Sirach Chapter 21

Other Translations

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

1 Fili peccasti? non adiicias iterum: sed et de pristinis deprecare ut tibi dimittantur.

2 Quasi a facie colubri fuge peccata: et si accesseris ad illa, suscipient te.

3 Dentes leonis, dentes eius, interficientes animas hominum.

4 Quasi romphæa bis acuta omnis iniquitas, plagæ illius non est sanitas.

5 Obiurgatio et iniuriæ annullabunt substantiam: et domus quæ nimis locuples est, annullabitur superbia: sic substantia superbi eradicabitur.

6 Deprecatio pauperis ex ore usque ad aures eius perveniet, et iudicium festinato adveniet illi.

7 Qui odit correptionem, vestigium est peccatoris: et qui timet Deum, convertetur ad cor suum.

8 Notus a longe potens lingua audaci: et sensatus scit labi se ab ipso.

9 Qui ædificat domum suam impendiis alienis, quasi qui colligat lapides suos in hyeme.

10 Stupa collecta synagoga peccantium, et consummatio illorum flamma ignis.

11 Via peccatorum complanata lapidibus, et in fine illorum inferi, et tenebræ, et pœnæ.

12 Qui custodit iustitiam, continebit sensum eius.

13 Consummatio timoris Dei, sapientia et sensus.

14 Non erudietur qui non est sapiens in bono.

15 Est autem sapientia, quæ abundat in malo: et non est sensus ubi est amaritudo.

16 Scientia sapientis tamquam inundatio abundabit, et consilium illius sicut fons vitæ permanet.

17 Cor fatui quasi vas confractum, et omnem sapientiam non tenebit.

18 Verbum sapiens quodcumque audierit scius laudabit, et ad se adiiciet: audivit luxuriosus, et displicebit illi, et proiiciet illud post dorsum suum.

19 Narratio fatui quasi sarcina in via. nam in labiis sensati invenietur gratia.

20 Os prudentis quæritur in ecclesia, et verba illius cogitabunt in cordibus suis.

21 Tamquam domus exterminata, sic fatuo sapientia: et scientia insensati inenarrabilia verba.

22 Compedes in pedibus, stulto doctrina, et quasi vincula manuum super manum dextram.

23 Fatuus in risu exaltat vocem suam: vir autem sapiens vix tacite ridebit.

24 Ornamentum aureum prudenti doctrina, et quasi brachiale in brachio dextro.

25 Pes fatui facilis in domum proximi: et homo peritus confundetur a persona potentis.

26 Stultus a fenestra respiciet in domum: vir autem eruditus foris stabit.

27 Stultitia hominis auscultare per ostium: et prudens gravabitur contumelia.

28 Labia imprudentium stulta narrabunt: verba autem prudentium statera ponderabuntur.

29 In ore fatuorum cor illorum: et in corde sapientium os illorum.

30 Dum maledicit impius diabolum, maledicit ipse animam suam.

31 Susurro coinquinabit animam suam, et in omnibus odietur: et qui cum eo manserit, odiosus erit: tacitus et sensatus honorabitur.

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).