Practical advice from Sirach 7:1-17 (CEB):
1 Don’t do evil things,
and evil will never catch up with you.
2 Keep your distance from anything unjust, and it will turn away from you.
3 Don’t sow in furrows of injustice,
and you won’t reap
evil things sevenfold.
4 Don’t seek political power from the Lord
or a seat of honor from the king.
5 Don’t justify yourself
in the Lord’s presence,
and don’t make a show of your wisdom
with a king.
6 Don’t aspire to become a judge;
you might not be strong enough
to get rid of injustice.
Perhaps you will be too cautious
in the presence of a powerful person
and bring a scandal on your good name.
7 Don’t sin against a city’s inhabitants,
and don’t bring yourself down
in their estimation.
and evil will never catch up with you.
2 Keep your distance from anything unjust, and it will turn away from you.
3 Don’t sow in furrows of injustice,
and you won’t reap
evil things sevenfold.
4 Don’t seek political power from the Lord
or a seat of honor from the king.
5 Don’t justify yourself
in the Lord’s presence,
and don’t make a show of your wisdom
with a king.
6 Don’t aspire to become a judge;
you might not be strong enough
to get rid of injustice.
Perhaps you will be too cautious
in the presence of a powerful person
and bring a scandal on your good name.
7 Don’t sin against a city’s inhabitants,
and don’t bring yourself down
in their estimation.
8 Don’t repeat a sin,
for you won’t be innocent
even of committing it the first time.
9 Don’t say,
“He will look at the heap of my gifts,
and when I make an offering
to the Most High, he will accept it.”
10 Don’t be timid in your prayer,
and don’t neglect caring for those in need.
11 Don’t mock a person
who is bitter in spirit;
for there’s one who humbles
and who exalts.
12 Don’t cultivate a lie against your relative
or do the same thing to a friend.
13 Don’t desire to tell a lie;
continuing in a lie results in no good.
14 Don’t babble when the elders
are assembled,
and don’t repeat yourself when praying.
for you won’t be innocent
even of committing it the first time.
9 Don’t say,
“He will look at the heap of my gifts,
and when I make an offering
to the Most High, he will accept it.”
10 Don’t be timid in your prayer,
and don’t neglect caring for those in need.
11 Don’t mock a person
who is bitter in spirit;
for there’s one who humbles
and who exalts.
12 Don’t cultivate a lie against your relative
or do the same thing to a friend.
13 Don’t desire to tell a lie;
continuing in a lie results in no good.
14 Don’t babble when the elders
are assembled,
and don’t repeat yourself when praying.
15 Don’t hate hard work and farming,
which were created by the Most High.
16 Don’t count yourself
among a group of sinners;
remember that God’s anger won’t delay.
17 Humble your whole being
as much as possible,
because fire and worms
are the punishment of the ungodly.
which were created by the Most High.
16 Don’t count yourself
among a group of sinners;
remember that God’s anger won’t delay.
17 Humble your whole being
as much as possible,
because fire and worms
are the punishment of the ungodly.
Although these verses are from the Apocrypha, I find them to contain worthy advice from ancient writings that are as applicable to my daily life as a believer in Christ as they certainly were back when they were first conceived. I really enjoy the writings contained in Sirach, as well as others I find in the apocryphal books.
