Chapter 14

Blessed is the man whose conscience has no cause to reproach him for evil deeds. Do not be foolishly stingy, envious, or greedy. Use the good things of life to satisfy the reasonable needs of your soul. Be merciful to your neighbor, be diligent in offerings to the Lord. Strive to acquire wisdom, and wisdom will find you.

Sirach 14:1. Blessed is the man who has not transgressed with his mouth and is not grieved by sorrow of sin. 2. Blessed is he whose soul does not accuse him and who has not lost his hope. 3. Wealth is not good for a stingy man. And to what use is a possession for one who is ill-willed? 4. He who gathers by depriving his soul gathers for others, and others will feast on his possessions. 5. Who is evil to himself? For whom will he be good? And he will not have joy from his possessions. 6. There is no man worse than one who is ill-willed to himself, and this is the consequence of his malice. 7. If he does good, he does it in forgetfulness, and afterward he reveals his evil. 8. He is evil who has envious eyes, he turns away his face and despises souls. 9. The eyes of the covetous are not satisfied with any share, and injustice of the evil man dries up his soul. 10. An evil eye is envious even over bread and suffers want at his own table. 3-10. A stingy man is an enemy to himself: the savings made by the stingy often deprive him of the possibility of satisfying his most essential needs, and in doing so, not only do they not suppress avarice in him, but on the contrary, nourish it more and more.

Sirach 14:11. My son! according to your means do good to yourself and present offerings to the Lord in a worthy manner. 12. Remember that death does not delay, and the covenant of the grave is not revealed to you: 12. The covenant of the grave, that is, the day of your death and burial in the depths of Sheol.

Sirach 14:13. Before you die, do good to your friend, and according to your ability stretch out your hand and give to him. 14. Do not deprive yourself of a good day, and let no portion of a good desire pass you by. 15. Will you not leave your possessions to others and the fruits of your labors for division by lot? 16. Give and receive, and comfort your soul, 17. for in the grave there is no finding of comfort. 18. Every flesh grows old like a garment; for from eternity the decree is: “You shall die by death.” 19. Like green leaves on a thick tree—some fall and others grow: so is the generation of flesh and blood—one dies and another is born. 20. Every work subject to decay will perish, and the one who made it will die with it. 14-20. While alive, enjoy the good things of life, but only to satisfy the reasonable and pious needs of your soul.

Sirach 14:21. Blessed is the man who practices wisdom and contemplates the holy in his understanding. 22. He who meditates on her ways in his heart will gain understanding and will know her secrets. 23. Go after her as a hunter and set an ambush on her paths. 24. He who inclines toward her windows will listen and attend at her doors. 25. He who camps near her house will drive a nail into her walls, pitch his tent beside her, and lodge in a dwelling of good things. 26. He will place his children under her shelter and will lodge under her shadow. 27. He will be sheltered by her from the heat and will dwell in the glory of her. 21-27. He attains wisdom and enjoys its fruits only he who with all the strength of his soul seeks to understand and assimilate her counsels.