1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible
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| Sirach 28:1 | He *that seeketh to revenge himself, shall find vengeance from the Lord, and he will surely keep his sins in remembrance. Deuteronomy 32:35.; Matthew 6:14.; Mark 11:25.; Romans 12:19. | Sins. To seek revenge out of rancour, or contrary to justice, is a grievous sin. (Worthington) --- Retaliation was tolerated, (Exodus 21:24.) but love was not to be laid aside, Deuteronomy 33:35., Leviticus 21:17., Psalm 7:5., and Matthew 7:2. |
| Sirach 28:2 | Forgive thy neighbour if he hath hurt thee: and then shall thy sins be forgiven to thee when thou prayest. | Forgive. This charity enforces, when the offender is penitent, if the remission of punishment be not contrary to justice and discipline. (Worthington) --- Matthew 6:12., and 18:32., and Luke 6:37. We all stand in need of pardon. (Calmet) |
| Sirach 28:3 | Man to man reserveth anger, and doth he seek remedy of God? | |
| Sirach 28:4 | He hath no mercy on a man like himself, and doth he entreat for his own sins? | |
| Sirach 28:5 | He that is but flesh, nourisheth anger, and doth he ask forgiveness of God? who shall obtain pardon for his sins? | And doth. Greek, "who will expiate his sins?" Is God bound to receive his victims or prayers while he entertains such dispositions? (Calmet) |
| Sirach 28:6 | Remember thy last things, and let enmity cease: | |
| Sirach 28:7 | For corruption and death hang over in his commandments. | In his commandments. Supply the sentence out of the Greek thus: Remember corruption and death, and abide in the commandments, (Challoner) which condemn revenge, Exodus 23:4. (Calmet) --- Complutensian, "and do not rage or menace thy neighbour with destruction and death; yea, stick to the commandments. Be mindful of the precepts, and be not angry with thy neighbour; and of the covenant," etc., ver. 9. (Haydock) |
| Sirach 28:8 | Remember the fear of God, and be not angry with thy neighbour. | |
| Sirach 28:9 | Remember the covenant of the most High, and overlook the ignorance of thy neighbour. | Ignorance. He uses a softer term. In effect, most quarrels proceed from a misunderstanding. "Every sinner is ignorant." |
| Sirach 28:10 | Refrain from strife, and thou shalt diminish thy sins: | |
| Sirach 28:11 | For a passionate man kindleth strife, and a sinful man will trouble his friends, and bring in debate in the midst of them that are at peace. | |
| Sirach 28:12 | For as the wood of the forest is, so the fire burneth: and as man's strength is, so shall his anger be, and according to his riches he shall increase his anger. | Burneth. The more fuel, the greater will be the blaze. |
| Sirach 28:13 | A hasty contention kindleth a fire: and a hasty quarrel sheddeth blood: and a tongue that beareth witness bringeth death. | And a, etc., is not in Greek. Proverbs 19:12., and 26:21. |
| Sirach 28:14 | If thou blow the spark, it shall burn as a fire: and if thou spit upon it, it shall be quenched: both come out of the mouth. | |
| Sirach 28:15 | The whisperer and the double-tongued is accursed: for he hath troubled many that were at peace. | |
| Sirach 28:16 | The tongue of a third person hath disquieted many, and scattered them from nation to nation. | Third. Who carries stories between friends, to set them at variance. (Calmet) |
| Sirach 28:17 | It hath destroyed the strong cities of the rich, and hath overthrown the houses of great men. | |
| Sirach 28:18 | It hath cut in pieces the forces of people, and undone strong nations. | It, etc., is omitted in Greek. (Haydock) --- Indiscreet reports often cause dissensions. (Worthington) |
| Sirach 28:19 | The tongue of a third person hath cast out valiant women, and deprived them of their labours. | Labours. Causing their husbands to suspect them. |
| Sirach 28:20 | He that hearkeneth to it, shall never have rest, neither shall he have a friend in whom he may repose. | |
| Sirach 28:21 | The stroke of a whip maketh a blue mark: but the stroke of the tongue will break the bones. | |
| Sirach 28:22 | Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not so many as have perished by their own tongue. | Their own. Greek, "the." Detraction separates many friends. (Calmet) |
| Sirach 28:23 | Blessed is he that is defended from a wicked tongue, that hath not passed into the wrath thereof, and that hath not drawn the yoke thereof, and hath not been bound in its bands. | |
| Sirach 28:24 | For its yoke is a yoke of iron: and its bands are bands of brass. | |
| Sirach 28:25 | The death thereof is a most evil death: and hell is preferable to it. | Hell. Or rather "the grave." |
| Sirach 28:26 | Its continuance shall not be for a long time, but it shall possess the ways of the unjust: and the just shall not be burnt with its flame. | Its. Greek, "it shall not take hold of the pious, and they shall not," etc. (Haydock) --- Their virtue shall quickly shine forth. (Calmet) |
| Sirach 28:27 | They that forsake God shall fall into it, and it shall burn in them, and shall not be quenched, and it shall be sent upon them as a lion, and as a leopard it shall tear them. | |
| Sirach 28:28 | Hedge in thy ears with horns, hear not a wicked tongue, and make doors and bars to thy mouth. | Hear. Greek, "lo, hedge in thy possessions with thorns: bind up thy silver and gold." (Haydock) --- To pay attention to detraction is as bad as to utter it. (Worthington) |
| Sirach 28:29 | Melt down thy gold and silver, and make a balance for thy words, and a just bridle for thy mouth: | Just. Greek, "a door and bolt," etc., as [in] ver. 28. If people guard their property with so much care, why do they make light of words? (Haydock) --- These ought to be weighed with more attention than money, and we ought to spare no pains or expense on this head. (Calmet) |
| Sirach 28:30 | And take heed lest thou slip with thy tongue, and fall in the sight of thy enemies who lie in wait for thee, and thy fall be incurable unto death. | Tongue. Greek, "by them, lest thou fall before him who lays snares," Ecclesiasticus 29. (Haydock) |