Ecclesiasticus 4

¹Son defraud not the alms of the poor, and turn not away thine eyes from the poor.

²Despise not the hungry soul: and exasperate not the poor in his poverty.

³Afflict not the heart of the needy, & defer not the gift to him that is in distress.

⁴Reject not the petition of him that is afflicted: and turn not away thy face from the needy.

⁵From the poor turn not away thine eyes for anger: and leave not to them that ask of thee, to curse thee behind thy back.

⁶For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of his soul shall be heard: and he that made him, will hear him.

⁷Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poor, and to the ancient humble thy soul, and to a great man bow thy head.

⁸Bow down thine ear to the poor without sadness, and render thy debt, and answer him peaceable words in mildness.

⁹Deliver him that suffereth injury out of the hand of the proud: and be not faint-hearted in thy soul.

¹⁰In judging be merciful to pupils as a father, & as an husband to their mother:

¹¹and thou shalt be as the obedient son of the Highest, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother.

¹²Wisdom inspireth life to her children, and receiveth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice.

¹³And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that shall watch to her, shall embrace her sweetness.

¹⁴They that shall hold her, shall inherit life: and whither-soever he shall enter, God will bless him.

¹⁵They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy: and them that love her God loveth.

¹⁶He that heareth her, shall judge nations: and he that beholdeth her, shall remain confident.

¹⁷If he believe her, he shall inherit her, and her creatures shall be in confirmation:

¹⁸because in tentation she walketh with him, and first of all she chooseth him.

¹⁹Fear, and dread, and probation she will bring upon him: and she will torment him in the tribulation of her doctrine, till she try him in her cogitations and credit his soul.

²⁰And she will establish him, and make a direct way unto him, and rejoice him,

²¹and will disclose her secrets to him, and will heap upon him as treasures knowledge & understanding of justice.

²²But if he go amiss, she will forsake him, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy.

²³Son observe time, and avoid from evil.

²⁴For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth.

²⁵For there is shame that bringeth sin, & there is shame that bringeth glory and grace.

²⁶Accept no face against thine own face, nor against thy soul a lie.

²⁷Reverence not thy neighbour in his offence:

²⁸nor keep in a word in time of salvation. Hide not thy wisdom in the beauty thereof.

²⁹For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and understanding, and knowledge, and doctrine by the word of the wise, and steadfastness in the works of justice.

³⁰Do not gainsay the word of truth by any means: and be ashamed of the lie of thine unskillfulness.

³¹Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, and submit not thyself to every man for sin.

³²Resist not against the face of the mighty, neither labour against the stream of the river.

³³For justice contend for thy soul, and unto death strive for justice, and God will overthrow thine enemies for thee.

³⁴Be not hasty in thy tongue: and unprofitable and remiss in thy works.

³⁵Be not as a lion in thy house, overthrowing them of thy household, and oppressing them that are subject to thee.

³⁶Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, and closed to give.