Sirach chapter 27
[This chapter is in Orthodox and Catholic Bibles] Do not betray your friend.
The Book of Sirach is recognized as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches
DO NOT BETRAY YOUR FRIEND
VERSE 1. Many have sinned for a thing indifferent; And he that seeks to multiply gain will turn his eye away.
he that seeks to multiply gain. That is, people who want to be rich.
will turn his eye away. The pursuit of wealth blinds the eyes.
VERSE 2. A nail will stick fast between the joinings of stones; And sin will thrust itself in between buying and selling.
VERSE 3. Unless a man hold on diligently in the fear of the Lord, His house will soon be overthrown.
hold on diligently in the fear of the Lord. For Christians, our first love is the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you still in love with him? Have you lost your first love? How can you get it back? Read more »
VERSE 4. In the shaking of a sieve, the refuse remains; So the filth of man in his reasoning.
VERSE 5. The furnace will prove the potter’s vessels; And the trial of a man is in his reasoning.
VERSE 6. The fruit of a tree declares the husbandry thereof; So is the utterance of the thought of the heart of a man.
VERSE 7. Praise no man before you hear him reason; For this is the trial of men.
VERSE 8. If you follow righteousness, you will obtain her, And put her on, as a long robe of glory.
VERSE 9. Birds will return to their like; And truth will return to those who practice her.
VERSE 10. The lion lies in wait for prey; So does sin for those who work iniquity.
VERSE 11. The discourse of a godly man is always wisdom: But the foolish man changes as the moon.
VERSE 12. Among men void of understanding observe the opportunity; But stay continually among the thoughtful.
Among men void of understanding. Some people are always raging out. They are to be avoided, not esteemed. Read more »
stay continually among the thoughtful. We should spend as much time as possible with wise people.
VERSE 13. The discourse of fools is an offence; And their laughter is in the wantonness of sin.
VERSE 14. The talk of a man of many oaths will make the hair stand upright; And their strife makes one stop his ears.
VERSE 15. The strife of the proud is a shedding of blood; And their reviling of each other is a grievous thing to hear.
VERSE 16. He that reveals secrets destroys credit, And will not find a friend to his mind.
VERSE 17. Love a friend, and keep faith with him: But if you reveal his secrets, You shall not pursue after him;
if you reveal his secrets. Do not betray the things your friend tells you in confidence.
VERSE 18. For as a man has destroyed his enemy, So have you destroyed the friendship of your neighbor.
you destroyed the friendship of your neighbor. To betray the confidentiality of what your friend tells you is to kill the friendship.
VERSE 19. And as a bird which you have released out of your hand, So have you let your neighbor go, and you will not catch him again:
VERSE 20. Pursue him not, for he is gone far away, And has escaped as a gazelle out of the snare.
VERSE 21. For a wound may be bound up, and after reviling there may be a reconcilement; But he that reveals secrets has lost hope.
he that reveals secrets. Do not betray a secret.
has lost hope. To betray a secret is to do hopeless damage.
VERSE 22. One that winks with the eye contrives evil things; And no man will remove him from it.
winks with the eye. This is sometimes called a “shifty eye.”
The person who does it is being deceptive.
VERSE 23. When you are present, he will speak sweetly, And will admire your words; But afterward he will writhe his mouth, And set a trap for you in your words.
VERSE 24. I have hated many things, but nothing like him; And the Lord will hate him.
VERSE 25. One that casts a stone on high casts it on his own head; And a deceitful stroke will open wounds.
VERSE 26. He that digs a pit will fall into it; And he that sets a snare will be taken therein.
VERSE 27. He that does evil things, they will roll upon him, And he will not know whence they have come to him.
VERSE 28. Mockery and reproach are from the arrogant; And vengeance, as a lion, will lie in wait for him.
VERSE 29. They that rejoice at the fall of the godly will be taken in a snare; And anguish will consume them before they die.
VERSE 30. Wrath and anger, these also are abominations; And a sinful man will possess them.
these … are abominations. Wrath and anger are terrible things.
a sinful man will possess them. A sinner hugs tight to wrath and anger.
SIRACH
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Chronology
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