Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 5
Don't Be Presumptuous
1Don't rely on money to make you independent. 2Don't think you have to have everything you want, and then spend your energy trying to get it. 3Don't think that no one can exercise authority over you; if you do, the Lord is certain to punish you. 4Don't think that you can sin and get away with it; the Lord does not mind waiting to punish you. 5Don't be so certain of the Lord's forgiveness that you go on committing one sin after another. 6Don't think that his mercy is so great that he will forgive your sins no matter how many they are. He does show mercy, but he also shows his furious anger with sinners. 7Come back to the Lord quickly. Don't think that you can keep putting it off. His anger can come upon you suddenly, and you will die under his punishment. 8Don't rely on dishonest wealth; it will do you no good on that day of disaster.
Sincerity and Self-control
9-10Be certain about what you believe and consistent in what you say. Don't try to please everyone or agree with everything people say. 11Always be ready to listen, but take your time in answering. 12Answer only if you know what to say, and if you don't know what to say, keep quiet. 13Speaking can bring you either honour or disgrace; what you say can ruin you.
14Don't get a reputation for being a gossip, and don't tell tales that will hurt people. Just as thieves will suffer disgrace, so liars will suffer severe condemnation. 15Do nothing destructive, whether it seems insignificant or not,
Good News Translation® with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
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