King James Version · Under the Greeks
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 20
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1There is a that is not comely: again, some man holdeth his , and he is . 2It is much better to reprove, than to be angry secretly: and he that confesseth his fault shall be preserved from hurt. 3How good is it, when thou art reproved, to shew ! for so shalt thou escape wilful . 4As is the of an to deflower a virgin; so is he that executeth with . 5There is one that keepeth silence, and is found : and another by much babbling becometh hateful. 6Some man holdeth his , because he hath not to answer: and some keepeth silence, knowing his time. 7A man will hold his till he see opportunity: but a babbler and a fool will regard no time. 8He that useth many words shall be abhorred; and he that taketh to himself therein shall be hated. 9There is a that hath good success in evil things; and there is a gain that turneth to loss. 10There is a gift that shall not profit thee; and there is a gift whose recompence is double. 11There is an abasement because of ; and there is that lifteth up his head from a low estate. 12There is that buyeth much for a little, and repayeth it sevenfold. 13A man by his words maketh him beloved: but the graces of fools shall be poured out. 14The gift of a fool shall do thee no good when thou hast it; neither yet of the envious for his necessity: for he looketh to receive many things for one. 15He giveth little, and upbraideth much; he openeth his like a crier; to day he lendeth, and to morrow will he ask it again: such an one is to be hated of and man. 16The fool saith, I have no friends, I have no thank for all my good deeds, and they that eat my bread speak evil of me. 17How oft, and of how many shall he be laughed to scorn! for he knoweth not aright what it is to have; and it is all one unto him as if he had it not. 18To slip upon a pavement is better than to slip with : so the fall of shall come speedily. 19An unseasonable tale will always be in the of the unwise. 20A sentence shall be rejected when it cometh out of a fool’s ; for he will not speak it in due season. 21There is that is hindered from sinning through want: and when he taketh rest, he shall not be troubled. 22There is that destroyeth his own through bashfulness, and by accepting of persons overthroweth himself. 23There is that for bashfulness promiseth to his friend, and maketh him his enemy for nothing. 24A lie is a foul blot in a man, yet it is continually in the of the untaught. 25A thief is better than a man that is accustomed to lie: but they both shall have to heritage. 26The disposition of a liar is dishonourable, and his is ever with him. 27A man shall promote himself to with his words: and he that hath understanding will please great men. 28He that tilleth his land shall increase his heap: and he that pleaseth great men shall get pardon for . 29Presents and gifts blind the eyes of , and stop up his that he cannot reprove. 30 that is hid, and that is hoarded up, what profit is in them both? 31Better is he that hideth his folly than a man that hideth his . 32Necessary in seeking is better than he that leadeth his life without a guide.
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under the Greeks, 332 BC to 63 BC ›
Alexander's conquest and the kingdoms of his successors. Greek language and custom press in everywhere, and the crisis under Antiochus IV provokes the Maccabean revolt.
- The successors
- Alexander dies at thirty-two and his generals carve up the empire. Judea sits on the border between the Ptolemies in Egypt and the Seleucids in Syria, and is fought over by both for a century and a half, which is the ordinary condition of the corridor.
- Hellenism
- Not just conquest but a culture: the gymnasium, the theatre, Greek names, Greek dress, Greek as the language of anyone with ambitions. Some Jews embraced it, some resisted it, and the argument between them is the real subject of the Maccabean books. In Alexandria the Hebrew scriptures are translated into Greek, producing the Septuagint, which is the Bible most New Testament writers quote.
- The crisis
- Antiochus IV bans the practice of Judaism, plunders the temple, and sets up a pagan altar in it in 167 BC. The revolt under the Maccabees wins, the temple is rededicated in 164 BC, which is the origin of Hanukkah, and Judea has about eighty years of independence under the Hasmoneans before Rome arrives.
- Further afield
- Rome fights Carthage three times and ends up master of the Mediterranean. Euclid writes the Elements and Archimedes does his work at Syracuse. In China the Qin unify the country in 221 BC and the Han follow, opening what becomes the Silk Road.
All of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)