Sirach 3

¹Hear me, your father, O my children,

and do what you hear, that you all may be safe.1

²For the Lord honors the father over the children,

and has confirmed the judgment of the mother over her sons.

³He who honors his father will make atonement for sins.

⁴He who gives glory to his mother is as one who lays up treasure.

⁵Whoever honors his father will have joy in his own children.

He will be heard in the day of his prayer.

⁶He who gives glory to his father will have length of days.

He who listens to the Lord will bring rest to his mother,

⁷and will serve under his parents, as to masters.

⁸Honor your father in deed and word,

that a blessing may come upon you from him.

⁹For the blessing of the father establishes the houses of children,

but the curse of the mother roots out the foundations.

¹⁰Don’t glorify yourself in the dishonor of your father,

for your father’s dishonor is no glory to you.

¹¹For the glory of a man is from the honor of his father,

and a mother in dishonor is a reproach to her children.

¹²My son, help your father in his old age,

and don’t grieve him as long as he lives.

¹³If he fails in understanding, have patience with him.

Don’t dishonor him in your full strength.

¹⁴For the kindness to your father will not be forgotten.

Instead of sins it will be added to build you up.

¹⁵In the day of your affliction it will be remembered for you,

as fair weather upon ice,

so your sins will also melt away.

¹⁶He who forsakes his father is as a blasphemer.

He who provokes his mother is cursed by the Lord.

¹⁷My son, go on with your business in humility;

so you will be loved by an acceptable man.1

¹⁸The greater you are, humble yourself the more,

and you will find favor before the Lord.1 ¹⁹1

²⁰For the power of the Lord is great,

and he is glorified by those who are lowly.1

²¹Don’t seek things that are too hard for you,

and don’t search out things that are above your strength.1

²²Think about the things that have been commanded you,

for you have no need of the things that are secret.1

²³Don’t be overly busy in tasks that are beyond you,

for more things are shown to you than men can understand.

²⁴For the conceit of many has led them astray.

Evil opinion has caused their judgment to slip.

²⁵There is no light without eyes.

There is no wisdom without knowledge.

²⁶A stubborn heart will do badly at the end.

He who loves danger will perish in it.

²⁷A stubborn heart will be burdened with troubles.

The sinner will heap sin upon sins.1

²⁸The calamity of the proud has no healing,

for a weed of wickedness has taken root in him.

²⁹The heart of the prudent will understand a proverb.

A wise man desires the ear of a listener.

³⁰Water will quench a flaming fire;

almsgiving will make atonement for sins.1

³¹He who repays good turns is mindful of that which comes afterward.

In the time of his falling he will find a support.