Ecclesiasticus 9-12

Chapter 9

Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, and teach her not an evil lesson against thyself. 2 Give not thy soul unto a woman to set her foot upon thy substance. 3 Meet not with a harlot, lest thou fall into her snares. 4 Use not much the company of a woman that is a singer, lest thou be taken with her attempts. 5 Gaze not on a maid, that thou fall not by those things that are precious in her. 6 Give not thy soul unto harlots, that thou lose not thine inheritance. 7 Look not round about thee in the streets of the city, neither wander thou in the solitary place thereof. 8 Turn away thine eye from a beautiful woman, and look not upon another’s beauty; for many have been deceived by the beauty of a woman; for herewith love is kindled as a fire. 9 Sit not at all with another man’s wife, nor sit down with her in thine arms, and spend not thy money with her at the wine; lest thine heart incline unto her, and so through thy desire thou fall into destruction.

10 Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine; when it is old, thou shall drink it with pleasure.

11 Envy not the glory of a sinner: for thou know not what shall be his end. 12 Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished unto their grave.

13 Keep thee far from the man that has power to kill; so shall thou not doubt the fear of death: and if thou come unto him, make no-fault, lest he take away thy life presently: remember that thou go in the midst of snares, and that thou walk upon the battlements of the city.

14 As near as thou can, guess at thy neighbor, and consult with the wise. 15 Let thy talk be with the wise, and all thy communication in the law of the Most High. 16 And let just men eat and drink with thee; and let thy glorying be in the fear of the Lord.

17 For the hand of the artificer the work shall be commended: and the wise ruler of the people for his speech. 18 A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his city; and he that is rash in his talk shall be hated.

Chapter 10

A wise judge will instruct his people; and the government of a prudent man is well ordered. 2 As the judge of the people is himself, so are his officers; and what manner of man the ruler of the city is, such are all they that dwell therein. 3 An unwise king destroys his people; but through the prudence of them which are in authority the city shall be inhabited. 4 The power of the earth is in the hand of the Lord, and in due time he will set over it one that is profitable. 5 In the hand of God is the prosperity of man: and upon the person of the scribe shall he lay his honor.

6 Bear not hatred to thy neighbor for every wrong; and do nothing at all by injurious practices.

7 Pride is hateful before God and man: and by both does one commit iniquity.

8 Because of unrighteous dealings, injuries, and riches got by deceit, the kingdom is translated from one people to another.

9 Why is earth and ashes proud? There is not a more wicked thing than a covetous man: for such a one sets his own soul to sale; because while he lives he casts away his bowels. 10 The physician cuts off a long disease; and he that is today a king tomorrow shall die. 11 For when a man is dead, he shall inherit creeping things, beasts, and worms.

12 The beginning of pride is when one departs from God, and his heart is turned away from his Maker. 13 For pride is the beginning of sin, and he that has it shall pour out abomination: and therefore the Lord brought upon them strange calamities, and overthrew them utterly. 14 The Lord has cast down the thrones of proud princes, and set up the meek in their stead. 15 The Lord has plucked up the roots of the proud nations, and planted the lowly in their place. 16 The Lord overthrew countries of the heathen, and destroyed them to the foundations of the earth. 17 He took some of them away, and destroyed them, and has made their memorial to cease from the earth. 18 Pride was not made for men, nor furious anger for them that are born of a woman.

19 They that fear the Lord are a sure seed, and they that love Him an honorable plant: they that regard not the law are a dishonorable seed; they that transgress the commandments are a deceivable seed. 20 Among brethren he that is chief is honorable; so are they that fear the Lord in his eyes. 21 The fear of the Lord goes before the obtaining of authority: but roughness and pride is the losing thereof. 22 Whether he be rich, noble, or poor, their glory is the fear of the Lord. 23 It is not meet to despise the poor man that has understanding; neither is it convenient to magnify a sinful man. 24 Great men, and judges, and potentates, shall be honored; yet is there none of them greater than he that fears the Lord. 25 Unto the servant that is wise shall they that are free do service: and he that has knowledge will not grudge when he is reformed.

26 Be not overwise in doing thy business; and boast not thyself in the time of thy distress. 27 Better is he that labors, and abounds in all things, than he that boasts himself, and wants bread. 28 My son, glorify thy soul in meekness, and give it honor according to the dignity thereof. 29 Who will justify him that sins against his own soul? and who will honor him that dishonors his own life? 30 The poor man is honored for his skill, and the rich man is honored for his riches. 31 He that is honored in poverty, how much more in riches? and he that is dishonorable in riches, how much more in poverty?

Chapter 11

Wisdom lifts up the head of him that is of low degree, and makes him to sit among great men.

