King James Version · Under the Greeks
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 8
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1Strive not with a mighty man, lest thou fall into his hands. 2Be not at variance with a rich man, lest he overweigh thee: for gold hath destroyed many, and perverted the of kings. 3Strive not with a man that is full of , and heap not wood upon his . 4Jest not with a rude man, lest thy ancestors be disgraced. 5 not a man that turneth from , but remember that we are all worthy of punishment. 6Dishonour not a man in his old age: for even some of us wax old. 7Rejoice not over thy greatest enemy being , but remember that we all. 8Despise not the discourse of , but acquaint thyself with their : for of them thou shalt learn , and how to great men with ease. 9Miss not the discourse of the : for they also learned of their fathers, and of them thou shalt learn understanding, and to give answer as need requireth. 10Kindle not the coals of a , lest thou be burnt with the flame of his . 11Rise not up in at the of an injurious person, lest he lie in wait to entrap thee in thy words 12Lend not unto him that is mightier than thyself; for if thou lendest him, count it but lost. 13Be not surety above thy : for if thou be surety, take care to pay it. 14Go not to law with a judge; for they will judge for him according to his . 15Travel not by with a bold fellow, lest he become grievous unto thee: for he will do according to his own will, and thou shalt with him through his folly. 16Strive not with an angry man, and go not with him into a solitary place: for is as nothing in his sight, and where there is no help, he will overthrow thee. 17Consult not with a fool; for he cannot keep . 18Do no secret thing before a ; for thou knowest not what he will bring forth. 19Open not thine to every man, lest he requite thee with a shrewd turn.
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)