Глава 11

Prosperity and trials, life and death, poverty and wealth are from the Lord. Be meek and reasonable. Don't judge a person by his appearance. Before you investigate, do not blame. Before you listen, don’t answer. Don't take on too many things at once. Having chosen a business, stick to it firmly. Do not bring every person into your house. Before death, do not call anyone blessed: at the death of a person, his deeds and his fate are revealed. Sir.11:1 The wisdom of the humble will lift up his head and make him sit among the nobles. Sir.11:2 Do not praise a person for his beauty, and do not have aversion to a person because of his appearance. Sir.11:3 The bee is small among those that fly, but its fruit is the best of sweets. Sir.11:4 Do not boast in the splendor of your garments, and do not become conceited on the day of glory: for the works of the Lord are wonderful, and His deeds are hidden among men. 4. Revealed in verses 5 and 6. Sir.11:5 Many of the rulers sat on the ground, but the one whom they did not think about wore a crown. Sir.11:6 Many of the mighty were subjected to extreme dishonor, and the glorious were delivered into the hands of others. Sir.11:7 Before you examine, do not condemn; Find out first, and then reproach. Sir.11:8 Before you listen, do not answer, and do not interrupt in the middle of speech. Sir.11:9 Do not argue about a matter that is unnecessary for you, and do not sit in the court of sinners. Sir.11:10 My son! Don’t take on a lot of things: with a lot of things you won’t be left without guilt. And if you chase after them, you will not reach them, and if you run away, you will not get away. Sir.11:11 Others work, strain their strength, hasten, and even more so fall behind. Sir.11:12 Some are sluggish, in need of help, weak in strength and abounding in poverty; Sir.11:13 But the eyes of the Lord looked upon him for his good, and He raised him up from his humiliation and lifted up his head, and many were amazed as they looked at him. Sir.11:14 Good and bad, life and death, poverty and riches are from the Lord. Sir.11:15 The gift of the Lord is given to the pious, and His favor will prosper them forever. Sir.11:16 Some people become rich because of their prudence and thrift, and this is part of their reward, Sir.11:17 when he says: “I have found peace and now I enjoy my blessings.” Sir.11:18 And he does not know how long it will be before he leaves them to others and dies. Sir.11:19 Stand firm in your covenant and continue in it and grow old in your work. Sir.11:20 Do not be surprised at the works of a sinner, believe the Lord, and continue in your work: Sir.11:21 For it is easy in the sight of the Lord to quickly and suddenly make the poor rich. Sir.11:22 The blessing of the Lord is the reward of the pious, and he will soon prosper with His blessing. 19–22. Do not be envious of the sinner's supposed well-being. Hold fast to your chosen honest occupation and godly way of thinking, and the Lord will bless you. Sir.11:23 Do not say: “What else do I need? and what other benefits can I have from now on?” Sir.11:24 Do not say: “I have enough, and what evil can I endure from now on?” Sir.11:25 In days of happiness there is forgetfulness of misfortune, and in days of misfortune happiness is not remembered. Sir.11:26 It is easy for the Lord to reward a person according to his deeds on the day of death. Sir.11:27 A moment's suffering causes the oblivion of pleasures, and at the death of a person his deeds are revealed. Sir.11:28 Before death, do not call anyone blessed; a person is known in his children. 20–28. “Before death, do not call anyone blessed”: his well-being can be replaced by trouble every minute. Only the death of a person serves as the limit after which his actual dignity in the past and his fate in the future become clear: at the death of a person, his deeds are revealed, and it is easy for the Lord to reward a person according to his deeds on the day of death. And if this death is the death of a sinful person who has to stand before the terrible judgment of God’s truth, then the relatively short, momentary suffering of death will overshadow in the consciousness of the dying person all the former joys of life. Sir.11:29 Do not bring every man into your house, for the deceitful man has many wiles. Sir.11:30 Like a hunting bird in a trap, such is the heart of the arrogant: he, like a spy, spies the fall; Sir.11:31 turning good into evil, he plots and places a stain on the chosen people. Sir.11:32 From a spark of fire the coals multiply, and the sinful man plots for blood. 32. Just as a spark of fire can result in a new ignition and thus increase the number of coals, so from sinful aspirations in the soul of an ungodly person more and more new victims of his wickedness can be obtained. Sir.11:33 Beware of the evildoer, for he builds evil, lest he ever put stains on you forever. Sir.11:34 Settle a stranger in your house, and he will upset you with troubles and make you a stranger to your own.