Ecclesiasticus 11

Wisdom lifts up the head of a person of low rank, and gives him a seat among great men.

1Wisdom lifteth up the head of him that is of low degree, and maketh him to sit among great men.

NoteLifting up the head is an old Hebrew idiom for restoring someone's standing after disgrace; a bowed head meant shame or defeat. Where a person sat also displayed rank, so a seat among great men was public recognition, not merely a chair.

2Do not praise a man for his good looks, and do not hate a man because of the way he looks.

2Commend not a man for his beauty; neither abhor a man for his outward appearance.

3The bee is small among flying things, but what she produces is the best of all sweet things.

3The bee is little among such as fly; but her fruit is the chief of sweet things.

NoteThe bee's "fruit" is honey. Before sugar reached the Mediterranean world, honey was the main sweetener available, so calling it the chief of sweet things is a plain statement about the ancient table.

4Do not boast about your clothes and fine dress, and do not think highly of yourself on the day you are honored. The Lord's works are wonderful, and his works among people are hidden.

4Boast not of thy clothing and raiment, and exalt not thyself in the day of honour: for the works of the Lord are wonderful, and his works among men are hidden.

5Many kings have sat down on the ground, and someone no one ever thought of has worn the crown.

5Many kings have sat down upon the ground; and one that was never thought of hath worn the crown.

NoteKings sat on thrones; sitting on the bare ground was what mourners, captives and the ruined did. The image is of a ruler stripped of his place, paired with an unknown man who ends up crowned.

6Many powerful men have been badly disgraced, and honored men have been handed over into the power of others.

6Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced; and the honourable delivered into other men’s hands.

7Do not blame anyone before you have looked into the truth. Understand first, and then correct.

7Blame not before thou hast examined the truth: understand first, and then rebuke.

8Do not answer before you have heard the case, and do not break in on people in the middle of their talk.

8Answer not before thou hast heard the cause: neither interrupt men in the midst of their talk.

9Do not fight over a matter that is not your business, and do not sit as a judge together with sinners.

9Strive not in a matter that concerneth thee not; and sit not in judgment with sinners.

NoteSitting in judgment is literal. Cases were heard by a panel of elders, often at the city gate, and to sit with them was to serve as one of the judges. The warning is against taking that seat alongside dishonest men.

10My son, do not busy yourself with many affairs. If you take on much, you will not stay free of blame; and if you chase after these things, you will not catch them, and you will not get away by running.

10My son, meddle not with many matters: for if thou meddle much, thou shalt not be innocent; and if thou follow after, thou shalt not obtain, neither shalt thou escape by fleeing.

NoteIn 1611 "meddle" meant simply to occupy yourself with something, without the modern sense of prying into other people's business. The Greek suggests taking on too many trades, ventures or public affairs at once.

11There is a person who labors, and takes pains, and hurries, and is all the further behind.

11There is one that laboureth, and taketh pains, and maketh haste, and is so much the more behind.

12And again, there is another who is slow, and needs help, lacking ability and full of poverty. Yet the eye of the Lord looked on him for good, and raised him up from his low condition,

12Again, there is another that is slow, and hath 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,

13and lifted his head out of misery, so that many who saw it were amazed at him.

13And lifted up his head from misery; so that many that saw from him is peace over all the

NoteThe King James text of this verse has broken down as printed: "so that many that saw from him is peace over all the" is not a sentence, and words have been lost. The Greek reads that many who saw him were astonished, which is what the rendering follows.

14Good times and hard times, life and death, poverty and riches, all come from the Lord.

14Prosperity and adversity, life and death, poverty and riches, come of the Lord.

15Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the law come from the Lord. Love and the way of good deeds come from him.

15Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the law, are of the Lord: love, and the way of good works, are from him.

Note"The law" means the Law of Moses, the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures, taken as the whole body of instruction Israel lived by. Verses 15 and 16 are absent from some of the oldest Greek manuscripts of this book, and many modern editions bracket them or leave them out.

16Error and darkness began together with sinners, and evil grows old along with those who take pride in it.

16Error and darkness had their beginning together with sinners: and evil shall wax old with them that glory therein.

17The Lord's gift stays with the godly, and his favor brings success that lasts forever.

17The gift of the Lord remaineth with the ungodly, and his favour bringeth prosperity for ever.

NoteThe King James prints "the ungodly" here, which cuts against the rest of the sentence and looks like a slip. The Greek reads "the godly," those who honor God, which is what the rendering has.

