Sirach 3 - Contemporary English Version Interconfessional Edition

Respect for Parents

¹ Students, I have been like a father to you, and you will be safe if you do what I say.

² The Lord has told children to honor and obey their parents.

³ If you honor your father, your sins will be forgiven;

⁴ show respect to your mother, and you will be truly rich.

⁵ Honor your father— then your own children will make you happy, and God will hear them when they pray.

⁶ If you want to live a long time, then you must obey the Lord by respecting your parents;

⁷ serve them as if you were their slave.

⁸ If you speak to your father with respect and do what he asks, he will bless you,

⁹ and your own family will have success. But if your mother places a curse on you, your family will face ruin.

¹⁰ You cannot get respect by disgracing your parents.

¹¹ What brings honor to them also brings honor to you.

¹² Help your father as he grows old; try not to upset him.

¹³ And when you are strong, but his mind is fading, don't make fun— instead, be patient.

¹⁴ God sees your kindness, and right away, some of your sins will be forgiven.

¹⁵ And if you later have troubles because of your sins, they will all melt away in the warmth of your kindness, like frost in the sunshine.

¹⁶ But abandoning your father or making your mother angry is as bad as cursing the Lord, and so he will curse you.

Be Humble

¹⁷ Students, be humble in your work, and you will be loved by God's people.

¹⁸ The more powerful you are, the more humble you must be if you want the Lord to be kind to you.

¹⁹ Many people are important and famous, but God gives his secrets only to the humble.

²⁰ God is extremely powerful, and he will accept praise only from those who are not proud.

²¹ Don't try to learn things you cannot understand.

²² Instead, think about God's Law and don't worry about secrets God keeps to himself.

²³ He has already shown you matters beyond understanding, and anything more is none of your business.

²⁴ Proud thoughts have led many to turn from following God, and evil ideas have ruined the way they think.

²⁵ Without eyes, you cannot see, and without gaining knowledge you can never get wisdom.

²⁶ If you are stubborn, you will end up in trouble, and if you love danger, it will kill you someday.

²⁷ Those who are stubborn are burdened with suffering, and sinners carry a heavy load of sins.

²⁸ Evil has taken root inside the arrogant, and so when disaster strikes, they cannot be rescued.

²⁹ The wise always try to listen, and they will pay attention to a wise saying.

Give to the Poor

³⁰ Money given to the poor brings forgiveness for sins, just as water puts out a fire.

³¹ If you think that in the future you might ever need help, then repay other people now when they do favors for you.