en_wyc2014 - Sir 5 - Ozzuu Bible

¹ Thou that enterest into the house of God, keep thy foot, and nigh thou for to hear; for why much better is obedience, than the sacrifice of fools, that know not what evil they do. (Thou who enterest into the House of God, keep thy foot, and draw close to hear; for obedience is much better than the sacrifice of fools, who know not what evil they do.)

² Speak thou not anything follily (Do not thou say anything foolish), neither (let) thine heart be swift to bring forth a word before God; for God is in heaven, and thou art on earth, therefore (let) thy words be few.

³ Dreams follow many busynesses, and folly shall be found in many words.

⁴ If thou hast avowed anything to God, tarry thou not to yield it; for an unfaithful and fond promise displeaseth him; but yield thou whatever thing thou hast avowed;

⁵ and it is much better to make not a vow, than after a vow to yield not the promises. (and it is much better to not make a vow, than to make a vow and then not yield the promises.)

⁶ Give thou not thy mouth, that thou make thy flesh to do sin; neither say thou before an angel, No purveyance there is; lest peradventure the Lord be wroth on thy words, and destroy all the works of thine hands. (Give thou not thy mouth, that thou make thy flesh to do sin; nor then say thou before an angel, This is but a mistake; lest perhaps the Lord be angry with thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.)

⁷ Where be many dreams, be full many vanities, and words without number; but dread thou God. (Where there be many dreams, there is much that is empty and futile, and words without number; rather, fear thou God/rather, have thou reverence for God.)

⁸ If thou seest false challenges of needy men, and violent dooms (If thou seest the poor oppressed, and grave injustice), and that rightfulness is destroyed in the province, wonder thou not on this doing; for another is higher than an high man, and also other men be more high above these men;

⁹ and furthermore the king of all (the) earth commandeth to the servant. (and ultimately the King of all the earth commandeth to all his servants.)

¹⁰ An avaricious man shall not be [ful]filled of money; and he that loveth riches shall not take (the) fruits of them; and therefore this is vanity. (A greedy person shall never be fulfilled, or filled full, with money; and he who loveth riches shall never truly enjoy their fruits, or their earnings; and so this is empty and futile.)

¹¹ Where there be many riches, also many men there be, that eat those (Where there be many riches, there also be many people, who shall eat them); and what profiteth it to the holder, but that he seeth [the] riches with his eyes?

¹² Sleep is sweet to him that worketh, whether he eat little either much; but the fullness of a rich man suffereth not him to sleep. (Sleep is sweet to him who worketh, whether he eat a little or a great deal; but a rich person’s fullness will not allow him to sleep.)

¹³ Also another sickness is full evil, which I saw under the sun; riches (that) be kept into the harm of their lord.

¹⁴ For they perish in the worst torment; (and) he begat a son, that shall be in sovereign neediness. (And then those riches be lost in a terrible calamity; and so he hath begotten a son, who shall be left in great neediness.)

¹⁵ As he went naked out of his mother’s womb, so he shall turn again; and he shall take away with him nothing of his travail. (As he went naked out of his mother’s womb, so he shall return; and he shall not take away with him anything gained from all his labour.)

¹⁶ Utterly it is a wretched sickness; as he came, so he shall turn again. What profiteth it to him, that he travailed into the wind? (Yea, it is utterly a wretched sickness; as he came, so he shall return. What hath it profited him? he hath only laboured for the wind!)

¹⁷ In all the days of his life he ate in darknesses, and in many busynesses, and in neediness, and sorrow.

¹⁸ Therefore this seemed good to me, that a man eat, and drink, and use gladness of his travail, in which he travailed under the sun, in the number of days of his life, which God gave to him; and this is his part. (And so it seemed good to me, that a person should eat, and drink, and enjoy, or get happiness from, the fruits of his labour, for which he laboured under the sun, in the days of his life, which God gave to him; yea, this is his portion.)

¹⁹ And to each man, to whom God gave riches, and chattel, and gave power to him to eat of those, and to use his part, and to be glad of his travail; this is the gift of God. (And to each person, to whom God gave riches, and substance, and gave the power to him to enjoy them, and to use his portion, and to be happy in his labour, or in his work; this is the gift of God.)

