Sirach 1 1 My son, if you have sinned, do so no more, and for your past sins pray to be forgiven. 我儿,你犯了罪么?不要再犯;你应为你过去的罪祈祷,以获得宽赦。 2 Flee from sin as from a serpent. that will bite you if you go near it; Its teeth are lion's teeth, destroying the souls of men. 你该躲避罪恶,如同躲避毒蛇一样;你若亲近它,它必会咬伤你。罪恶的牙有如狮子的牙,能咬死人的灵魂。 3 Every offense is a two-edged sword; when it cuts, there can be no healing. 4 Violence and arrogance wipe out wealth; so too a proud man's home is destroyed. 怒斥与骄傲,能荡尽财富;傲慢人的家庭,必成为废墟。骄傲人的财产,也必如此荡尽。 5 Prayer from a poor man's lips is heard at once, and justice is quickly granted him. 贫穷人的祈祷,从他口中直达上主的耳里,上主必迅速为他伸冤。 6 He who hates correction walks the sinner's path, but he who fears the LORD repents in his heart. 厌恶惩戒的,正是追随罪人的足迹;敬畏上主的,是从心里归向他。 7 Widely known is the boastful speaker but the wise man knows his own faults. 雄辩的人远近皆知,但明智人却知道自己失足的地方。 8 He who builds his house with another's money is collecting stones for his funeral mound. 谁用别人的钱财,建筑自己的房屋,就如同堆积石头,为自己修盖坟墓。 9 A band of criminals is like a bundle of tow; they will end in a flaming fire. 罪人的集团,有如堆积的麻屑;他们的结局,不外是烈火。 10 2 The path of sinners is smooth stones that end in the depths of the nether world. 罪人的道路,是用石头铺平的;但道路的末端,却是阴府的深坑、黑暗与刑罚。 11 3 He who keeps the law controls his impulses; he who is perfect in fear of the LORD has wisdom. 遵守法律的,必能控制自己的倾向。敬畏上主的最后结果,是智慧与明智。 12 He can never be taught who is not shrewd, but one form of shrewdness is thoroughly bitter. 不聪明的,不易受教; 但有一种聪明,却是充满辛苦的,而那里有辛苦,那里就没有真实的明智。 13 A wise man's knowledge wells up in a flood, and his counsel, like a living spring; 贤人的知识,如洪水洋溢;他的计谋,有如活泉。 14 A fool's mind is like a broken jar-- no knowledge at all can it hold. 愚人的内心,像一个破碎的器皿,任何知识都保存不住。 15 When an intelligent man hears words of wisdom, he approves them and adds to them; The wanton hears them with scorn and casts them behind his back. 贤人听见一句智慧的话,就一面赞赏,一面从中取益;淫荡的人听见,却不满意,把它拋在脑后。 16 A fool's chatter is like a load on a journey, but there is charm to be found upon the lips of the wise. 愚人的叙述,像行路所背的重担;明智人的谈吐,却优雅中听。 17 The views of a prudent man are sought in an assembly, and his words are considered with care. 在集会中,人都寻求明智人的言论;对他的话,人都用心思维。 18 Like a house in ruins is wisdom to a fool; the stupid man knows it only as inscrutable words. 明智为愚人,就如一座倒塌的房屋;无知之辈的知识,是一团表达不清的言语。 19 Like fetters on the legs is learning to a fool, like a manacle on his right hand. 纪律为愚昧人,就如脚镣,和右手上的手铐。 20 A fool raises his voice in laughter, but the prudent man at the most smiles gently. 愚昧人笑,是放声大笑;聪明人笑,是低声微笑。 21 Like a chain of gold is learning to a wise man, like a bracelet on his right arm. 纪律为明智人,有如金饰品,又如右臂上的手镯。 22 The fool steps boldly into a house, while the well-bred man remains outside; 愚人的脚,卤莽闯进人家的房屋;富有经验的人,却害羞怕进去。 23 A boor peeps through the doorway of a house, but a cultured man keeps his glance cast down. 愚人从门外窥探室内;有教养的人,却站在外边等候。 24 It is rude for one to listen at a door; a cultured man would be overwhelmed by the disgrace of it. 一个人在门外偷听,是未受好教育的凭据;明智人耻于这样作。 25 The lips of the impious talk of what is not their concern, but the words of the prudent are carefully weighed. 愚人只会信口开河;明智人的话,却是经过权衡思量的。 26 Fools' thoughts are in their mouths, wise men's words are in their hearts. 愚人的心在口上,明智人的口却在心里。 27 4 When a godless man curses his adversary he really curses himself. 不虔敬的人咒骂对方,实是咒骂自己。 28 A slanderer besmirches himself, and is hated by his neighbors. 搬弄是非的人,是污辱他自己,为众人所憎恶,与他相近的人也憎恨他。缄默而明智的人,反要受人尊敬。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [1-10] Under various figures, the consequences of sin are described as destructive of wealth, and even of bodily life, and deserving of death and a place in the depths of the nether world (Sirach 21:2-4, 6a, 8-10). Through prayer, forgiveness can be sought (Sirach 21:1), and through fear of the Lord, repentance is achieved (Sirach 1:5, 6b). 2 [10] The path of sinners . . . nether world: eternal retribution is not yet proposed in this reference. It became clearly revealed through the teaching of Christ; cf Matthew 7:13, 14; 25:1-46; Luke 16:19-31. 3 [11-28] The mind of the wise man is a fountain of knowledge (Sirach 21:13, 15); his will is trained to keep the law (Sirach 21:11); his words are gracious, valued, carefully weighed, sincere (Sirach 21:16-17, , 25-26); his conduct is respectful, cultured and restrained (Sirach 21:20, 22-24). The fool's mind is devoid of knowledge and impenetrable to it (Sirach 21:12, 14, 18, 19); his will rejects it (Sirach 21:15); his talk is burdensome (16), his laughter unrestrained (Sirach 21:20), his conversation shallow and meddlesome (Sirach 21:25, 26); his conduct is bold and rude (Sirach 21:22-24); his abuse of others redounds on himself (Sirach 21:27-28). 4 [27] Adversary: this can be understood in the sense that, if a man curses one who led him into sin, he implicitly curses himself for having yielded to the sin; or in the sense that the enemy is the man's own sinful nature; or even in the sense that the enemy is the devil, since the Hebrew word used here is satan. Cf 1 Chron 21:1; Zechariah 3:2; 2 Peter 2:12, 13; Jude 1:9. |