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Sirach 1 1 LORD, Father and Master of my life, permit me not to fall by them! 上主，天父，我生命的主宰！不要让我顺从任性的口舌，不要许我因口舌而跌倒。 2 Who will apply the lash to my thoughts, to my mind the rod of discipline, That my failings may not be spared, nor the sins of my heart overlooked; 谁能督策我的思念，谁能在我心中给与智慧的训导，不宽容我的错误，不放过我的罪过， 3 Lest my failings increase, and my sins be multiplied; Lest I succumb to my foes, and my enemy rejoice over me? 免得我更加愚昧，我的罪恶加多，罪过满盈，倒在我敌人跟前，为我的仇人所喜笑呢？ 4 LORD, Father and God of my life, abandon me not into their control! 上主，天父，我生命的天主！不要把我丢弃，如他们所想望的。 5 A brazen look allow me not; ward off passion from my heart, 不要使我眼目高傲，使我不要顺从情欲。 6 Let not the lustful cravings of the flesh master me, surrender me not to shameless desires. 不要让肚腹的食欲和肉欲的烈火统治着我，也不要让我有一颗无耻愚昧的心。 7 2 Give heed, my children, to the instruction that I pronounce, for he who keeps it will not be enslaved. 8 Through his lips is the sinner ensnared; the railer and the arrogant man fall thereby. 罪人必因自己的唇舌，而陷入罗网；辱骂人的和骄傲人，必因自己的唇舌而跌倒。 9 Let not your mouth form the habit of swearing, or becoming too familiar with the Holy Name. 10 3 Just as a slave that is constantly under scrutiny will not be without welts, So one who swears continually by the Holy Name will not remain free from sin. 犹如一个不断受拷问的奴仆，免不了身受创伤；同样，经常发誓和乱呼圣者名字的人，也不能清白无罪。 11 A man who often swears heaps up obligations; the scourge will never be far from his house. If he swears in error, he incurs guilt; if he neglects his obligation, his sin is doubly great. If he swears without reason he cannot be found just, and all his house will suffer affliction. 12 There are words which merit death; may they never be heard among Jacob's heirs. For all such words are foreign to the devout, who do not wallow in sin. 13 Let not your mouth become used to coarse talk, for in it lies sinful matter. 不要习惯说粗鲁的话，因为其中总有有罪的话。 14 Keep your father and mother in mind when you sit among the mighty, Lest in their presence you commit a blunder and disgrace your upbringing, By wishing you had never been born or cursing the day of your birth. 15 A man who has the habit of abusive language will never mature in character as long as he lives. 惯说责斥话的人，一生不能自律。 16 4 5 Two types of men multiply sins, a third draws down wrath; For burning passion is a blazing fire, not to be quenched till it burns itself out: A man given to sins of the flesh, who never stops until the fire breaks forth; 17 The rake to whom all bread is sweet and who is never through till he dies; 作贱自己肉身的人，不到欲火焚尽，也决不停止。 18 And the man who dishonors his marriage bed and says to himself ＂Who can see me? Darkness surrounds me, walls hide me; no one sees me; why should I fear to sin?＂ Of the Most High he is not mindful, 19 fearing only the eyes of men; He does not understand that the eyes of the LORD, ten thousand times brighter than the sun, Observe every step a man takes and peer into hidden corners. 20 He who knows all things before they exist still knows them all after they are made. 万物在受造以前，上主天主就认识；完成之后，也是如此。 21 6 Such a man will be punished in the streets of the city; when he least expects it, he will be apprehended. 奸淫的人必在城市的街道上，受到惩罚；像马驹一般被人追击，在他不料想的地方被人捉住。 22 So also with the woman who is unfaithful to her husband and offers as heir her son by a stranger. 23 7 First, she has disobeyed the law of the Most High; secondly, she has wronged her husband; Thirdly, in her wanton adultery she has borne children by another man. 第一、因为她不忠于至高者的法律；第二、因为她得罪自己的丈夫；第三、因为他通奸犯淫，借外人生了孩子。 24 8 Such a woman will be dragged before the assembly, and her punishment will extend to her children; 她要被拉到集会中，审问她关于子女的事。 25 Her children will not take root; her branches will not bring forth fruit. 她的子女不会生根，她的枝叶也不会结果实。 26 She will leave an accursed memory; her disgrace will never be blotted out. 她遗留下的记念是咒骂，她的耻辱不会抹去。 27 Thus all who dwell on the earth shall know, and all who inhabit the world shall understand, That nothing is better than the fear of the LORD, nothing more salutary than to obey his commandments. Footnotes（注解） 1 [1] LORD, Father and Master of my life: these words express the tender personal relationship between the author's soul and God, the need of his assistance, and the truth of his providence. 2 [7-15] A warning against sins of the tongue through misuse of the Holy Name, thoughtless swearing which involves obligation and incurs guilt (Sirach 23:7-11), blasphemy (Sirach 23:12), talk that is coarse and blundersome (Sirach 23:13, 14), and the incorrigible habit of abusive language (Sirach 23:15). 3 [10] As a slave . . . under scrutiny, so is he who calls on God to witness the truth of what he says. 4 [16-27] From sins of the tongue the author proceeds to treat of sins of the flesh and their dire consequences. The passion of lust tyrannizes over its victims and, like fire, consumes and utterly destroys them (Sirach 23:16, 17, 22-26). The false security of the adulterer serves but to aggravate his inevitable fate (Sirach 23:18-21). Only the fear of the Lord and observance of his commandments can assure moral safety (Sirach 23:27). 5 [16] Two types . . . a third: three kinds of sins of impurity, with increasing degrees of gravity: solitary sins (Sirach 23:16) fornication (Sirach 23:17) and adultery (Sirach 23:18-21). 6 [21] Cf Lev 20:19; Deut 22:22. 7 [23] The detailed evil of adultery includes disobedience to God's law (Exodus 20:14), injustice to a partner in marriage, and disgraceful offspring. 8 [24-25] The judgment of the assembly determined the illegitimacy of children born of adultery or incest and excluded them from the ＂community of the LORD＂ (Deut 23:3). Cf Wisdom 3:16-19; 4:3-6. |
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