en_wyc2014 - Sir 6 - Ozzuu Bible

¹ Also another evil there is (There is also another evil), which I saw under the sun; and certainly it is oft used with men.

² A man is, to whom God gave riches, and chattel, and honour; and nothing faileth to his soul of all things which he desireth; and God giveth not power to him, that he eat thereof, but a strange man shall devour it.[1] This is vanity, and a great wretchedness. (There is a person, to whom God gave riches, and possessions, and honour; and he lacketh nothing of all the things which he desireth; but God giveth him not the power to enjoy those things, but a stranger shall enjoy them. This is empty and futile, and a great wretchedness.)

³ If a man engendereth an hundred free sons, and hath many days of age, and his soul useth not the goods of his chattel, and wanteth burying; I pronounce of this man, that a dead-born child is better than he. (Yea, if a man begetteth a hundred sons, and hath many years of age, and yet he is not able to enjoy the good things in his life, and at the last he even lacketh a proper burial, or a proper tomb; I declare of this man, that a still-born child is better than he.)

⁴ For he cometh in vain, and goeth to darknesses; and his name shall be done away by forgetting.

⁵ He saw not the sun, neither knew the diversity of good and of evil;

⁶ also though he live two thousand years, and useth not goods; whether all things hasten not to one place? (even if he live two thousand years, he hath not enjoyed the good things in his life; and do not all hasten to one and the same place?)

⁷ All the travail of a man is in his mouth, but the soul of him shall not be [ful]filled with goods. (All the labour of a person is for his mouth, yet his belly, or his appetite, shall never be fulfilled with enough good things.)

⁸ What hath a wise man more than a fool? and what hath a poor man, but that he go thither, where is life? (What more hath a person who is wise, than a person who is a fool? or what hath someone who is poor, but that he go there, with a knowledge, or with an understanding, of life?)

⁹ It is better to see that, that thou covetest, than to desire that, that thou knowest not; but also this is vanity, and presumption of spirit. (It is better to see what thou covetest, than to desire what thou knowest not; but this is also empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)

¹⁰ The name of him that shall come, is called now, and it is known, that he is a man, and he may not strive in doom against a stronger than himself. (The name of what is to come is known and understood, and it is also known, that one cannot argue in court against someone stronger than oneself.)

¹¹ Words be full many, and have much vanity in disputing. What need is it to a man to seek greater things than himself; (There can be a great many words, but there is much that is empty and futile in disputing, or in arguing. What profiteth it to someone,)

¹² since he knoweth not, what shall befall to him in his life, in the number of (the) days of his pilgrimage, and in the time that passeth as (a) shadow? either who may show to him, what thing under [the] sun shall come after him?

¹ Do not thou for a friend (or instead of a friend) be made (an) enemy to thy neighbour; for why an evil man shall inherit upbraiding and despising, and each sinner envious and double-tongued. [Do thou not be made for a friend (an) enemy to thy neighbour; reproof forsooth and strife the evil man shall heritage, and each sinner envious and twisel-tongued.]

² Enhance thee not in the thought of thy soul, as a bull doeth; lest thy virtue be hurtled down by folly, [Not enhance thou thee in the thinking of thy soul, as a bull; lest peradventure be hurtled away thy strength by folly,]

³ and it eat thy leaves, and lose (or destroy) thy fruits, and thou be left as a dry tree in (the) desert. [and thy leaves it eat, and thy fruits it lose, and thou be left as a dry tree in wilderness.]

⁴ Forsooth a wicked soul shall lose him that hath it, and it giveth him into the joy of the enemy, and it shall lead forth into the part of wicked men. [A shrewd (or depraved) forsooth soul shall destroy him that hath it, and into joy of his enemy it giveth him, and shall bring down into the lot of unpious men.]

⁵ A sweet word multiplieth friends, and assuageth enemies; and a tongue well gracious shall be plenteous in a good man. [A sweet word multiplieth friends, and assuageth enemies; and a gracious tongue in a good man shall abound.]

⁶ Many peaceable men be to thee, and (or but) one (out) of a thousand be a counsellor to thee. [Many peaceable be to thee, and counsellor be to thee one of a thousand.]

⁷ If thou hast a friend, have him in temptation, that is, prove thou him in thine adversity, and betake not lightly thyself to him. [if thou wieldest a friend, in temptation wield him, and not lightly open, or trust, thou thyself to him.]

⁸ For there is a friend by (or for) his (own) time, and he shall not dwell in the day of tribulation. [There is forsooth a friend after his time, and shall not abide still in the day of tribulation.]

⁹ And there is a friend which is turned to enmity; and there is a friend, that shall show openly hatred, and chiding, and despisings. [And there is a friend that is turned to enmity; and there is a friend, that hate, and strife, and reproofs shall discover.]

¹⁰ Forsooth there is a friend, (a) fellow of (the) table, and (he) dwelleth not in the day of need. [There is forsooth a friend, fellow of the board, and abideth not still in the day of need.]

