Ecclesiasticus 27 - Revised Version with Apocrypha 1885, 1895(RV1895)

1Many have sinned for thrust itself in between buying and selling.

3 Cp. Ezek. 33.13. Unless a man hold on diligently in the fear of the Lord,

His house shall soon be overthrown.

4In the shaking of a sieve, the refuse remaineth;

So the filth of man in his reasoning.

5 Cp. Prov. 17.3 & 27.21. The furnace will prove the potter's vessels;

And the trial of a man is in his reasoning.

6 Cp. Mat. 7.17 & 12.33. The fruit of a tree declareth the husbandry thereof;

Cp. Mat. 12.34 & Luke 6.45. So is the utterance of the thought of the heart of a man.

7Praise no man before thou hearest him reason;

For this is the trial of men.

8If thou followest righteousness, thou shalt obtain her,

And Job 29.14.put her on, as Cp. ch. 45.8 & Ex. 28.2.a long robe of glory.

9 Cp. ch. 13.15. Birds will resort unto their like;

And truth will return unto them that practise her.

10 ver. 28. ch. 28.23. The lion lieth in wait for prey;

So doth sin for them that work iniquity.

11The discourse of a godly man is always wisdom:

But the foolish man changeth as the moon.

12Among men void of understanding See ch. 4.20.observe the opportunity;

But stay continually among the thoughtful.

13The discourse of fools is an offence;

And Cp. Eccles. 7.5,6.their laughter is in the wantonness of sin.

14 Cp. ch. 23.9. The talk of a man of many oaths will make the hair stand upright;

And their strife maketh one stop his ears.

15The strife of the proud is a shedding of blood;

And their reviling of each other is a grievous thing to hear.

16 See ch. 22.22. He that revealeth secrets destroyeth credit,

And shall not find a friend to his mind.

17Love a friend, and keep faith with him:

See ch. 22.22. But if thou reveal his secrets,

Thou shalt not pursue after him;

18For as a man hath destroyed his enemy,

So hast thou destroyed the friendship of thy neighbour.

19 Cp. Ps. 124.7. And as a bird which thou hast loosed out of thy hand,

So hast thou let thy neighbour go, and thou wilt not catch him again:

20Pursue him not, for he is gone far away,

And hath escaped Prov. 6.5(mg.).as a gazelle out of the snare.

21For a wound may be bound up, ch. 22.22.and after reviling there may be a reconcilement;

But he that revealeth secrets hath lost hope.

22 Prov. 6.13 & 10.10. ONE that winketh with the eye contriveth evil things;

And no man will remove him from it.

23When thou art present, Cp. Ps. 55.21.he will speak sweetly,

And will admire thy words;

But afterward he will writhe his mouth,

And set a trap for thee in thy words.

24I have hated many things, but nothing like him;

And Cp. Ps. 12.2,3.the Lord will hate him.

25ONE that casteth a stone on high casteth it on his own head;

And a deceitful stroke will open wounds.

26 See Ps. 7.15. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it;

And Ps. 9.15 & 35.8.he that setteth a snare shall be taken therein.

27He that doeth evil things, they shall roll upon him,

And he shall not know whence they have come to him.

28Mockery and reproach are from the haughty;

And vengeance, ver. 10. ch. 28.23.as a lion, shall lie in wait for him.

29They that rejoice at the fall of the godly shall be taken in a snare;

And Cp. Ps. 112.10.anguish shall consume them before they die.

30WRATH and anger, these also are abominations;

And a sinful man shall possess them.