7:24. Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.
7:25. Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their childhood.
7:26. Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thy countenance gay towards them.
7:27. Marry thy daughter well, and thou shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.
7:28. If thou hast a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful, trust not thyself. With thy whole heart,
7:29. Honour thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:
7:30. Remember that thou hadst not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.
7:31. With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.
7:32. With all thy strength love him that made thee: and forsake not his ministers.
7:33. Honour God with all thy soul and give honour to the priests, and purify thyself with thy arms.
Thy arms... That is, with all thy power: or else by arms (brachiis) are here signified the right shoulders of the victims, which by the law fell to the priests. See ver. 35.
7:34. Give them their portion, as it is commanded thee, of the firstfruits and of purifications: and for thy negligences purify thyself with a few.
7:35. Offer to the Lord the gift of thy shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things:
7:36. And stretch out thy hand to the poor, that thy expiation and thy blessing may be perfected.
7:37. A gift hath grace in the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from the dead.
And restrain not grace from the dead... That is, withhold not from them the benefit of alms, prayers, and sacrifices. Such was the doctrine and practice of the church of God even in the time of the Old Testament. And the same has always been continued from the days of the apostles in the church of the New Testament.
7:38. Be not wanting in comforting them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.
7:39. Be not slow to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.
7:40. In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.
Ecclesiasticus Chapter 8
Other lessons of wisdom and virtue.
8:1. Strive not with a powerful man, lest thou fall into his hands.
8:2. Contend not with a rich man, lest he bring an action against thee.
8:3. For gold and silver hath destroyed many, and hath reached even to the heart of kings, and perverted them.
8:4. Strive not with a man that is full of tongue, and heap not wood upon his fire.
8:5. Communicate not with an ignorant man, lest he speak ill of thy family.
8:6. Despise not a man that turneth away from sin, nor reproach him therewith: remember that we are all worthy of reproof.
8:7. Despise not a man in his old age; for we also shall become old.
8:8. Rejoice not at the death of thy enemy; knowing that we all die, and are not willing that others should rejoice at our death.
8:9. Despise not the discourse of them that are ancient and wise, but acquaint thyself with their proverbs.
8:10. For of them thou shalt learn wisdom, and instruction of understanding, and to serve great men without blame.
8:11. Let not the discourse of the ancients escape thee, for they have learned of their fathers:
8:12. For of them thou shalt learn understanding, and to give an answer in time of need.
8:13. Kindle not the coals of sinners by rebuking them, lest thou be burnt with the flame of the fire of their sins.
8:14. Stand not against the face of an injurious person, lest he sit as a spy to entrap thee in thy words.
8:15. Lend not to a man that is mightier than thyself: and if thou lendest, count it as lost.
8:16. Be not surety above thy power: and if thou be surety, think as if thou wert to pay it.
8:17. Judge not against a judge: for he judgeth according to that which is just.
8:18. Go not on the way with a bold man, lest he burden thee with his evils: for he goeth according to his own will, and thou shalt perish together with his folly.
8:19. Quarrel not with a passionate man, and go not into the desert with a bold man: for blood is as nothing in his sight, and where there is no help he will overthrow thee.
8:20. Advise not with fools, for they cannot love but such things as please them.
8:21. Before a stranger do no matter of counsel: for thou knowest not what he will bring forth.
8:22. Open not thy heart to every man: lest he repay thee with an evil turn, and speak reproachfully to thee.
Ecclesiasticus Chapter 9
Cautions with regard to women, and dangerous conversations.
9:1. Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.
9:2. Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.
9:3. Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest thou fall into her snares.
9:4. Use not much the company of her that is a dancer, and hearken not to her, lest thou perish by the force of her charms.
9:5. Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock to thee.