Ecclesiasticus, 10
The virtues and vices of men in power: the great evil of pride.
[1] A wise judge shall judge his people 1, and the government of a prudent man shall be steady. •
Judge his people: In the Greek it is, instruct his people.
[2] As the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers: and what manner of man the ruler of a city is, such also are they that dwell therein. •
[3] An unwise king shall be the ruin of his people: and cities shall be inhabited through the prudence of the rulers. •
[4] The power of the earth is in the hand of God, and in his time he will raise up a profitable ruler over it. •
[5] The prosperity of man is in the hand of God, and upon the person of the scribe 1 he shall lay his honour. •
The scribe: That is, the man that is wise and learned in the law.
[6] Remember not any injury done thee by thy neighbour, and do thou nothing by deeds of injury. •
[7] Pride is hateful before God and men: and all iniquity of nations is execrable. •
[8] A kingdom is translated from one people to another, because of injustices, and wrongs, and injuries, and divers deceits. •
[9] But nothing is more wicked than the covetous man. Why is earth, and ashes proud? •
[10] There is not a more wicked thing than to love money: for such a one setteth even his own soul to sale: because while he liveth he hath cast away his bowels. •
[11] All power is of short life. A long sickness is troublesome to the physician.
[12] The physician cutteth off a short sickness: so also a king is to day, and to morrow he shall die.
[13] For when a man shall die, he shall inherit serpents, and beasts, and worms. •
[14] The beginning of the pride of man, is to fall off from God: •
[15] Because his heart is departed from him that made him: for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end. •
[16] Therefore hath the Lord disgraced the assemblies of the wicked, and hath utterly destroyed them. •
[17] God hath overturned the thrones of proud princes, and hath set up the meek in their stead. •
[18] God hath made the roots of proud nations to wither, and hath planted the humble of these nations. •
[19] The Lord hath overthrown the lands of the Gentiles, and hath destroyed them even to the foundation. •
[20] He hath made some of them to wither away, and hath destroyed them, and hath made the memory of them to cease from the earth. •
[21] God hath abolished the memory of the proud, and hath preserved the memory of them that are humble in mind.
[22] Pride was not made for men: nor wrath for the race of women. •
[23] That seed of men shall be honoured, which feareth God: but that seed shall be dishonoured, which transgresseth the commandments of the Lord.
[24] In the midst of brethren their chief is honourable: so shall they that fear the Lord, be in his eyes.
[25] The fear of God is the glory of the rich, and of the honourable, and of the poor.
[26] Despise not a just man that is poor, and do not magnify a sinful man that is rich.
[27] The great man, and the judge, and the mighty is in honour: and there is none greater than he that feareth God.
[28] They that are free shall serve a servant that is wise: and a man that is prudent and well instructed will not murmur when he is reproved; and he that is ignorant, shall not be honoured. •
[29] Extol not thyself in doing thy work, and linger not in the time of distress;
[30] Better is he that laboureth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boasteth himself and wanteth bread. •
[31] My son, keep thy soul in meekness, and give it honour according to its desert. •
[32] Who will justify him that sinneth against his own soul? and who will honour him that dishonoureth his own soul?
[33] The poor man is glorified by his discipline and fear, and there is a man that is honoured for his wealth. •
[34] But he that is glorified in poverty, how much more in wealth? and he that is glorified in wealth, let him fear poverty. •