Sirach 33
33
1If you obey him,
you will be protected
and rescued from danger.
2You are wise to love God's Law,
but if you are not sincere,
you will be tossed around
like a boat in a storm.
3 #
Ex 28.30; Si 45.10,11. Be sensible and trust
what God has said in his Law.
4If you want others to listen,
then think about what you know
and how to say it best.
5Fools talk in circles
like a wheel going around.
6To make fun of a friend
is to act like a horse
that snorts at anyone
who tries to ride.
Differences between People
7Each day of the year
depends on the sun for light,
so why are some days
more important than others?
8The Lord used his wisdom
and made them different.
Some have a special meaning,
others are festivals,
9and some are sacred days—
but most are ordinary.
10 #
Gn 2.7; 3.19. We humans were made
from the soil,
11and the Lord used great wisdom
to make each of us different,
with different destinies.
12He blessed our ancestors
and made them great,
and he even let some
be his holy priests.
But he put a curse
on the nations of Canaan—
they were defeated
and forced to leave the land.
13Humans become
what the Creator chooses,
just as clay is shaped
by the hands of the potter.
14There are many opposites—
good and evil, life and death,
sinners and God's people.
15You can see that God Most High
made everything the opposite
of something else.
The Last of the Teachers of Wisdom
16I am the last in the line
of the teachers of wisdom,
like a poor man picking grapes
after the main harvest.#33.16 a poor man … main harvest: The poor were allowed to pick the grapes left after the main grape harvest (see Deuteronomy 24.21).
17But the Lord blessed me,
and I gathered enough grapes
to fill a wine-pit.
18I wasn't working
just for my own good,
but to help all those
who want to learn wisdom.
19So pay attention to what I say,
all you officials and leaders.
Freedom
20Never give anyone else power
to make decisions for you—
not your husband or wife,#33.20 husband or wife: Greek, “wife.”
and not your children,
relatives, or friends.
And don't give away property—
if you later want it returned,
you will have to beg for it.
21As long as you are alive,
don't let others run your life.
22It is better that your children
ask you for money
than for you to ask them.
23Be the best at whatever you do,
and do only what brings honor
and not shame.
24Wait until you are about to die
before giving your children
their inheritance.
How To Treat Slaves
25If you feed your donkeys
and beat them with a stick,
they will carry their loads.
Slaves are like that—
feed and discipline them,
and they will do their work.
26If you don't want trouble,
keep your slaves busy;
otherwise, they will have time
to think about becoming free.
27Use collars and leather straps
to keep slaves at their work,
and punish the rebellious ones
by torturing them.
* 28Keep your slaves busy
or they will have time to think
29of ways to cause trouble.
30Slaves are supposed to work,
so give them something to do,
and if they refuse to obey,
put them in chains.
But always be fair,
not arrogant.
31If one slave is all you have,
treat him like a family member
or even as you treat yourself.
You worked a long time
to buy that slave,
and you need his help
to survive.
32If you are mean,
and that slave runs away,
33where will you look for him?
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Sirach 33: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.