Ecclesiasticus 7

1Do no evils, and no evils shall lay hold of thee.● 2Depart from the unjust, and evils shall depart from thee.● 3My son, sow not evils in the furrows of injustice, and thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.● 4Seek not of the Lord a preeminence, nor of the king the seat of honour.● 5Justify not thyself before God, for he knoweth the heart: and desire not to appear wise before the king.● 6Seek not to be made a judge, unless thou have strength enough to extirpate iniquities: lest thou fear the person of the powerful, and lay a stumblingblock for thy integrity.● 7Offend not against the multitude of a city, neither cast thyself in upon the people,● 8Nor bind sin to sin: for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished.● 9Be not fainthearted in thy mind:● 10Neglect not to pray, and to give alms.● 11Say not: God will have respect to the multitude of my gifts, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept my offerings.● 12Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is one that humbleth and exalteth, God who seeth all.● 13Devise not a lie against thy brother: neither do the like against thy friend.● 14Be not willing to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good.● 15Be not full of words in a multitude of ancients, and repeat not the word in thy prayer.● 16Hate not laborious works, nor husbandry ordained by the most High.● 17Number not thyself among the multitude of the disorderly.● 18Remember wrath, for it will not tarry long.● 19Humble thy spirit very much: for the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms.● 20Do not transgress against thy friend deferring money, nor despise thy dear brother for the sake of gold.● 21Depart not from a wise and good wife, whom thou hast gotten in the fear of the Lord: for the grace of her modesty is above gold.● 22Hurt not the servant that worketh faithfully, nor the hired man that giveth thee his life.● 23Let a wise servant be dear to thee as thy own soul, defraud him not of liberty, nor leave him needy.● 24Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.● 25Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their childhood.● 26Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thy countenance gay towards them.● 27Marry thy daughter well, and thou shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.● 28If thou hast a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful, trust not thyself. With thy whole heart,● 29Honour thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:● 30Remember that thou hadst not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.● 31With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.● 32With all thy strength love him that made thee: and forsake not his ministers.● 33Honour God with all thy soul and give honour to the priests, and purify thyself with thy arms.● 34Give them their portion, as it is commanded thee, of the firstfruits and of purifications: and for thy negligences purify thyself with a few.● 35Offer to the Lord the gift of thy shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things:● 36And stretch out thy hand to the poor, that thy expiation and thy blessing may be perfected.● 37A gift hath grace in the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from the dead.● 38Be not wanting in comforting them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.● 39Be not slow to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.● 40In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.●