¹¹ If a friend dwelleth steadfast, he shall be as a man even with thee, and he shall do trustily in thy menial [or homely] things.

¹² If he meeketh himself before thee, and hideth him(self) from thy face, thou shalt have good friendship of one accord [or of one will].

¹³ Be thou parted from thine enemies, and take heed of thy friends.

¹⁴ A faithful friend is a strong defending [or a strong protection]; forsooth he that findeth him, findeth treasure.

¹⁵ No comparison is to a faithful friend; weighing of gold and of silver is not worthy against the goodness of his faithfulness. [To a faithful friend is no comparison; there is not worthy peising of gold and of silver against the goodness of the faith of him.]

¹⁶ A faithful friend is (the) medicine of life, and of undeadliness (or of immortality); and they that dread the Lord, shall find him.

¹⁷ He that dreadeth the Lord, shall have evenly good friendship [or Who dreadeth the Lord, evenly shall have good friendship]; for why his friend shall be at the likeness of him.

¹⁸ Son, from thy youth take thou doctrine, and till to [thine] hoar hairs thou shalt find wisdom.

¹⁹ As he that erreth (or that ploweth), and that soweth, nigh (or approach) thou to it, and abide thou (for) the good fruits thereof. For thou shalt travail a little in the work thereof, and thou shalt eat soon of the generations thereof. [As he that erreth, and that soweth, nigh thou to it, and sustain the good fruits of it. In the work forsooth of it a little thou shalt travail, and soon thou shalt eat of the gettings of it.]

²⁰ Wisdom is over-sharp or is full-sharp to untaught men, and an heartless man shall not dwell therein. [How sharp full much is wisdom to unwise men, and there shall not abide still in it the heartless.]

²¹ As the virtue (or the strength) of a stone, proving shall be in them; and they shall not tarry to cast away it [or to throw it afar].

²² Forsooth the wisdom of teaching is by the name thereof, and it is not open to many men; but it dwelleth with them, of whom it is known, till to the sight of God. [The wisdom forsooth of doctrine is after the name of it, and not to many it is opened; to whom forsooth it is known, it abideth still, unto the sight of God.]

²³ Son, hear thou [or Hear, son], and take the counsel of understanding, and cast thou not away my counsel.

²⁴ Set in thy foot into the stocks thereof, and thy neck into the bies, (or the bands), thereof. [Throw in thy feet into the gives of it, and into the collars of it thy neck.]

²⁵ Make subject thy shoulder, and bear it, and be thou not annoyed (or harmed) in the bonds thereof. [Underlay thy shoulder, and bear it, and not bear thou heavysomely in the bonds of it.]

²⁶ In all thy will go to it, and in all thy virtue keep the ways thereof [or the ways of it].

²⁷ Inquire thou (of or about) it [or Ensearch it], and it shall be made open to thee; and thou made holding wisdom forsake not it.

²⁸ For in the last things thou shalt find rest therein, and it shall turn to thee into delighting. [In the last things forsooth thou shalt find rest in it, and it shall be turned to thee into liking.]

²⁹ And the stocks thereof shall be to thee in defence of strength, and the foundaments of virtue, and the bie(s), (or the bands), thereof, in(to) a stole of glory. [And the gives of it shall be to thee into protection of strength, and the feet of virtue, and the collars of it in(to) a stole of glory.]

³⁰ For why the fairness of life is in wisdom, and the bonds thereof be healful or healthful binding. [The fairness forsooth of life is in it, and the bonds of it wholesome binding.]

³¹ Thou shalt wear it as a stole of glory, and thou shalt set [or thou shalt put] on thee a crown of thanking.

³² Son, if thou takest heed to me, thou shalt learn wisdom; and if thou givest thy will, thou shalt be wise. [Son, if thou shalt take heed to me, thou shalt learn it; and if thou leanest to, or (ad)dressest, (or directest) thine inwit, thou shalt be wise.]

³³ If thou bowest down thine ear, thou shalt take (or receive) teaching; and if thou lovest for to hear, thou shalt be wise. [If thou bowest in thine ear, thou shalt take doctrine; and if thou love to hear, thou shalt be wise.]

³⁴ Stand thou in the multitude of prudent priests, and be thou joined of (or in) heart to the wisdom of them;

³⁵ (so) that thou mayest hear each telling of God, and the proverbs of praising fly not away from thee. [that all the telling of God thou be able to hear, and the proverbs of praising escape not from thee.]

³⁶ And if thou seest a wise man, wake thou to him, and thy foot [often] tread on the grees (or on the steps) of his doors.

³⁷ Have thou thought in (or on) the commandments of God, and be thou most busy in his behests; and he shall give to thee (an) heart, and covetousness of wisdom shall be given to thee. [Thinking have thou in the behests of God, and in the commandments of him most busy be thou; and he shall give to thee an heart, and coveting of wisdom shall be given to thee.]