2 Commend not a man for his beauty; neither abhor a man for his outward appearance. 3 The bee is little among such as fly; but her fruit is the chief of sweet things. 4 Boast not of thy clothing and raiment, and exalt not thyself in the day of honor: for the works of the Lord are wonderful, and his works among men are hidden. 5 Many kings have sat down upon the ground; and one that was never thought of has worn the crown. 6 Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced; and the honorable delivered into other men’s hands.

7 Blame not before thou has examined the truth: understand first, and then rebuke. 8 Answer not before thou has heard the cause: neither interrupt men in the midst of their talk. 9 Strive not in a matter that concerns thee not; and sit not in judgment with sinners. 10 My son, meddle not with many matters: for if thou meddle much, thou shall not be innocent; and if thou follow after, thou shall not obtain, neither shall thou escape by fleeing.

11 There is one that labors, and takes pains, and makes haste, and is so much the more behind. 12 Again, there is another that is slow, and has need of help, wanting ability, and full of poverty; yet the eye of the Lord looked upon him for good, and set him up from his low estate, 13 And lifted up his head from misery; so that many that saw from him is peace over all the

14 Prosperity and adversity, life and death, poverty and riches, come of the Lord. 15 Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the law, are of the Lord: love, and the way of good works, are from Him. 16 Error and darkness had their beginning together with sinners: and evil shall wax old with them that glory therein. 17 The gift of the Lord remains with the godly, and His favor brings prosperity forever. 18 There is that waxes rich by his wariness and pinching, and this his the portion of his reward: 19 Whereas he saith, I have found rest, and now will eat continually of my goods; and yet he knows not what time shall come upon him, and that he must leave those things to others, and die. 20 Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and wax old in thy work. 21 Marvel not at the works of sinners; but trust in the Lord, and abide in thy labor: for it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord on the sudden to make a poor man rich. 22 The blessing of the Lord is in the reward of the godly, and suddenly he makes his blessing flourish. 23 Say not, What profit is there of my service? and what good things shall I have hereafter? 24 Again, say not, I have enough, and possess many things, and what evil shall I have hereafter? 25 In the day of prosperity there is a forgetfulness of affliction: and in the day of affliction there is no more remembrance of prosperity. 26 For it is an easy thing unto the Lord in the day of death to reward a man according to his ways. 27 The affliction of an hour makes a man forget pleasure: and in his end his deeds shall be discovered. 28 Judge none blessed before his death: for a man shall be known in his children.

29 Bring not every man into thine house: for the deceitful man has many trains. 30 Like as a partridge taken and kept in a cage, so is the heart of the proud; and like as a spy, watches he for thy fall: 31 For he lies in wait, and turns good into evil, and in things worthy praise will lay blame upon thee. 32 Of a spark of fire a heap of coals is kindled: and a sinful man lays wait for blood. 33 Take heed of a mischievous man, for he works wickedness; lest he bring upon thee a perpetual blot. 34 Receive a stranger into thine house, and he will disturb thee, and turn thee out of thine own.

Chapter 12

When thou will do good know to whom thou do it; so shall thou be thanked for thy benefits. 2 Do good to the godly man, and thou shall find a recompense; and if not from him, yet from the Most High. 3 There can no good come to him that is always occupied in evil, nor to him that gives no alms. 4 Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner. 5 Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him, lest he over-master thee thereby: for else thou shall receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shall have done unto him. 6 For the Most High hates sinners, and will repay vengeance unto the ungodly, and keeps them against the mighty day of their punishment. 7 Give unto the good, and help not the sinner.

8 A friend cannot be known in prosperity: and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity. 9 In the prosperity of a man enemies will be grieved: but in his adversity even a friend will depart. 10 Never trust thine enemy: for like as iron rusts, so is his wickedness. 11 Though he humble himself, and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him, and thou shall be unto him as if thou had wiped a looking-glass, and thou shall know that his rust has not been altogether wiped away. 12 Set him not by thee, lest, when he has overthrown thee, he stand up in thy place; neither let him sit at thy right hand, lest he seek to take thy seat, and thou at the last remember my words, and be pricked therewith. 13 Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent, or any such as come nigh wild beasts? 14 So one that goes to a sinner, and is defiled with him in his sins, who will pity? 15 For a while he will abide with thee, but if thou begin to fall, he will not tarry.

16 An enemy speaks sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he imagines how to throw thee into a pit: he will weep with his eyes, but if he find opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood. 17 If adversity come upon thee, thou shall find him there first; and though he pretend to help thee, yet shall he undermine thee. 18 He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.

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King James Version Bible. It was authorized by King James I. It was translated by the Church of England and was first published in 1611.

God’s words are in red letters, old and new testament, as it should be. It is in paragraph form for easy reading. With all verses numbers labeled in blue for quick reference.

The Apocrypha was in the original King James version of the Bible. It should never have been removed. At the time Jesus was on earth the old testament and the Apocrypha scriptures were studied.

All scripture is Jewish scripture, Judaism is a religion not an ethnicity. Jesus is the Savior of the Jews. He is the Head of the Church.

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

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