Ecclesiasticus 34

¹Vain hope & lying is to a foolish man: & dreams extol the unwise.

²As he that apprehendeth a shadow, and pursueth the wind: so is he also that attendeth to lying visions.

³According to this is the vision of dreams: as a man's similitude before the face of a man.

⁴Of the unclean what shall be made clean? And of a liar what truth shall be said?

⁵Divination of error, and lying soothsayings, and the dreams of them that do evil, are vanity.

⁶And as a woman that travaileth, thy heart suffereth phantasies: unless it be a vision sent forth from the Highest, set not thy heart upon them.

⁷For dreams have made many to err, and they that hoped in them have failed.

⁸The word of the law shall be fulfilled without lying, and wisdom in the mouth of the faithful shall be made plain.

⁹He that hath not been proved, what knoweth he? A man expert in many things, shall think many things: and he that hath learned many things, shall declare understanding.

¹⁰He that is not tried, knoweth few things: and he that hath been in many things, multiplieth wickedness.

¹¹He that hath not been proved, what manner of things knoweth he? He that is deceived, shall abound with wickedness.

¹²I have seen many things in wandering to and fro, and very many fashions of words.

¹³Sometimes I have been in danger unto death for these things, and I was delivered by the grace of God.

¹⁴The spirit of them that fear God is sought, & at his sight shall be blessed.

¹⁵For their hope is on him that saveth them, and the eyes of God upon them that love him.

¹⁶He that feareth our Lord shall tremble at nothing, and shall not dread: because he is his hope.

¹⁷His soul is blessed that feareth our Lord.

¹⁸To whom doth he look, and who is his strength?

¹⁹The eyes of our Lord are upon them that fear him, a protector of might, a stay of strength, a cover from the heat, and shadow for the noon time,

²⁰a saving from offence, and help from falling, exalting the soul, and illuminating the eyes, giving health, and life, and blessing.

²¹The oblation of him that immolateth of an unjust thing is spotted, and the scornings of the unjust are not acceptable.

²²Our Lord is only theirs that expect him in the way of truth and justice.

²³The Highest alloweth not the gifts of the wicked: neither hath he regard to the oblations of the unjust, neither will he be made propitious for sins by the multitude of their sacrifices.

²⁴He that offereth sacrifice of poor men's substance, is as he that sacrificeth the son in the presence of his father.

²⁵The bread of the needy, is the life of the poor: he that defraudeth it, is a man of blood.

²⁶He that taketh away bread in sweat, is as he that killeth his neighbour.

²⁷He that sheddeth blood, and that defraudeth the hired man, are brethren.

²⁸One building, and another destroying: what profit have they but the labour?

²⁹One praying, and another cursing: whether's voice will God hear?

³⁰He that is washed from the dead, and toucheth him again, what doth his washing profit?

³¹so a man that fasteth in his sins: and doing the same again, what doth he profit in humbling himself? Who will hear his prayer?