Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 23
A prayer for grace to flee sin: cautions against profane swearing and other vices.
Domine, pater et dominator vitæ meæ, ne derelinquas me in consilio eorum, nec sinas me cadere in illis.
O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them.
Quis superponet in cogitatu meo flagella, et in corde meo doctrinam sapientiæ, ut ignorationibus eorum non parcant mihi, et non appareant delicta eorum,
Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over my heart, that they spare me not in their ignorances, and that their sins may not appear:
et ne adincrescant ignorantiæ meæ, et multiplicentur delicta mea, et peccata mea abundent, et incidam in conspectu adversariorum meorum, et gaudeat super me inimicus meus?
Lest my ignorances increase, and my offences be multiplied, and my sins abound, and I fall before my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over me?
Domine, pater et Deus vitæ meæ, ne derelinquas me in cogitatu illorum.
O Lord, father, and God of my life, leave me not to their devices.
Extollentiam oculorum meorum ne dederis mihi, et omne desiderium averte a me.
Give me not haughtiness of my eyes, and turn away from me all coveting.
Aufer a me ventris concupiscentias, et concubitus concupiscentiæ ne apprehendant me, et animæ irreverenti et infrunitæ ne tradas me.
Take from me the greediness of the belly, and let not the lusts of the flesh take hold of me, and give me not over to a shameless and foolish mind.
Doctrinam oris audite, filii: et qui custodierit illam non periet labiis, nec scandalizabitur in operibus nequissimis.
Hear, O ye children, the discipline of the mouth, and he that will keep it shall not perish by his lips, nor be brought to fall into most wicked works.
In vanitate sua apprehenditur peccator: et superbus et maledicus scandalizabitur in illis.
A sinner is caught in his own vanity, and the proud and the evil speakers shall fall thereby.
Jurationi non assuescat os tuum: multi enim casus in illa.
Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing: for in it there are many falls.
Nominatio vero Dei non sit assidua in ore tuo, et nominibus sanctorum non admiscearis, quoniam non eris immunis ab eis.
And let not the naming of God be usual in thy mouth, and meddle not with the names of saints, for thou shalt not escape free from them.
Sicut enim servus interrogatus assidue a livore non minuitur, sic omnis jurans et nominans in toto a peccato non purgabitur.
For as a slave daily put to the question, is never without a blue mark: so every one that sweareth, and nameth, shall not be wholly pure from sin.
Vir multum jurans implebitur iniquitate, et non discedet a domo illius plaga.
A man that sweareth much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house.
Et si frustraverit, delictum illius super ipsum erit: et si dissimulaverit, delinquit dupliciter:
And if he make it void, his sin shall be upon him, and if he dissemble it, he offendeth double:
et si in vacuum juraverit, non justificabitur: replebitur enim retributione domus illius.
And if he swear in vain, he shall not be justified: for his house shall be filled with his punishment.
Est et alia loquela contraria morti: non inveniatur in hæreditate Jacob.
There is also another speech opposite to death, let it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob.
Etenim a misericordibus omnia hæc auferentur, et in delictis non volutabuntur.
For from the merciful all these things shall be taken away, and they shall not wallow in sins.
Indisciplinatæ loquelæ non assuescat os tuum: est enim in illa verbum peccati.
Let not thy mouth be accustomed to indiscreet speech: for therein is the word of sin.
Memento patris et matris tuæ: in medio enim magnatorum consistis:
Remember thy father and thy mother, for thou sittest in the midst of great men:
ne forte obliviscatur te Deus in conspectu illorum, et assiduitate tua infatuatus, improperium patiaris, et maluisses non nasci, et diem nativitatis tuæ maledicas.
Lest God forget thee in their sight, and thou, by thy daily custom be infatuated and suffer reproach: and wish that thou hadst not been born, and curse the day of thy nativity.
Homo assuetus in verbis improperii in omnibus diebus suis non erudietur.
The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words, will never be corrected all the days of his life.
Duo genera abundant in peccatis, et tertium adducit iram et perditionem.
Two sorts of men multiply sins, and the third bringeth wrath and destruction.
Anima calida quasi ignis ardens, non extinguetur donec aliquid glutiat:
A hot soul is a burning fire, it will never be quenched, till it devour some thing.
et homo nequam in ore carnis suæ non desinet donec incendat ignem.
And a man that is wicked in the mouth of his flesh, will not leave off till he hath kindled a fire.
Homini fornicario omnis panis dulcis: non fatigabitur transgrediens usque ad finem.
To a man that is a fornicator all bread is sweet, he will not be weary of sinning unto the end.
Omnis homo qui transgreditur lectum suum, contemnens in animam suam, et dicens: Quis me videt?
Every man that passeth beyond his own bed, despising his own soul, and saying: Who seeth me?
Tenebræ circumdant me, et parietes cooperiunt me, et nemo circumspicit me: quem vereor? delictorum meorum non memorabitur Altissimus.
Darkness compasseth me about, and the walls cover me, and no man seeth me: whom do I fear? the most High will not remember my sins.
Et non intelligit quoniam omnia videt oculus illius, quoniam expellit a se timorem Dei hujusmodi hominis timor, et oculi hominum timentes illum:
And he understandeth not that his eye seeth all things, for such a man's fear driveth him from the fear of God, and the eyes of men fearing him:
et non cognovit quoniam oculi Domini multo plus lucidiores sunt super solem, circumspicientes omnes vias hominum, et profundum abyssi, et hominum corda, intuentes in absconditas partes.
And he knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, beholding round about all the ways of men, and the bottom of the deep, and looking into the hearts of men, into the most hidden parts.
Domino enim Deo antequam crearentur omnia sunt agnita: sic et post perfectum respicit omnia.
For all things were known to the Lord God, before they were created: so also after they were perfected he beholdeth all things.
Hic in plateis civitatis vindicabitur, et quasi pullus equinus fugabitur, et ubi non speravit apprehendetur.
This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and he shall be chased as a colt: and where he suspected not, he shall be taken.
Et erit dedecus omnibus, eo quod non intellexerit timorem Domini.
And he shall be in disgrace with all men, because he understood not the fear of the Lord.
Sic et mulier omnis relinquens virum suum, et statuens hæreditatem ex alieno matrimonio:
So every woman also that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another:
primo enim in lege Altissimi incredibilis fuit: secundo in virum suum deliquit: tertio in adulterio fornicata est, et ex alio viro filios statuit sibi.
For first she hath been unfaithful to the law of the most High: and secondly, she hath offended against her husband: thirdly, she hath fornicated in adultery, and hath gotten her children of another man.
Hæc in ecclesiam adducetur, et in filios ejus respicietur:
This woman shall be brought into the assembly, and inquisition shall be made of her children.
non tradent filii ejus radices, et rami ejus non dabunt fructum:
Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit.
derelinquet in maledictum memoriam ejus, et dedecus illius non delebitur.
She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her infamy shall not be blotted out.
Et agnoscent qui derelicti sunt, quoniam nihil melius est quam timor Dei, et nihil dulcius quam respicere in mandatis Domini.
And they that remain shall know, that there is nothing better than the fear of God: and that there is nothing sweeter than to have regard to the commandments of the Lord.
Gloria magna est sequi Dominum: longitudo enim dierum assumetur ab eo.
It is great glory to follow the Lord: for length of days shall be received from him.