| 德训篇 | Sirach |
|---|
| 1谦虚人的智慧，必使他抬头，也必使他坐于伟人之中。 | 1The poor man who is wise carries his head high and sits among the great. |
| 2不要因人美便赞美他，也不要因一个人的外表而轻视他。 | 2Do not praise a man because he is handsome and do not hold a man in contempt because of his appearance. |
| 3飞虫中，蜜蜂是微小的，但她的产品，却是最甘饴的。 | 3The bee is one of the smallest winged insects but she excels in the exquisite sweetness of her honey. |
| 4在穿衣上，不要打扮；光荣之日，不要自大；因为上主的工程虽是惊人的，光荣的，但他的行动在人间，却是隐而不现的。 | 4Do not be proud because of the clothes you wear; do not be proud when people honor you. Do you know what the Lord is preparing in a mysterious way? |
| 5许多暴君竟坐在地下；人不介意的人，反戴上了王冠。 | 5Many tyrants have been overthrown and someone unknown has received the crown. |
| 6许多有权势的人，遭受了极大的凌辱；许多有声望的人，陷落在外邦人的手里。 | 6Many powerful men have been completely disgraced and famous men handed over into the power of others. |
| 7未询问以前，不可责斥人；先要问明白，然后公正地加以责斥。 | 7Do not reprehend anyone unless you have first been fully informed, consider the case first and thereafter make your reproach. |
| 8未听以前，不可作覆；人家正在谈论中，你不要插嘴。 | 8Do not reply before you have listened; do not interrupt the one who is speaking. |
| 9与你无关的事，你不要争辩，也不要参加罪人的诉讼。 | 9Do not interfere in what is not your business; do not meddle in the disputes of sinners. |
| 10我儿，你的工作不要繁多，若事情太多，难免没有过失；如果你急于进取，就什么也得不到；如你过于急进，就免不了受害。 | 10My son, do not undertake too many activities. If you keep adding to them, you will not be without reproach; if you run after them, you will not succeed nor will you ever be free, although you try to escape. |
| 11有一个不虔敬的人劳苦，殷勤操作，忍痛耐劳，却更加贫乏。 | 11There are those who exhaust themselves, tire themselves out and become anxious, yet in the end they are only the poorer. |
| 12又有一个瘦弱的人，需要援助，缺乏力量，万分可怜； | 12There are those who are weak, needing support, lacking goods and in great poverty, yet the eyes of the Lord look on them with favor. The Lord will redress their humiliation. |
| 13然而上主却以仁慈的眼眷顾他，从卑贱中提拔他，使他抬头，使许多人对他表示惊奇，因而尊敬天主。 | 13He will raise their heads and many people will marvel on this account. |
| 14幸福、灾祸、生死、贫富，都来自上主。 | 14Good and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, all come from the Lord. |
| 15智慧、学识及法律的知识，来自上主；爱情与行善的工作，也是从他那里来的。 | 15The just can count on the generosity of the Lord and his goodness will guide them forever. |
| 16错谬与黑暗，是为罪人而造的；以恶为荣的，越老越恶。 | 16A man may become rich through being careful and miserly and this is his reward. |
| 17上主的恩惠，常是留给虔敬的人；他的恩宠使虔敬的人永远顺利。 | 17The day on which he thinks, "I have earned my rest, now I can live on my possessions," he does not know how long he is going to live. He will have to die and leave his goods to others. |
| 18有人因节俭而成了富翁，这算是他应得的赏报： | 18Remain faithful to your duty, give your life to it and grow old in your work. |
| 19于是他说：「我找著了安息，现在我要享用我的财物了。」 | 19Do not be disconcerted at the success of sinners but have confidence in God and persevere in your own efforts. It is easy for the Lord in an instant to make the poor man rich. |
| 20但是，他不知道自己还生存多少日子，死亡便临近了，他就该把这一切留给别人而死去。 | 20The blessing of the Lord is the just man's reward and quickly, in an instant, his benediction will bear fruit. |
| 21你当遵守你与天主结的盟约，按照盟约生活，老于你的职守。 | 21Do not say, "What do I need? What more could I have or desire?" |
| 22不要惊奇罪人的成就，只该信赖上主，坚持你的工作。 | 22Do not say, "I have all that is necessary, what misfortune can harm me now?" |
| 23因为，使穷人忽然变为富翁，在上主眼中，是一件容易的事。 | 23On good days, one forgets the bad; and on bad days one forgets the good. |
| 24上主的祝福，是虔敬人的赏报；上主使自己的祝福倾刻之间即能开花。 | 24Even when the end draws near, it is easy for the Lord to reward a man according to the way he has lived. |
| 25不要说：我在世上还有什么用处？今后，我还能有什么幸福？ | 25The hour of adversity makes one forget pleasure; at the end of a man's life his deeds will be revealed. |
| 26不要说：我所有的够用的了，今后，还能有什么不幸降到我身上？ | 26Do not consider anyone as blessed before his death, for only then he will be known. |
| 27在幸福的日子，人忘却了不幸；在不幸的时候，人忘却了幸福。 | 27Do not invite just anybody into your house for many are clever deceivers. |
| 28然而在死亡之日，依照人的行径报应人，为上主是一件容易事。 | 28Like a partridge in its cage acting as a decoy, so is the heart of the proud man; like a spy he watches out for your weaknesses. |
| 29一时的忧苦，能使人忘掉已往的幸福；人一到临终，他的行为就暴露出来。 | 29He changes good things into evil, he lays his traps and criticizes even the best things. |
| 30任何人未死以前，不要称他是有福的，因为从他的子女，才能认识他的为人。 | 30Just as a spark sets coals on fire, the wicked man prepares his snares in order to draw blood. |
| 31不要引人进入你的家庭，因为欺诈人的奸计，花样百出。 | 31Beware of the wicked man for he is planning evil. He might dishonor you forever. |
| 32骄傲人的心，像臭腐了的五脏，发泄臭气，像被诱进樊笼里的鹧鸪，像陷在罗网里的山羊，像窥探别人，使他落网的侦探。 | 32If you take a stranger into your house, he will cause you trouble; he will estrange you from your household. |
| 33他设法把好事变成坏事，连最好的事，他也要非难。 | 33 |
| 34一星之火，可以酿成燎原之火，由于一个诡计多諯的人，流血的事件增多了；犯罪的人图谋倾流人血。 | 34 |
