Chapter 10

As the ruler of the people, so are those who serve with him; as the one who rules over the city, so are all those who dwell in it. Do not be proud, but be meek, God-fearing, and attentive to the teachings of wisdom.

Sirach 10:1. A wise ruler will instruct his people, and the rule of a prudent man will be well-ordered. 2. As the ruler of the people is, so are those who serve with him; and as the one who rules over the city, so are all those who dwell in it. 3. An untaught king will destroy his people, but a city will be established through the prudence of its mighty men. 4. In the hand of the Lord is the rule over the earth, and in due time He will raise up a suitable ruler over it. 5. In the hand of the Lord is the prosperity of man, and upon the face of the scribe He will imprint His glory. 4–5. The Lord grants strength for wise and beneficial activity of man.

Sirach 10:6. Do not be angry for every insult to your neighbor, and do not injure anyone through deeds. 7. Pride is hateful to the Lord and to men, and sin against both. 8. Dominion passes from nation to nation because of injustice, abuse, and greed. 9. Why is dust and ashes proud? 10. And even in his lifetime his bowels fall out. 11. A long illness the physician neglects: 12. and behold, today he is a king, and tomorrow he dies. 13. When a man dies, he inherits creeping things, beasts, and worms as his inheritance. 14. The beginning of pride is when a man departs from the Lord and his heart turns away from his Creator; 15. for the beginning of sin is pride, and the one controlled by it utters abomination; 16. for this reason the Lord sends terrible punishments upon him and utterly casts him down. 17. The Lord casts down the thrones of rulers and sets the meek in their place. 18. The Lord uproots nations and plants the humble in their place. 19. The Lord lays waste the lands of the nations and destroys them to their foundations. 20. He dries them up and destroys the people, and blots out the memory of them from the earth. 21. Pride was not created for men, nor fierce anger for those born of women. 6–21. Man is a creature of God, brought forth by Him from the dust of the earth in the flesh, and destined to return to that same earthly dust. By his spiritual gifts and his external position, man is indebted to God, and therefore has absolutely no grounds for not humbling himself before the Lord God and treating his neighbors with arrogance. Such haughtiness in man is sinful and brings divine punishment upon him. And “even in his lifetime his bowels fall out,” meaning there are illnesses by which man’s bodily frailty is exposed even during his earthly life. “A long illness the physician neglects: and behold, today he is a king, and tomorrow he dies.” The incurability of certain human illnesses and his premature death serve as the best testimony to man’s own weakness and the transience of his glory without divine aid, which upholds him.

Sirach 10:22. What lineage is honorable? – The human lineage. What lineage is honorable? – Those who fear the Lord. 23. What lineage is dishonorable? – The human lineage. What lineage is dishonorable? – Those who transgress the commandments. 24. The eldest among brothers is held in honor by them, so those who fear the Lord are held in honor in His eyes. 25. Whether one is rich or famous, or poor, his praise is the fear of the Lord. 26. It is wrong to despise a poor man who is wise, and it is not fitting to exalt a sinful man. 27. The great, the judge, and the ruler are held in honor, but none of them is greater than the one who fears the Lord. 28. A wise servant will be served by free men, and an intelligent man being instructed by him will not grumble. 29. Do not show off much when doing your work, and do not boast in time of need. 30. Better is one who labors and has abundance in all things than one who goes idle and boasts, but lacks bread. 31. My son! honor your soul with humility and give it the respect it deserves. 32. Who will justify the one who sins against his own soul? And who will honor the one who disgraces his own life? 33. A poor man is respected for his knowledge, but a rich man for his wealth: 34. but how much more will a poor man be respected if he is wise, and how much less will a rich man be respected if he is foolish?