Sirach 33
Wycliffe Bible
33 Evils shall not come to him that dreadeth God; but God shall keep (or shall guard) him in temptation, and shall deliver (him) from evils. [To the dreading God evils shall not meet; but in tempting God shall keep him, and deliver him from evils.]
2 A wise man hateth not the commandments, and rightfulnesses; and he shall not be hurtled down, as in the tempest of a ship (or as a ship in a tempest).
3 A wise man believeth in the law of God, and the law is faithful to him.
4 He that maketh open asking, shall make ready [or shall prepare] a word; and so he shall pray, and shall be heard, and he shall keep (the) teaching, and then he shall answer.
5 The entrails of a fool be as a wheel of a cart, and his thoughts as an axle able to turn about.
6 An horse a stallion, so and a friend a scorner, neigheth under each (one) sitting above.
7 Why a day overcometh a day, and again the light overcometh light, and a year overcometh a year, (and) the sun overcometh the sun? [Why day the day overcometh, and again light the light, and year the year, sun the sun?]
8 Those be parted of (or separated by) the cunning (or the knowing) of the Lord, by the sun made, and keeping the commandment of God. [Of the cunning of the Lord they be severed, the sun made, and keeping the behest; by the wisdom of God they be divided.]
9 And it shall change times and the feast days of them, and in those times the Jews hallowed holy days, or holidays, at an hour. God enhanced and magnified of those holy days or holidays; and of those he setted into the number of days; [And he shall change the times and the feast days of them, and in them the feast days they hallowed at the hour. Of them God enhanced and magnified; and of them he put into the number of days and years;]
10 and God made all men of firm earth, and of nesh earth, whereof Adam was formed. [and all men of the soil, and of the earth, whereof Adam was formed.]
11 In the multitude of (the) cunning (or the knowing) of the Lord, he parted [or he severed] them, and changed the ways of them.
12 (Some) Of them God blessed, and enhanced (or exalted); and (some) of them he hallowed, and chose to (or for) himself; (some) of them he cursed, and made low, and turned them from the departing of them. [And of them he blessed, and enhanced; and of them he hallowed, and to himself he presented; of them he cursed, and meeked, and turned them to the severing of them.]
13 As (the) clay of a potter is in the hand of him, to make and dispose, (so) that all the ways thereof be after the ordinance of him; so a man is in the hand of him that made him; and he shall yield to him by his doom. [As the clay of the crocker in the hand of him to form and to dispose it, all the ways of it after his disposition; so a man in his hand that made him; and he shall yield to them after his doom.]
14 Against evil is good, and against life is death; so and a sinner is against a just man [or the rightwise].
15 And so behold thou into all the works of the Highest; two things against twain, and one thing against one [or two against two, one against one].
16 And I the last wak(en)ed, and as he that gathereth dregs of grapes, after the gathers of grapes. And I hoped in the blessing of God [or In the blessing of God and I myself hoped]; and as he that gathereth grapes, I filled the presser.
17 Behold ye, for I travailed not to (or for) me alone, but to all that seek cunning, (or knowing, or knowledge), [or discipline].
18 Great men, and all peoples hear ye me; and ye governors of the church, perceive with ears. [Heareth me, ye great men, and all peoples; and ye governors of the church, with ears perceive.]
19 Give thou not power over thee in thy life to a son, and to a woman, to a brother, and to a friend; and give thou not thy possession to another man, lest peradventure it repent thee, and thou beseech for those (again). [To son, and wife, brother, and friend, give thou not power upon thee in thy life; and give thou not to another thy possession, lest it repent thee, and thou lowly pray for them (again).]
20 While thou art alive, [or livest], and breathest yet, each man shall not change thee.
21 For it is better, that thy sons pray thee, than that thou behold into the hands of thy sons.
22 In all thy works be thou sovereign; give thou not a wem into thy glory.
23 In the day of (the) ending of (the) days of thy life, and in the time of thy going out, part thine heritage. [In the day of the full ending of the days of thy life, and in time of thy death deal (out) thine heritage.]
24 Meats, and a rod, and a burden to an ass; bread, and chastising [or discipline], and work to (or for) a servant.
25 He worketh in, or under, chastising, and seeketh to have rest; slake or slack thou (thine) hands to him, and he seeketh freedom.
