1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible
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| Sirach 14:1 | Blessed *is the man that hath not slipt by a word out of his mouth, and is not pricked with the remorse of sin. Ecclesiasticus 19:17. | Mouth. He is perfect, James 3:2. |
| Sirach 14:2 | Happy is he that hath had no sadness of his mind, and who is not fallen from his hope. | |
| Sirach 14:3 | Riches are not comely for a covetous man and a niggard, and what should an envious man do with gold? | Envious. Who will neither use his wealth himself, nor bestow it. The true use of riches is to take a sufficiency, and to relieve the poor. (Calmet) |
| Sirach 14:4 | He that gathereth together by wronging his own soul, gathereth for others, and another will squander away his goods in rioting. | Gathereth. Greek, "taketh from his," etc. (Haydock) --- Such misers are continually derided, but will never be cured, Ecclesiastes 2:18., and 6:2. An old proverb says, "The miser doth nothing right but when he dies." (Calmet) |
| Sirach 14:5 | He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? and he shall not take pleasure in his goods. | |
| Sirach 14:6 | There is none worse than he that envieth himself, and this is the reward of his wickedness. | Envieth. By refusing himself the necessaries of life, he rejects God's gifts, and scandalizes his neighbour. (Worthington) |
| Sirach 14:7 | And if he do good, he doth it ignorantly, and unwillingly: and at the last he discovereth his wickedness. | Wickedness. Persisting covetous till death, as is commonly the case. |
| Sirach 14:8 | The eye of the envious is wicked: and he turneth away his face, and despiseth his own soul. | |
| Sirach 14:9 | The eye of the covetous man is insatiable in his portion of iniquity: he will not be satisfied till he consume his own soul, drying it up. | |
| Sirach 14:10 | An evil eye is towards evil things: and he shall not have his fill of bread, but shall be needy and pensive at his own table. | |
| Sirach 14:11 | My son, if thou have any thing, do good to thyself, and offer to God worthy offerings. | Offerings. Make a proper use of what God has bestowed. (Calmet) |
| Sirach 14:12 | Remember that death is not slow, and that the covenant of hell hath been shewn to thee: for the covenant of this world shall surely die. | The covenant of hell. The decree by which all are to go down to the regions of death, (Challoner) which hell frequently denotes. (Haydock) --- Under the old law, all went down into some part of hell. (Worthington) --- Hath been. Greek, "hath not," etc. We know not when we shall die, though all must taste of death, (Haydock) and therefore we must make haste to do good. (Menochius) --- Shall, or "is, he shall die the death," (Genesis 2:17.) as the Greek has this sentence, ver. 18. (Haydock) Certo veniunt ordine Parcae, Nulli jusso cessare licet. (Sen.[Seneca?] Hercul.) |
| Sirach 14:13 | *Do good to thy friend before thou die; and according to thy ability, stretching out thy hand, give to the poor. Ecclesiasticus 4:1.; Tobias 4:7.; Luke 16:9. | |
| Sirach 14:14 | Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good gift overpass thee. | |
| Sirach 14:15 | Shalt thou not leave to others to divide by lot thy sorrows and labours? | Sorrows. Greek, "toils," or what thou hast amassed with much care. (Haydock) |
| Sirach 14:16 | Give and take, and justify thy soul. | Take. Alms-deeds will ensure the remission of sins. This usury is lawful. We must also keep up a good society with our friends. (Calmet) --- Justify. Greek, "sanctify thy soul (17.) for." (Grabe) (Haydock) --- Some read "love," or divert thy soul by lawful amusements. The argument is addressed to Jews and Gentiles. (Calmet) |
| Sirach 14:17 | Before thy death work justice: for in hell there is no finding food. | |
| Sirach 14:18 | *All flesh shall fade as grass, and as the leaf that springeth out on a green tree. Isaias 40:6.; James 1:10.; 1 Peter 1:24. | Fade. Greek, "grow old like a garment. For the covenant from the beginning is, he shall die the death. Like a leaf flourishing on a bushy tree." (Haydock) --- Homer has the same thought, Iliad vi. |
| Sirach 14:19 | Some grow, and some fall off: so is the generation of flesh and blood: one cometh to an end, and another is born. | |
| Sirach 14:20 | Every work that is corruptible, shall fail in the end: and the worker thereof shall go with it. | End. The fruits of the Spirit are alone immortal, ver. 21., and Galatians 6:8. |
| Sirach 14:21 | And every excellent work shall be justified: and the worker thereof shall be honoured therein. | |
| Sirach 14:22 | *Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and that shall meditate in his justice, and in his mind shall think of the all-seeing eye of God. Psalm 1:2. | |
| Sirach 14:23 | He that considereth her ways in his heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, who goeth after her as one that traceth and stayeth in her ways: | |
| Sirach 14:24 | He who looketh in at her windows, and hearkeneth at her door: | |
| Sirach 14:25 | He that lodgeth near her house, and fastening a pin in her walls, shall set up his tent nigh unto her, where good things shall rest in his lodging for ever: | |
| Sirach 14:26 | He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches: | |
| Sirach 14:27 | He shall be protected under her covering from the heat, and shall rest in her glory. | Glory. As under the miraculous pillar, Exodus 24:17. He who shall abide with wisdom shall have nothing to fear. (Calmet) |