1 My son, do not deny the poor his food and do not make the man who looks at you with pleading eyes wait.
2 Do not sadden the hungry person nor annoy anyone who is in need.
3 Do not exasperate an angry man nor withhold alms from the beggar.
4 Do not drive away the beggar who is weighed down with afflictions, nor turn away your face from the poor;
5 do not snub the needy nor give anyone a reason to curse you.
6 If someone curses you in the bitterness of his heart, the Creator will hear his prayer.
7 Make yourself acceptable to the community; bow your head before the one in authority.
8 Listen to the poor man and reply to him with kind words and with peace.
9 Deliver the oppressed from the hands of the oppressor. Do not be weak when you administer justice.
10 Be like a father towards orphans and like a husband towards their mothers. Then you will be like a son of the Most High and he will love you more than your own mother.
11 Wisdom brings up her children and takes care of those who look for her.
12 Whoever loves her loves life. Those who rise early in the morning in search of her will be filled with joy.
13 Whoever possesses her will have glory and wherever he goes blessings will follow.
14 Those who serve her are ministers of the Holy One; those who love her are loved of the Lord.
15 He who listens to her will have good judgment. He who obeys her will rest in safety.
16 Whoever trusts in her will possess her and his children after him will inherit her.
17 For in the beginning she will lead him by rough paths, causing him to fear and be terrified; she will plague him with her discipline until she can count on him; and she will put him to the test by her demands.
18 Then she will lead him on a level path, give him joy and reveal her secrets to him.
19 But if he wanders from the path, she will abandon him and allow him to be lost.
20 In every situation weigh the pros and cons and avoid evil. A wrong kind of shame could harm you.
21 There is a shame which leads to sin and there is a shame which merits praise and respect.
22 Do not act against your better self to win favor from others. Do not let this kind of shame lead you into sin.
23 Do not remain silent when it is necessary to speak. Do not, through pride, hide your wisdom.
24 It is in speech that wisdom is recognized and learning in the spoken discourse.
25 Do not contradict the truth; rather confess your lack of knowledge.
26 Have no shame in confessing your sins, do not swim against the tide.
27 Do not cringe before a foolish man; do not be influenced by the powerful.
28 Fight for the truth till death and the Lord will fight for you.
29 Do not be daring in your speech, but lazy and negligent in works.
30 Do not be like a lion in your household, finding fault with your servants and oppressing those under you.
31 Do not open your hand to receive and keep it closed when you should give.
Versículos relacionados com Ecclesiasticus, 4:
Ecclesiastical 4 talks about the importance of wisdom, fraternal love, humility and perseverance in life. The chapter also warns of the traps of pride, greed and envy, which can lead to ruin. Below are five verses related to these themes:
Proverbs 9:10: "The fear of the Lord is the principle of wisdom, and the knowledge of the saint is prudence." This verse highlights the importance of fear of God to acquire wisdom, one of the central themes of ecclesiastical 4.
1 Peter 4:8: "Above all, however, it tends intense love to each other, because love covers a multitude of sins." Fraternal love is emphasized in ecclesiastical 4, and this verse of Peter highlights its importance in the Christian context.
James 4:6: "But he gives greater grace. Therefore, he says, God resists the superb, but gives grace to the humble." Humility is a recurring theme in ecclesiastical 4, and this verse of James reinforces the idea that God favors the humble.
Proverbs 16:18: "Superb precedes ruin, and the haughtiness of the Spirit precedes the fall." This verse warns of the danger of pride, one of the sins that ecclesiastical 4 warns as a trap for fools.
Hebrews 10:36: "Indeed, you need perseverance, so that having done God's will, you will reach the promise." Perseverance is an important theme in ecclesiastical 4, and this verse of Hebrews urges Christians to stay firm in faith.
Fejezetek: