en_wyc2014 - Sir 8 - Ozzuu Bible

¹ Who is such as a wise man? and who knoweth the solving, either expounding, of a word? The wisdom of a man shineth in his cheer; and the mightiest shall change his face (The wisdom of a person shineth in their face; and maketh even the mightiest to change his expression, or his countenance).

² I keep the mouth of the king, and the commandments and [the] swearings of God. (I counsel, or advice, thee to obey the king’s commands, and to keep your oath, or your pledge, to God.)

³ Haste thou not to go away from his face, and dwell thou not in evil work. For he shall do all thing, that he will (For he shall do anything, that he desireth);

⁴ and his word is full of power, and no man may say to him (and no one can say to him), Why doest thou so?

⁵ He that keepeth the commandment of God, shall not feel anything of evil; the heart of a wise man understandeth time and answer.

⁶ Time and season is to each work; and much torment is of a man,

⁷ for he knoweth not [the] things passed, and he may not know by any messenger [the] things to come.

⁸ It is not in the power of man to forbid the spirit, that is, his soul, from going out from the body, neither he hath power in the day of death, neither he is suffered to have rest, when the battle nigheth; neither wickedness shall save a wicked man.

⁹ I beheld all these things, and I gave mine heart in(to) all works, that be done under the sun. Sometime a man is lord of a man, to his evil.

¹⁰ I saw wicked men buried, which, when they lived yet, were in (the) holy place; and they were praised in the city, as men of just works; but also this is vanity. (I saw the wicked buried, which, when they still lived, were in the holy place; and they were praised in the city, as people of righteous works; but this is also empty and futile.)

¹¹ Forsooth for the sentence is not brought forth soon against evil men, the sons of men do evils without any dread. (But because the punishment is not brought forth quickly against evil people, the sons and daughters of men do evil without any fear.)

¹² Nevertheless of that, that a sinner doeth evil an hundred times, and is suffered by patience, I knew that good it shall be to men dreading God, that reverence his face, or presence. (Nevertheless, even though a sinner may do evil a hundred times, and is patiently allowed to, I know that it shall be good for those who fear God, yea, for those who have reverence before his face, or in his presence.)

¹³ Good be not to the wicked man, neither his days be made long; but pass they as shadow, that dread not the face of the Lord. (But good shall not be to a wicked person, nor shall his days be made long; but they shall pass like a shadow, those who do not fear the face of the Lord/those who do not have reverence before the Lord.)

¹⁴ Also another vanity there is, that is done on earth. Just men there be, to whom evils come, as if they did the works of wicked men; and wicked men there be, that be as secure, as if they had (done) the deeds of just men; but I deem also this most vain. (There is also another vanity, that is done on the earth/There is also more that is empty and futile, that is found on the earth. There be good, or righteous, people, to whom evils come as if they did the works of the wicked; and there be wicked people, who be as secure as if they had done the deeds of the good, or of the righteous; but I also judge this to be most empty and futile.)

¹⁵ Therefore I praised gladness, that no good was to a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and to be joyful; and that he should bear away with himself only this of his travail, in the days of his life, which God gave to him under the sun. (And so I praised pleasure, or enjoyment, yea, that there was no better thing for anyone under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and to be joyful; for he hath only this from all his labour, which he can carry away with himself, in all the days of his life, which God gave to him under the sun.)

¹⁶ And I setted mine heart to know wisdom, and to understand the parting, which is turned in earth. A man is, that by days and nights, taketh not sleep with his eyes. (And I set my heart to know wisdom, and to understand what is done on the earth. And in trying to understand this, a person might not close his eyes in sleep for many days and nights.)

¹⁷ And I understood, that of all the works of God, a man may find no reason of those things, that be done under the sun (And I understood, that of all the works of God, a person can find no reason for those things, that be done under the sun); and inasmuch as he travaileth more to seek (it out), by so much (the more) he shall find (it) less; yea, though a wise man say that he knoweth, (or understandeth, what is done under the sun,) he shall not be able to find (it out).

¹ Chide thou not with a mighty man, lest thou fall into his hands. [Strive thou not with a mighty man, lest peradventure thou fall in the hands of him.]

² Strive thou not with a rich man, lest peradventure he make (a) play again-ward to (or towards) thee [or lest again-ward he set strife to thee]. For why gold and silver hath lost (or destroyed) many men; and it stretcheth forth till to the heart[s] of kings, and turneth (them).

³ Chide thou not with a man, a jangler, and lay thou not trees into his fire. [Strive thou not with a tonguey man, and do not prepare thou into the fire of him wood.]

⁴ Commune thou not with an untaught man, lest he speak evil of thy kindred.

⁵ Despise thou not a man turning away himself from sin, neither upbraid thou him [or nor put thou reproof to him]; have thou mind, that all we be in corruption.

⁶ Despise thou not a man in his eld (age); for why (some) of us men wax eld. [Not despise thou a man in his eld; forsooth of us they wax old.]

⁷ Do not thou make joy of (or over) thine enemy (being) dead, witting that all we die (or that we all die), and will (or desire) not (to) come into joy of (or with) our enemies.

⁸ Despise thou not the telling of wise priests, and be thou conversant in the proverbs of them [or and in the proverbs of them (al)together dwell thou]; for of (or from) them thou shalt learn wisdom, and teaching of understanding, and to serve without (com)plaint to great men.

⁹ The telling of elder men pass not (by) thee [or Pass not beside thee the telling of elders]; for they have learned of (or from) their fathers. For of (or from) them thou shalt learn understanding; and in the time of need thou shalt give [an] answer.

¹⁰ Kindle thou not the coals of sinners, and reprove them; and be thou not burnt with the flame of [the] fire of their sins.

¹¹ Stand thou not against the face of a man full of despising [or the face of the strifeful]; lest he sit as an espyer to thy mouth.

¹² Do not thou lend to a man stronger than thou; that (or but) if thou hast lent, have thou it as lost. [Do thou not lend to a man stronger than thyself; that if thou lendest, have it as lost.]

¹³ Promise thou not above [or over] thy power or virtue; that (or but) if thou hast promised, bethink thou as yielding, for thou art holden to do thy might (that is, thou art held to pay it back).

¹⁴ Deem thou not against a judge; for he deemeth after that, that is just.

¹⁵ Go thou not in the way with an hardy man, lest peradventure he aggregate (or weigh down) his evils in (or on) thee; for he goeth after his (own) will (or his own desire), and thou shalt perish together with (him through) his folly.

¹⁶ Make thou not chiding [or jangling] with a wrathful man, and go thou not into (a) desert with an hardy man; for why blood, that is, shedding out of innocent blood, is as nought before him, and where none help is, [or and where is not help], (or where there is no help), he shall hurtle thee down.

¹⁷ Have thou not counsel with fools; for they may not love (or be not able to love), no but those things that please them.

¹⁸ Make thou not a counsel before a stranger; for thou knowest not, what he shall bring forth.

¹⁹ Make not thine heart known to each man, but only to a very (or to a true) friend, and proved; lest peradventure he bring to thee false grace, that is, feigned friendship, and despise thee. [To all men thine heart open thou not; lest peradventure it bring into thee false grace, and it put reproof to thee.]