18There is a man who grows rich by being careful and stingy, and this is the share he gets as his reward:

18There is that waxeth rich by his wariness and pinching, and this his the portion of his reward:

Note"Wariness" is watchful caution; "pinching" in 1611 meant stinting and scraping, being tight with money. Together they describe a man who grows rich by hoarding and denying himself.

19He says, "I have found rest, and now I will live off my goods for good." Yet he does not know what time is coming upon him, and that he must leave those things to others and die.

19Whereas he saith, I have found rest, and now will eat continually of my goods; and yet he knoweth not what time shall come upon him, and that he must leave those things to others, and die.

20Hold steady to the agreement you are bound by, spend your time in it, and grow old at your work.

20Be stedfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and wax old in thy work.

Note"Covenant" translates a Greek word that can mean the covenant between God and Israel with the law it carried, or a person's own binding agreement and appointed station in life. The text does not settle which, and the rendering leaves it open. "Be conversant therein" has nothing to do with talking: in 1611 "conversant" meant to live and move among something, to spend your time in it.

21Do not be amazed at what sinners do. Trust in the Lord and stay at your work, for it is an easy thing in the Lord's sight to make a poor man rich all at once.

21Marvel not at the works of sinners; but trust in the Lord, and abide in thy labour: for it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord on the sudden to make a poor man rich.

22The Lord's blessing is the reward of godly people, and in a moment he makes his blessing bloom.

22The blessing of the Lord is in the reward of the godly, and suddenly he maketh his blessing flourish.

23Do not say, "What do I get out of my service? And what good things will I have after this?"

23Say not, What profit is there of my service? and what good things shall I have hereafter?

24And again, do not say, "I have enough and own many things. What harm can come to me after this?"

24Again, say not, I have enough, and possess many things, and what evil shall I have hereafter?

25On a day of plenty, hard times are forgotten; and on a day of hardship, good times are remembered no more.

25In the day of prosperity there is a forgetfulness of affliction: and in the day of affliction there is no more remembrance of prosperity.

26For it is an easy thing for the Lord, on the day a man dies, to pay him back according to the way he lived.

26For it is an easy thing unto the Lord in the day of death to reward a man according to his ways.

27An hour of suffering makes a man forget his pleasure, and at his end his deeds are uncovered.

27The affliction of an hour maketh a man forget pleasure: and in his end his deeds shall be discovered.

Note"Discovered" in 1611 meant uncovered or brought into the open, not found for the first time. The line says a man's deeds are laid bare at his death.

28Call no one blessed before he dies, for a man will be known in his children.

28Judge none blessed before his death: for a man shall be known in his children.

NoteTo call someone "blessed" here is to call him fortunate or enviable, not holy. The saying was a commonplace in the Greek world, put famously by Solon in Herodotus: count no one happy until he is dead, because fortune can still turn. The second half adds that a man's measure goes on showing in his children after him.

29Do not bring every man into your house, for the man who deceives has many tricks.

29Bring not every man into thine house: for the deceitful man hath many trains.

Note"Trains" is an old word for tricks, lures and stratagems, related to the idea of drawing an animal into a trap. It has nothing to do with railways.

30Like a partridge caught and kept in a cage, so is the heart of a proud man; and like a spy, he watches for your fall.

30Like as a partridge taken and kept in a cage, so is the heart of the proud; and like as a spy, watcheth he for thy fall:

NoteHunters kept a captured partridge in a cage as a decoy, its calls drawing wild birds within reach of the net. That is the force of the comparison: the proud man's heart is a lure set for others, not just a bird shut in.

31For he lies in wait, and turns good into evil, and in things that deserve praise he will lay blame on you.

31For he lieth in wait, and turneth good into evil, and in things worthy praise will lay blame upon thee.

32From one spark of fire a heap of coals is set burning, and a sinful man lies in wait to shed blood.

32Of a spark of fire a heap of coals is kindled: and a sinful man layeth wait for blood.

33Watch out for a man who means harm, for he works wickedness, so that he does not put a lasting stain on you.

33Take heed of a mischievous man, for he worketh wickedness; lest he bring upon thee a perpetual blot.

Note"Mischievous" in 1611 meant actively wicked and set on doing harm, far stronger than the modern sense of playful naughtiness. A "blot" is a permanent stain on a person's reputation, a disgrace that cannot be scrubbed off.

34Take a stranger into your house, and he will disturb you, and turn you out of what is your own.

34Receive a stranger into thine house, and he will disturb thee, and turn thee out of thine own.

Note"Stranger" here means an outsider to the household, someone with no claim on you, rather than a traveler in need. The warning pushes against the strong ancient duty of hospitality, and some Greek manuscripts add that such a man will set you at odds with your own family.