Ecclesiasticus 22

¹The sluggard is stoned with a dirty stone, & all men will speak of his disgrace.

²The sluggard is stoned with the dung of oxen: and every one that shall touch him, will shake his hands.

³The confusion of the father is of a son without discipline: and the daughter shall be made of less account.

⁴A wise daughter is an inheritance to her husband: for she that confoundeth, is made a contumely to her father.

⁵She that is bold shameth father and husband, and shall not be inferior to the impious: but of them both she shall be dishonoured.

⁶Music in mourning is a tale out of time: scourges and doctrine are at all time wisdom.

⁷He that teacheth a fool, is as he that glueth together a pot-sherd.

⁸He that telleth a word to him that heareth not, is as he that raiseth up a man sleeping out of an heavy sleep.

⁹He speaketh with him that sleepeth, which uttereth wisdom to a fool: and in the end of the narration he saith: Who is this?

¹⁰Weep upon the dead, for his light hath failed: and weep upon a fool, for he faileth in understanding.

¹¹Weep a little upon the dead, because he is at rest.

¹²For the wicked life of the very wicked, above the death of a fool.

¹³The mourning of the dead is seven days: but of a fool and of the impious, all the days of their life.

¹⁴Speak not much with a fool, and go not with the unwise.

¹⁵Keep thyself from him, that thou have no molestation, and thou shalt not be defiled with his sin.

¹⁶Turn aside from him, and thou shalt find rest, and shall not be wearied with his folly.

¹⁷What shall be heavier than lead? And what other name hath it but fool?

¹⁸It is easier to bear sand and salt, and a mass of iron, than an unwise man, and a fool, and impious.

¹⁹A frame of wood bound together in the foundation of a building, shall not be dissolved: so also the heart confirmed in the cogitation of counsel.

²⁰The cogitation of the wise at all time, yea by fear shall not be depraved.

²¹As stakes in high places, and plasterings laid without cost, shall not abide against the face of the wind:

²²so also a fearful heart in the cogitation of a fool shall not resist against the violence of fear.

²³As a trembling heart in the cogitation of a fool, all time will not fear, so also he that continueth always in the precepts of God.

²⁴He that pricketh the eye, bringeth forth tears: and he that pricketh the heart, bringeth forth feeling.

²⁵He that casteth a stone at fowls, and shall throw them down: so he that speaketh reproachfully to his friend, dissolveth friendship.

²⁶Although thou drawest a sword at a friend, despair not: for there is returning to a friend.

²⁷If thou open a sad mouth, fear not: for there is agreement: except taunt, and reproach, and pride, and revealing of secret, and a treacherous wound: in all these things a friend will fly away.

²⁸Possess fidelity with a friend in his poverty, that in his goods also thou mayst rejoice.

²⁹In the time of his tribulation continue faithful to him, that in his inheritance also thou mayst be heir with him.

³⁰Before the fire the vapour of the chimney, and the smoke of the fire riseth on high: so also before blood evil words, and contumelies, & threats.

³¹I will not be ashamed to salute a friend, from his face I will not hide myself: and if there chance evils to me by him, I will bear it.

³²Every one that shall hear, will beware of him.

³³Who will give a guard to my mouth, and a sure seal upon my lips, that I fall not by them, and my tongue destroy me?