Ecclesiasticus 14

¹Blessed is the man that hath not offended in a word out of his mouth, and is not pricked with the sorrow of sin.

²Happy is he, that hath not had heaviness of his mind, and hath not fallen from his hope.

³Substance is without reason to the covetous man and niggard, and for the spiteful envious man to what purpose is gold?

⁴He that heapeth together from his heart unjustly, gathereth for others, and in his goods another will keep riot.

⁵He that is wicked to himself, to what other man will he be good? And he shall have no pleasure in his goods.

⁶He that envieth himself, nothing is worse than he, and this is the reward of his malice:

⁷and if he do good, he doth it ignorantly, and not willing: and at the last he manifesteth his malice.

⁸The eye of the envious is wicked, and turneth away his face, and despiseth his own soul.

⁹The eye of the covetous man insatiable in a portion of iniquity, will not be satisfied till he consume his own soul withering it.

¹⁰An evil eye is towards evil things: & he shall not have his fill of bread, needy & in heaviness shall he be at his table.

¹¹Son if thou have it, do good to thyself, and offer to God worthy oblations.

¹²Be mindful that death slacked not, and that the covenant of hell hath been shewed thee: for the covenant of this world shall die the death.

¹³Before death do good to thy friend, and according to thine ability stretching out thy hand, give to the poor.

¹⁴Be not defrauded of thy good day, and let not a little portion of a good gift over-pass thee.

¹⁵Shalt thou not leave to others thy sorrows, & labours in the division of the lot?

¹⁶Give and take, and justify thy soul.

¹⁷Before thy death work justice: for in hell there cannot meat be found.

¹⁸All flesh shall wax old as grass, and as the leaf fructifying on a green tree.

¹⁹Some grow, and some are shaken off: so the generation of flesh and blood, one is ended, and another is born.

²⁰All corruptible work shall fail in the end: and he that worketh it shall go therewith.

²¹And every excellent work shall be justified: and he that worketh it, shall be honoured therein.

²²Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and that shall meditate in his justice, and in understanding shall consider the providence of God.

²³He that considereth her ways in his heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, going after her as a searcher, and consisting in her ways:

²⁴He that looketh through her windows, and heareth in her gates:

²⁵He that resteth by her house, & in her walls fastening a stake will set up his cottage beside her hands: and good things shall rest in his cottage for ever.

²⁶He shall set his children under her covering, and shall abide under her boughs:

²⁷he shall be protected under her covering from the heat, and shall rest in her glory.