Sirach 27 — RVA

27Verse 1Many have sinned for a thing indifferent;
And he that seeketh to multiply gain will turn his eye away.
^{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 shall soon be overthrown.^{Verse 4}In the shaking of a sieve, the refuse remaineth;
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 declareth the husbandry thereof;
So is the utterance of the thought of the heart of a man.
^{Verse 7}Praise no man before thou hearest him reason;
For this is the trial of men.^{Verse 8}If thou followest righteousness, thou shalt obtain her,
And put her on, as a long robe of glory.
^{Verse 9}Birds will resort unto their like;
And truth will return unto them that practise her.
^{Verse 10}The lion lieth in wait for prey;
So doth sin for them that work iniquity.^{Verse 11}The discourse of a godly man is always wisdom:
But the foolish man changeth as the moon.
^{Verse 12}Among men void of understanding observe the opportunity;
But stay continually among the thoughtful.
^{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 maketh 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 revealeth secrets destroyeth credit,
And shall not find a friend to his mind.
^{Verse 17}Love a friend, and keep faith with him:
But if thou reveal his secrets,
Thou shalt not pursue after him;
^{Verse 18}For as a man hath destroyed his enemy,
So hast thou destroyed the friendship of thy neighbour.
^{Verse 19}And as a bird which thou hast loosed out of thy hand,
So hast thou let thy neighbour go, and thou wilt not catch him again:
^{Verse 20}Pursue him not, for he is gone far away,
And hath 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 revealeth secrets hath lost hope.^{Verse 22}One that winketh with the eye contriveth evil things;
And no man will remove him from it.
^{Verse 23}When thou art present, he will speak sweetly,
And will admire thy words;
But afterward he will writhe his mouth,
And set a trap for thee in thy words.
^{Verse 24}I have hated many things, but nothing like him;
And the Lord will hate him.^{Verse 25}One that casteth a stone on high casteth it on his own head;
And a deceitful stroke will open wounds.
^{Verse 26}He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it;
And he that setteth a snare shall be taken therein.
^{Verse 27}He that doeth evil things, they shall roll upon him,
And he shall not know whence they have come to him.
^{Verse 28}Mockery and reproach are from the haughty;
And vengeance, as a lion, shall lie in wait for him.
^{Verse 29}They that rejoice at the fall of the godly shall be taken in a snare;
And anguish shall consume them before they die.^{Verse 30}Wrath and anger, these also are abominations;
And a sinful man shall possess them.