Sirach 37 — RVA

37Verse 1Every friend will say, I also am his friend:
But there is a friend, which is only a friend in name.
^{Verse 2}Is there not a grief in it even unto death,
When a companion and friend is turned to enmity?
^{Verse 3}O wicked imagination, whence camest thou rolling in
To cover the dry land with deceitfulness?
^{Verse 4}There is a companion, which rejoiceth in the gladness of a friend,
But in time of affliction will be against him.
^{Verse 5}There is a companion, which for the belly’s sake laboureth with his friend,
In the face of battle will take up the buckler.
^{Verse 6}Forget not a friend in thy soul;
And be not unmindful of him in thy riches.^{Verse 7}Every counsellor extolleth counsel;
But there is that counselleth for himself.
^{Verse 8}Let thy soul beware of a counsellor,
And know thou before what is his interest
(For he will take counsel for himself);
Lest he cast the lot upon thee,
^{Verse 9}And say unto thee, Thy way is good:
And he will stand over against thee, to see what shall befall thee.
^{Verse 10}Take not counsel with one that looketh askance at thee;
And hide thy counsel from such as are jealous of thee.
^{Verse 11}Take not counsel with a woman about her rival;
Neither with a coward about war;
Nor with a merchant about exchange;
Nor with a buyer about selling;
Nor with an envious man about thankfulness;
Nor with an unmerciful man about kindliness;
Nor with a sluggard about any kind of work;
Nor with a hireling in thy house about finishing his work;
Nor with an idle servant about much business:
Give not heed to these in any matter of counsel.
^{Verse 12}But rather be continually with a godly man,
Whom thou shalt have known to be a keeper of the commandments,
Who in his soul is as thine own soul,
And who will grieve with thee, if thou shalt miscarry.
^{Verse 13}And make the counsel of thy heart to stand;
For there is none more faithful unto thee than it.
^{Verse 14}For a man’s soul is sometime wont to bring him tidings,
More than seven watchmen that sit on high on a watch-tower.
^{Verse 15}And above all this intreat the Most High,
That he may direct thy way in truth.^{Verse 16}Let reason be the beginning of every work,
And let counsel go before every action.
^{Verse 17}As a token of the changing of the heart,
^{Verse 18}four manner of things do rise up,
Good and evil, life and death;
And that which ruleth over them continually is the tongue.
^{Verse 19}There is one that is shrewd and the instructor of many,
And yet is unprofitable to his own soul.
^{Verse 20}There is one that is subtil in words, and is hated;
He shall be destitute of all food:
^{Verse 21}For grace was not given him from the Lord;
Because he is deprived of all wisdom.
^{Verse 22}There is one that is wise to his own soul;
And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy in the mouth.
^{Verse 23}A wise man will instruct his own people;
And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy.
^{Verse 24}A wise man shall be filled with blessing;
And all they that see him shall call him happy.
^{Verse 25}The life of man is numbered by days;
And the days of Israel are innumerable.
^{Verse 26}The wise man shall inherit confidence among his people,
And his name shall live for ever.^{Verse 27}My son, prove thy soul in thy life,
And see what is evil for it, and give not that unto it.
^{Verse 28}For all things are not profitable for all men,
Neither hath every soul pleasure in every thing.
^{Verse 29}Be not insatiable in any luxury,
And be not greedy on the things that thou eatest.
^{Verse 30}For in multitude of meats there shall be disease,
And surfeiting shall come nigh unto colic.
^{Verse 31}Because of surfeiting have many perished;
But he that taketh heed shall prolong his life.