26 A yoke and bridle bow down an hard neck; and busy workings bow down a servant. Torment and stocks to (or for) an evil-willed servant;
27 send thou him into working, lest he be idle; for why idleness hath taught much malice.
28 Ordain thou him in work, for so it becometh him; (so) that if he obeyeth not, bow thou down him in stocks, [In work set him, so forsooth it seemeth him; that if he hear not, bow him with gives,]
29 and make thou not him large over any man, that is, give thou not to him power over any man, but without doom, do thou nothing grievous. [and make thou not large upon all flesh, but without doom, nothing do thou heavy.]
30 If a faithful servant is to thee, be he as thy soul to thee; treat thou him so as a brother, for thou hast bought him in (or with) the blood of life. [If there is to thee a faithful servant, be he to thee as thy life; as a brother so treat him, for in blood of life thou boughtest him.]
31 If thou hurtest him unjustly, he shall be turned into fleeing away [or into flight]; and if he enhancing goeth away, thou knowest not whom thou shalt seek, and in what way thou shalt seek him.
Sirach 33
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
33 No evil will befall the one who fears the Lord,
but in trials such a one will be rescued again and again.(A)
2 The wise will not hate the law,
but the one who is hypocritical about it is like a boat in a storm.(B)
3 The sensible person will trust in the law,[a]
for such a one the law is as dependable as a divine oracle.(C)
4 Prepare what to say, and then you will be listened to;
draw upon your training and give your answer.
5 The heart of a fool is like a cart wheel
and his thoughts like a turning axle.(D)
6 A mocking friend is like a stallion
that neighs no matter who the rider is.
Differences in Nature and in Humankind
7 Why is one day more important than another,
when all the daylight in the year is from the sun?(E)
8 By the Lord’s wisdom they were distinguished,
and he appointed the different seasons and festivals.(F)
9 Some days he exalted and hallowed,
and some he made ordinary days.(G)
10 All humans come from the ground,
and humankind[b] was created out of the dust.(H)
11 In the fullness of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them
and appointed their different ways.(I)
12 Some he blessed and exalted,
and some he made holy and brought near to himself,
but some he cursed and brought low
and turned them out of their place.(J)
13 Like clay in the hand of the potter,
to be molded as he pleases,
so are humans in the hand of their Maker,
to be given whatever he decides.(K)
14 Good is the opposite of evil
and life the opposite of death;
so the sinner is the opposite of the godly.(L)
15 Look at all the works of the Most High;
they come in pairs, one the opposite of the other.(M)
16 Now I was the last to keep vigil;
I was like a gleaner following the grape-pickers;(N)
17 by the blessing of the Lord I arrived first,
and like a grape-picker I filled my winepress.(O)
18 Consider that I have not labored for myself alone
but for all who seek instruction.(P)
19 Hear me, you who are great among the people,
and you leaders of the congregation, pay heed!
The Advantage of Independence
20 To son or wife, to brother or friend,
do not give power over yourself, as long as you live,
and do not give your property to another,
in case you change your mind and must ask for it.
21 While you are still alive and have breath in you,
do not let anyone take your place.
22 For it is better that your children should ask from you
than that you should look to the hand of your children.
23 Excel in all that you do;
bring no stain upon your honor.
24 At the time when you end the days of your life,
in the hour of death, distribute your inheritance.(Q)
The Treatment of Slaves
25 [c]Fodder and a stick and burdens for a donkey;
bread and discipline and work for a slave.(R)
26 Set your slaves to work,[d] and you will find rest;
leave their hands idle, and they will seek liberty.
27 Yoke and strap will bow the neck,
and for wicked slaves there are racks and tortures.(S)
28 Put them to work in order that they may not be idle,
29 for idleness teaches much evil.(T)
30 Set them to work as is fitting for them,
and if they do not obey make their fetters heavy.
Do not be overbearing toward anyone,
and do nothing without deliberation.(U)
31 If you have but one slave, treat him like yourself,
because you have bought him with blood.
If you have but one slave, treat him like a brother,
for you will need him as you need your life.(V)
32 If you ill-treat him and he leaves you and runs away,
33 which way will you go to seek him?
2001 by Terence P. Noble
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.