Sirach
Chapter 4

1 ¹ My son, rob not the poor man of his livelihood; force not the eyes of the needy to turn away.

我儿，不要拒绝救济穷人生活的急需，也不要使急难人的眼目长久望着你。

2 A hungry man grieve not, a needy man anger not;

不要加增饥饿人的悲苦，也不要激怒困苦中的人。

3 Do not exasperate the downtrodden; delay not to give to the needy.

不要扰乱忧苦人的心灵，也不要迟延接济有急难的人。

4 A beggar in distress do not reject; avert not your face from the poor.

不要拒绝痛苦而哀求的人，也不要转脸不顾穷困的人。

5 From the needy turn not your eyes, give no man reason to curse you;

不要转眼不顾乞丐，而叫他生气，也不要让他，那有求于你的人，背后咒骂你。

6 For if in the bitterness of his soul he curse you, his Creator will hear his prayer.

因为，人心在愁苦中，若咒骂了你，他的创造者必要垂听他的哀求。

7 Endear yourself to the assembly; before a ruler bow your head.

在穷人的集会前，你应表示和气；在长老前，你应谦抑你的心灵；在官长前，你应低首下心。

8 Give a hearing to the poor man, and return his greeting with courtesy;

你要高兴倾耳垂听穷人，并归还你的债务，又要和颜悦色地向他答礼。

9 Deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor; let not justice be repugnant to you.

应从压迫者的手中，拯救被压迫的人；在宣判时，不应畏缩。

10 To the fatherless be as a father, and help their mother as a husband would; Thus will you be like a son to the Most High, and he will be more tender to you than a mother.

对待孤儿应如慈父，扶助他们的母亲，应如丈夫。 如此，你才算是至高者听命的儿子，他必要比你的母亲更爱你。

11 ² Wisdom instructs her children and admonishes those who seek her.

智慧举扬自己的子孙，照顾寻找自己的人。在正义的路上，她要身为前导。

12 He who loves her loves life; those who seek her out win her favor.

爱她的，就是爱生命；欣勤寻找她的，必能充满喜乐。

13 He who holds her fast inherits glory; wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows blessings.

占有她的，必承受荣耀；她到那里，上主就在那里赐福。

14 Those who serve her serve the Holy One; those who love her the LORD loves.

凡事奉她的，就是事奉圣者；凡爱慕她的，上主也必爱他们。

15 He who obeys her judges nations; he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.

听从她的，必能统治万民；亲近她的，必能安居度日。

16 If one trusts her, he will possess her; his descendants too will inherit her.

依赖她的，必能以她为产业；他的后裔也必占有这份产业。

17 She walks with him as a stranger, and at first she puts him to the test; Fear and dread she brings upon him and tries him with her discipline; With her precepts she puts him to the proof, until his heart is fully with her.

因为，智慧先领他走弯曲的路，先试探他， 使他畏惧恐怖，用自己的纪律磨炼他，以自己的诫命试探他，直到对他有了信任为止。

18 Then she comes back to bring him happiness and reveal her secrets to him.

然后，她要坚固他，再领他走直路，使他欢乐；^4:21将自己的秘密启示给他，使他富有知识和对正义的睿智。

19 But if he fails her, she will abandon him and deliver him into the hands of despoilers.

若是他走入歧途，智慧就离弃他，任凭他丧亡。

20 ³ Use your time well; guard yourself from evil, and bring upon yourself no shame.

我儿，你要爱惜光阴，谨避邪恶；

21 There is a sense of shame laden with guilt, and a shame that merits honor and respect.

有一种羞愧带来罪恶，又有一种羞愧却带来光荣和恩宠。

22 Show no favoritism to your own discredit; let no one intimidate you to your own downfall.

你不要顾全脸面，而陷害你的灵魂；

23 Refrain not from speaking at the proper time, and hide not away your wisdom;

在救助人时，不要闭口无言，也不要把你的智慧隐藏不露。

24 For it is through speech that wisdom becomes known, and knowledge through the tongue's rejoinder.

因为由言谈中，可以看出智慧；在答话上，可以现出明智；在正义的工作上，可以表示出意志的坚定。

25 Never gainsay the truth, and struggle not against the rushing stream.

不要出言反对真理，不要阻止下流的河水。

26 Be not ashamed to acknowledge your guilt, but of your ignorance rather be ashamed.

不要耻于承认你的罪过，对你的无知，你当羞愧。

27 Do not abase yourself before an impious man, nor refuse to do so before rulers.

在胡涂人前，不要屈服，也不要顾全权威者的脸面。

28 Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you.

至死要为真理奋斗，上主天主必要助你作战。

29 Be not surly in your speech, nor lazy and slack in your deeds.

不要在唇舌上夸张，不要在行事上怠慢疏忽。

30 Be not a lion at home, nor sly and suspicious at work.

你在家中，不要如同一只狮子；对你的仆役，不要任性逞强，不要压迫你的属下。

31 Let not your hand be open to receive and clenched when it is time to give.

你的手不要只为领取才伸开，而在施恩时缩回。

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Footnotes（注解）

¹ [1] Eyes of the needy: when they look for help; cf Sirach 18:17.

² [11-19] The Hebrew text presents wisdom speaking in the first person, as in Sirach 24. The precious fruits of wisdom: life, favor, glory, blessings, God's love, are intended to arouse desire for her (Sirach 4:11-14). Her disciples are like priests (Sirach 4:14) and judges (Sirach 4:15), even partners who possess her for themselves and their descendants (Sirach 4:16). They enjoy happiness and penetrate her profound secrets after surviving her tests (Sirach 4:17, 18). Those who fail her are abandoned to destruction (Sirach 4:19).

³ [20-31] Besides the interior trials of discipline and precept, the disciple of wisdom is warned against external dangers to his sincerity and justice, namely evil, human respect (Sirach 4:20, 21), compromise of liberty in speech and action (Sirach 4:22-25), false shame, and ignorance (Sirach 4:26). He must fight for the truth (Sirach 4:28), and avoid cynicism and laziness (Sirach 4:29), and inconsistency in his conduct (Sirach 4:30).