| 德訓篇 |
Sirach |
| 1凡報仇的，必要遭遇到上主的報復，上主必要保留他的罪。 |
1The vengeful will suffer the LORD'S vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. |
| 2你要寬恕你近人的過錯；這樣，當你祈求時，你的罪惡也會得到赦免。 |
2Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. |
| 3人若對人懷怒，怎能向上主求饒？ |
3Should a man nourish anger against his fellows and expect healing from the LORD? |
| 4對自己同類的人沒有慈愛，怎能為自己的罪過求赦？ |
4Should a man refuse mercy to his fellows, yet seek pardon for his own sins? |
| 5他既是血肉之人，竟然懷怒，而向天主求赦罪之恩，誰能赦免他的罪？ |
5If he who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? |
| 6你要記得最後的結局，而停止仇恨； |
6Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! |
| 7你要記得腐爛與死亡，而遵照誡命生活。 |
7Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; of the Most High's covenant, and overlook faults. |
| 8你要記得天主的誡命，不要向人發怒； |
8Avoid strife and your sins will be fewer, for a quarrelsome man kindles disputes, |
| 9你要記得至高者的盟約，寬恕別人的過錯。 |
9Commits the sin of disrupting friendship and sows discord among those at peace. |
| 10你要避免爭論，如此，你就可以減少罪過； |
10The more wood, the greater the fire, the more underlying it, the fiercer the fight; The greater a man's strength, the sterner his anger, the greater his power, the greater his wrath. |
| 11因為容易發怒的人，能激起爭論；犯罪的人，使朋友不安；他在安享和平的人中散佈讒言。 |
11Pitch and resin make fires flare up, and insistent quarrels provoke bloodshed. |
| 12根據燃料，可知火勢如何；爭吵若是激烈，可見鬥爭的情形；人的怒氣，是因他的勢力而起；他的憤怒，是隨他的財富而升。 |
12 If you blow upon a spark, it quickens into flame, if you spit on it, it dies out; yet both you do with your mouth! |
| 13激烈的口角，容易惹起怒火；激烈的爭辯，容易流血；妄證的口舌，致人死命。 |
13Cursed be gossips and the double-tongued, for they destroy the peace of many. |
| 14你若在火星上吹氣，火就燃起；你若在火星上吐唾沫，火就熄滅；二者都來自口中。 |
14A meddlesome tongue subverts many, and makes them refugees among the peoples; It destroys walled cities, and overthrows powerful dynasties. |
| 15搬弄是非的，和一口兩舌的人，是可咒罵的，因為他們使許多安享和平的人喪亡。 |
15A meddlesome tongue can drive virtuous women from their homes and rob them of the fruit of their toil; |
| 16挑撥的舌頭擾亂許多人，使他們從這一國流亡到那一國； |
16Whoever heeds it has no rest, nor can he dwell in peace. |
| 17傾覆了堅固的城池，推翻了貴族人的家庭； |
17A blow from a whip raises a welt, but a blow from the tongue smashes bones; |
| 18使民族的力量衰弱，使強盛的人民流亡。 |
18Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not as many as by the tongue. |
| 19挑撥的舌頭，從家庭中遂出了英勇的婦女，掠奪了她們勞力所得的利益。 |
19Happy he who is sheltered from it, and has not endured its wrath; Who has not borne its yoke nor been fettered with its chain; |
| 20誰聽從這樣的舌頭，就不得安息；在他的家裏，再也沒有平安。 |
20For its yoke is a yoke of iron and its chains are chains of bronze! |
| 21鞭打存青痕，舌擊碎人骨。 |
21Dire is the death it inflicts, besides which even the nether world is a gain; |
| 22劍刺死的人雖多，還不如舌害死的人多。 |
22It will not take hold among the just nor scorch them in its flame, |
| 23凡躲避了惡舌，沒有經過它的怒氣，沒有負過它的重軛，沒有受過它的鎖鏈捆綁的人，是有福的！ |
23But those who forsake the LORD will fall victims to it, as it burns among them unquenchably! It will hurl itself against them like a lion; like a panther, it will tear them to pieces. |
| 24因為，它的軛是鐵軛，它的鏈是銅鏈。 |
24As you hedge round your vineyard with thorns, set barred doors over your mouth; |
| 25它造成的死亡，是悲慘的，陰府也比它好受。 |
25As you seal up your silver and gold, so balance and weigh your words. |
| 26但是，它決不能控制虔敬的人，卻能把住不義之人的路徑，它的火焰不能焚燒虔敬的人。 |
26Take care not to slip by your tongue and fall victim to your foe waiting in ambush. |
| 27凡離棄上主的，就落在它手裏，它必燃燒他們，總不止熄；它如同被放出來的獅子，襲擊他們；又如豹子，撕裂他們。 |
27 |
| 28請看，你要用荊棘圍住你的田園，不要聽從邪惡的脣舌；你要給你的口，安上門和鎖。 |
28 |
| 29你要把你的金銀收藏起來。你要作一個天秤，來權衡你的言語；要為你的口，安上門和門閂。 |
29 |
| 30你要小心，不要因口舌而失足，免得你在暗算你的敵人面前跌倒，怕你這一跌，成了不治的死症。 |
30 |
