly from evil.
24 – For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth.
25 – For there is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace.
26 – Accept no person against thy own person, nor against thy soul a lie.
27 – Reverence not thy neighbour in his fall:
28 – And refrain not to speak in the time of salvation. Hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.
29 – For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and understanding, and knowledge, and learning by the word of the wise, and steadfastness in the works of justice.
30 – In nowise speak against the truth, but be ashamed of the lie of thy ignorance.
31 – Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but submit not thyself to every man for sin.
32 – Resist not against the face of the mighty, and do not strive against the stream of the river.
33 – Strive for justice for thy soul, and even unto death fight for justice, and God will overthrow thy enemies for thee.
34 – Be not hasty in thy tongue: and slack and remiss in thy works.
35 – Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household, and oppressing them that are under thee.
36 – Let not thy hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldst give.
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.