Sirach Chapter 20

Other Translations

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Quam bonum est arguere, quam irasci, et confitentem in oratione non prohibere!

2 Concupiscentia spadonis devirginabit iuvenculam:

3 sic qui facit per vim iudicium iniquum.

4 Quam bonum est correptum manifestare pœnitentiam! sic enim effugies voluntarium peccatum.

5 Est tacens, qui invenitur sapiens: et est odibilis, qui procax est ad loquendum.

6 Est tacens non habens sensum loquelæ: et est tacens sciens tempus aptum.

7 Homo sapiens tacebit usque ad tempus: lascivus autem, et imprudens non servabunt tempus.

8 Qui multis utitur verbis, lædet animam suam: et qui potestatem sibi sumit iniuste, odietur.

9 Est processio in malis viro indisciplinato, et est inventio in detrimentum.

10 Est datum, quod non est utile: et est datum, cuius retributio duplex.

11 Est propter gloriam minoratio: et est qui ab humilitate levabit caput.

12 Est qui multa redimat modico pretio, et restituens ea in septuplum.

13 Sapiens in verbis seipsum amabilem facit: gratiæ autem fatuorum effundentur.

14 Datus insipientis non erit utilis tibi: oculi enim illius septemplices sunt.

15 exigua dabit, et multa improperabit: et apertio oris illius inflammatio est.

16 Hodie fœneratur quis, et cras expetit: odibilis est homo huiusmodi.

17 Fatuo non erit amicus, et non erit gratia bonis illius.

18 qui enim edunt panem illius: falsæ linguæ sunt. Quoties, et quanti irridebunt eum?

19 Neque enim quod habendum erat, directo sensu distribuit: similiter et quod non erat habendum.

20 Lapsus falsæ linguæ, quasi qui in pavimento cadens: sic casus malorum festinanter veniet.

21 Homo acharis quasi fabula vana, in ore indisciplinatorum assidua erit.

22 Ex ore fatui reprobabitur parabola: non enim dicit illam in tempore suo.

23 Est qui vetatur peccare præ inopia, et in requie sua stimulabitur.

24 Est qui perdet animam suam præ confusione, et ab imprudenti persona perdet eam: personæ autem acceptione perdet se.

25 Est qui præ confusione promittit amico, et lucratus est eum inimicum gratis.

26 Opprobrium nequam in homine mendacium, et in ore indisciplinatorum assidue erit.

27 Potior fur quam assiduitas viri mendacis. perditionem autem ambo hereditabunt.

28 Mores hominum mendacium sine honore: et confusio illorum cum ipsis sine intermissione.

29 Sapiens in verbis producet seipsum, et homo prudens placebit magnatis.

30 Qui operatur terram suam, inaltabit acervum frugum: et qui operatur iustitiam, ipse exaltabitur: qui vero placet magnatis, effugiet iniquitatem.

31 Xenia et dona excæcant oculos iudicum, et quasi mutus in ore avertit correptiones eorum.

32 Sapientia absconsa et thesaurus invisus: quæ utilitas in utrisque?

33 Melior est qui celat insipientiam suam, quam homo qui abscondit sapientiam suam.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).