Sirach 5

¹Don’t set your heart upon your goods.

Don’t say, “They are sufficient for me.”

²Don’t follow your own mind and your strength

to walk in the desires of your heart.

³Don’t say, “Who will have dominion over me?”

for the Lord will surely take vengeance on you.

⁴Don’t say, “I sinned, and what happened to me?”

for the Lord is patient.1

⁵Don’t be so confident of atonement

that you add sin upon sins.1

⁶Don’t say, “His compassion is great.

He will be pacified for the multitude of my sins,”

for mercy and wrath are with him,

and his indignation will rest on sinners.1

⁷Don’t wait to turn to the Lord.

Don’t put off from day to day;

for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come on you,

and you will perish in the time of vengeance.1

⁸Don’t set your heart upon unrighteous gains,

for you will profit nothing in the day of calamity.1

⁹Don’t winnow with every wind.

Don’t walk in every path.

This is what the sinner who has a double tongue does.1

¹⁰Be steadfast in your understanding.

Let your speech be consistent.

¹¹Be swift to hear

and answer with patience.

¹²If you have understanding, answer your neighbor;

but if not, put your hand over your mouth.

¹³Glory and dishonor is in talk.

A man’s tongue may be his downfall.1

¹⁴Don’t be called a whisperer.

Don’t lie in wait with your tongue;

for shame is on the thief,

and an evil condemnation is on him who has a double tongue.

¹⁵Don’t be ignorant in a great or small matter.