Ecclesiasticus / Sirach - Chapter 37

¹ Any friend will say, 'I am your friend too,' but some friends are friends only in name.

² Is it not a deadly sorrow when a comrade or a friend turns enemy?

³ O evil inclination, why were you created, to cover the earth with deceit?

⁴ One kind of comrade congratulates a friend in prosperity but in time of trouble appears on the other side.

⁵ One kind of comrade genuinely feels for a friend and when it comes to a fight, springs to arms.

⁶ Do not forget the genuine friend, do not push him out of mind once you are rich.

⁷ Any adviser will offer advice, but some are governed by self-interest.

⁸ Beware of someone who offers advice; first find out what he wants himself- since his advice coincides with his own interest -- in case he has designs on you

⁹ and tells you, 'You are on the right road,' but stands well clear to see what will happen to you.

¹⁰ Do not consult anyone who looks at you askance, conceal your plans from people jealous of you.

¹¹ Do not consult a woman about her rival, or a coward about war, a merchant about prices, or a buyer about selling, anyone mean about gratitude, or anyone selfish about kindness, a lazy fellow about any sort of work, or a casual worker about finishing a job, an idle servant about a major undertaking-- do not rely on these for any advice.

¹² But have constant recourse to some devout person, whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments, whose soul matches your own, and who, if you go wrong, will be sympathetic.

¹³ Finally, stick to the advice your own heart gives you, no one can be truer to you than that;

¹⁴ since a person's soul often gives a clearer warning than seven watchmen perched on a watchtower.

¹⁵ And besides all this beg the Most High to guide your steps into the truth.

¹⁶ Reason should be the basis for every activity, reflection must come before any undertaking.

¹⁷ Thoughts are rooted in the heart, and this sends out four branches:

¹⁸ good and evil, life and death, and mistress of them always is the tongue.

¹⁹ One kind of person is clever at teaching others, yet is no good whatever to himself;

²⁰ another, very eloquent, is detested and ends by starving to death,

²¹ not having won the favour of the Lord, and being destitute of all wisdom.

²² Another considers himself wise and proclaims his intellectual conclusions as certainties.

²³ But the truly wise instructs his people and his intellectual conclusions are certainties.

²⁴ The wise is showered with blessings, and all who see him will call him happy.

²⁵ Human life lasts a number of days, but the days of Israel are beyond counting.

²⁶ The wise will earn confidence among the people, his name will live for ever.

²⁷ During your life, my child, see what suits your constitution, do not give it what you find disagrees with it;

²⁸ for not everything is good for everybody, nor does everybody like everything.

²⁹ Do not be insatiable for any delicacy, do not be greedy for food,

³⁰ for over-eating leads to illness and excess leads to liver-attacks.

³¹ Many people have died from over-eating; control yourself, and so prolong your life.

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