²⁰ For he shall not think much on the days of his life, for God occupieth his heart with delights.

¹ Do not thou take heed to wicked possessions, and say thou not, Sufficient life is to me, that is, long is to coming to me, therefore I must get many things; for it shall nothing profit in the time of vengeance, and of failing, either death. [Do thou not take heed to wicked possessions, and not say thou, There is to me sufficient life; nothing forsooth it shall profit in the time of vengeance, and of oppressing, or death.]

² (Pur)Sue thou not the covetousness of thine heart in thy strength, [Not follow thou in thy strength the coveting of thine heart,]

³ and say thou not, As I might, either who shall make me subject for my deeds? For why God (a)venging shall (a)venge. [and not say thou, What manner might I, or who me shall subject for my deeds? God forsooth venging shall venge.]

⁴ Say thou not, I have sinned, and what sorrowful thing befell to me? For the Highest is a patient yielder.

⁵ Of the forgiveness of sins, do not thou be without dread, neither heap thou, [or lay thou], sin upon sin.

⁶ And say thou not, The merciful doing of God is great; he shall have mercy on the multitude of my sins. For why mercy and ire nigheth (or approacheth) soon from him, and his ire beholdeth on sinners. [And say thou not, The mercy of God is great; of the multitude of my sins he shall have mercy. Mercy forsooth and wrath from him soon nigheth (or approacheth), and into sinners beholdeth the wrath of him.]

⁷ Tarry thou not to be converted to the Lord, and delay thou not from day into day. For why his ire shall come suddenly, and he shall lose (or shall destroy) thee in the time of vengeance. [Not tarry thou to be converted to the Lord, and not put thou it off from day into day. Suddenly forsooth shall come the wrath of him, and in time of vengeance he shall destroy thee.]

⁸ Do not thou be anguished in unjust riches; for those shall not profit in the day of failing, either of death, and of vengeance. [Do not thou be anguished in unright riches; forsooth they shall not profit in the day of death, and of vengeances.]

⁹ Winnow thee not into each wind, and go thou not into each way; for so a sinner is proved in (or with) (a) double tongue. [Not throw thou thee out into each wind, and go thou not into each way; so forsooth a sinner is proved in double tongue.]

¹⁰ Be thou steadfast in the way of the Lord, and in truth and cunning (or the knowing) of thy wit; and the word of peace and of rightfulness (pur)sue thee perfectly. [Be thou steadfast in the way of the Lord, and in the truth of thy wit and cunning; and perfectly follow thee the word of peace and of rightwiseness.]

¹¹ Be thou mild (or meek) to hear the word of God, (so) that thou understand, and with wisdom bring thou forth a true answer. [Be thou debonair to hear the word of God, that thou understand, and with wisdom thou shalt bring forth a sooth answer.]

¹² If thou hast understanding, answer thy neighbor; else thine hand be on thy mouth, lest thou be taken in a word unwisely taught, and be ashamed. [If there is to thee understanding, answer to thy neighbour; else forsooth thine hand be upon thy mouth, lest thou be taken in an undisciplined word, and thou be confounded.]

¹³ Honour and glory is in the word of a wise man; but the tongue of an unprudent man is his destroying. [Worship and glory in the word of the well-feeling; the tongue forsooth of the unprudent is the turning upside-down of him.]

¹⁴ Be thou not called a privy evil speaker, in thy life, and be thou not taken in (or with) thy tongue, and be ashamed. Shame and penance is on a thief, and worst shame, either cursing, is on a man of (or with) (a) double tongue. Forsooth hatred and enmity and despising is to a privy backbiter. [Be thou not called a twisel tongue, or a privy backbiter, in thy life, and be thou not taken in thy tongue, and confounded. Forsooth upon a thief is confusion, and pain taking, and worst reproof upon the twisel tongue. To the privy grudgers (or grumblers) hate, and enmity, and strife.]

¹⁵ Justify thou a little man and a great man in like manner. [Justify thou (in) like manner the little and the great.]