HOLY BIBLE: Sirach 32 (original) (raw)

1 ἡγούμενόν σε κατέστησαν μὴ ἐπαίρου γίνου ἐν αὐτοῖς ὡς εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν 2 φρόντισον αὐτῶν καὶ οὕτω κάθισον καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν χρείαν σου ποιήσας ἀνάπεσε 3 ἵνα εὐφρανθῇς δ{I'} αὐτοὺς καὶ εὐκοσμίας χάριν λάβῃς στέφανον 4 λάλησον πρεσβύτερε πρέπει γάρ σοι 5 ἐν ἀκριβεῖ ἐπιστήμῃ καὶ μὴ ἐμποδίσῃς μουσικά 6 ὅπου ἀκρόαμα μὴ ἐκχέῃς λαλιὰν καὶ ἀκαίρως μὴ σοφίζου 7 σφραγὶς ἄνθρακος ἐπὶ κόσμῳ χρυσῷ σύγκριμα μουσικῶν ἐν συμποσίῳ οἴνου 8 ἐν κατασκευάσματι χρυσῷ σφραγὶς σμαράγδου μέλος μουσικῶν ἐ{F'} ἡδεῖ οἴνῳ

1 If they will make thee master of the feast, do not give thyself airs; bear thyself as an equal. 2 Make good provision for the guests, and so take thy place among them; thy duty done, recline at ease, 3 and in their pleasure rejoice, accepting the crown that marks their favour, the honour bestowed by their gifts. 4 Speak first, as becomes thy seniority, 5 but with due choice of words; and do not break in when music is a-playing; 6 no need for thy words to flow when none is listening, for thy wisdom to be displayed unseasonably. 7 Music and wine, carbuncle set in gold, 8 music and wine, signet ring of gold and emerald, so the wine be good, and taken in due measure.

1

Rectorem te posuerunt? noli extolli:
esto in illis quasi unus ex ipsis.

2
Curam illorum habe, et sic conside,
et omni cura tua explicita recumbe: 3
ut læteris propter illos,
et ornamentum gratiæ accipias coronam,
et dignationem consequaris corrogationis. 4
Loquere major natu:
decet enim te 5
primum verbum diligenti scientia,
et non impedias musicam. 6
Ubi auditus non est, non effundas sermonem,
et importune noli extolli in sapientia tua. 7
Gemmula carbunculi in ornamento auri,
et comparatio musicorum in convivio vini. 8
Sicut in fabricatione auri signum est smaragdi,
sic numerus musicorum in jucundo et moderato vino.

[1] Or perhaps ‘examples of obedience’ (to the Law).

[2] vv. 22, 23: The language here is very confused, and it seems likely that the true text may have been lost.

[3] In the Greek, ‘where there is no danger of stumbling’.

[4] Or perhaps, ‘to trust with all confidence in thy own soul’, that is, in thyself; this is probably the meaning of the Greek. But, in these later chapters, we have a Hebrew text to consult, which doubtless goes back (though with certain alterations) to the original manuscript from which Jesus, son of Sirac, made his Greek translation. And this, supported by the Syriac version, gives us ‘keeps watch over his own soul’ instead of ‘trusts his own soul’.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd