Sir 23:1 O Lord, Father and Governor of all my
whole life, leave me not to their counsels, and let me not fall by them.
Sir 23:2 Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of
wisdom over mine heart? that they spare me not for mine ignorances, and it
pass not by my sins:
Sir 23:3 Lest mine ignorances increase, and my sins abound to my
destruction, and I fall before mine adversaries, and mine enemy rejoice over
me, whose hope is far from thy mercy.
Sir 23:4 O Lord, Father and God of my life, give me not a proud look, but
turn away from thy servants always a haughty mind.
Sir 23:5 Turn away from me vain hopes and concupiscence, and thou shalt hold
him up that is desirous always to serve thee.
Sir 23:6 Let not the greediness of the belly nor lust of the flesh take hold
of me; and give not over me thy servant into an impudent mind.
Sir 23:7 Hear, O ye children, the discipline of the mouth: he that keepeth
it shall never be taken in his lips.
Sir 23:8 The sinner shall be left in his foolishness: both the evil speaker
and the proud shall fall thereby.
Sir 23:9 Accustom not thy mouth to swearing; neither use thyself to the
naming of the Holy One.
Sir 23:10 For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a
blue mark: so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be
faultless.
Sir 23:11 A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity, and
the plague shall never depart from his house: if he shall offend, his sin
shall be upon him: and if he acknowledge not his sin, he maketh a double
offence: and if he swear in vain, he shall not be innocent, but his house
shall be full of calamities.
Sir 23:12 There is a word that is clothed about with death: God grant that
it be not found in the heritage of Jacob; for all such things shall be far
from the godly, and they shall not wallow in their sins.
Sir 23:13 Use not thy mouth to intemperate swearing, for therein is the word
of sin.
Sir 23:14 Remember thy father and thy mother, when thou sittest among great
men. Be not forgetful before them, and so thou by thy custom become a fool,
and wish that thou hadst not been born, and curse they day of thy nativity.
Sir 23:15 The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words will never be
reformed all the days of his life.
Sir 23:16 Two sorts of men multiply sin, and the third will bring wrath: a
hot mind is as a burning fire, it will never be quenched till it be
consumed: a fornicator in the body of his flesh will never cease till he
hath kindled a fire.
Sir 23:17 All bread is sweet to a whoremonger, he will not leave off till he
die.
Sir 23:18 A man that breaketh wedlock, saying thus in his heart, Who seeth
me? I am compassed about with darkness, the walls cover me, and no body
seeth me; what need I to fear? the most High will not remember my sins:
Sir 23:19 Such a man only feareth the eyes of men, and knoweth not that the
eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, beholding all
the ways of men, and considering the most secret parts.
Sir 23:20 He knew all things ere ever they were created; so also after they
were perfected he looked upon them all.
Sir 23:21 This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and where
he suspecteth not he shall be taken.
Sir 23:22 Thus shall it go also with the wife that leaveth her husband, and
bringeth in an heir by another.
Sir 23:23 For first, she hath disobeyed the law of the most High; and
secondly, she hath trespassed against her own husband; and thirdly, she hath
played the whore in adultery, and brought children by another man.
Sir 23:24 She shall be brought out into the congregation, and inquisition
shall be made of her children.
Sir 23:25 Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring
forth no fruit.
Sir 23:26 She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her reproach shall
not be blotted out.
Sir 23:27 And they that remain shall know that there is nothing better than
the fear of the Lord, and that there is nothing sweeter than to take heed
unto the commandments of the Lord.
Sir 23:28 It is great glory to follow the Lord, and to be received of him is
long life.