Chapter 28

“Forgive your neighbor – and the Lord will forgive you. Despise ignorance. Abstain from quarrels. Beware of gossip and double-tongued speech. Be careful with your words.”

Sirach 28:1. “The vengeful will receive vengeance from the Lord, Who will not forget his sins.” 2. “Forgive your neighbor the injury, and then through your prayer your sins will be forgiven.” 3. “A man harbors anger toward a man, yet seeks forgiveness from the Lord;” 4. “He has no mercy on a man like himself and yet prays about his own sins;” 5. “He himself, being flesh, harbors malice: who will cleanse his sins?” 6. “Remember the end and cease from enmity; remember corruption and death and keep the commandments;” “6. See Sir 7:39. Remember the end – that is, death, decay, judgment – cease from enmity and keep the commandments of the Lord.”

Sirach 28:7. “Remember the commandments and harbor no malice toward your neighbor;” 8. “Remember the covenant of the Most High and despise ignorance.” 9. “Abstain from quarrels – and you will lessen your sins;” 10. “For an irritable man will kindle a quarrel; a sinful man will trouble friends and sow discord among those living in peace.” 11. “According to the fuel, so will it ignite;” 12. “And according to the strength of a man, so will his anger be, and according to his wealth his rage will be increased.” 13. “A heated dispute kindles fire, and a heated quarrel sheds blood.” 14. “If you blow on a spark, it will ignite, and if you spit on it, it will go out: both come from your mouth.” 15. “A gossip and double-tongued man is cursed, for he has destroyed many who were living in peace;” 16. “The third tongue has shaken many and scattered them from nation to nation,” “16. The third tongue – that is, the deceitful tongue of a third party, in between two.”

Sirach 28:17. “And it has destroyed fortified cities and overthrown the houses of great men;” 18. “The third tongue has driven away noble women and deprived them of the fruits of their labors;” 19. “Whoever heeds it will find no rest and will not dwell in peace.” 20. “A blow from a whip leaves a scar, and a blow from the tongue will shatter bones;” 21. “Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not so many as have fallen by the tongue;” 22. “Blessed is he who is sheltered from it, who has not experienced its wrath, who has not borne its yoke and was not bound by its bonds;” 23. “For its yoke is an iron yoke, and its bonds are bronze bonds,” 24. “A cruel death – its death, and the very abyss is better than it.” 25. “It will not have power over the pious, and they will not burn in its flame;” “25. It will not have power over – that is, the abyss (see verse 24) of evil speech and for evil speech.”

Sirach 28:26. “Those who forsake the Lord will fall into it; it will be kindled in them and will not be extinguished: it will be sent upon them like a lion and, like a leopard, will destroy them.” 27. “See, fence your possession with thorns,” 28. “Bind your silver and gold,” 29. “And for your words make weight and measure, and for your mouth – a door and a bolt.” “29. Be careful with what you say.”

Sirach 28:30. “Beware lest you stumble by them and fall before the evil-minded.”