Ecclesiasticus 37
2 How a man should know friends and counselors. 12 To keep his company that fear God.
EVERY friend says, I am a friend unto him also: but there is some friend, which is only a friend in name.
Remains there not heaviness unto death, when a companion and friend is turned to an enemy?
O wicked presumption, from whence art thou spring up to cover the earth with deceit?
There is some companion which in prosperity rejoices with his friend: but in the time of trouble he is against him.
There is some companion that helps his friend for the belly’s sake, and takes up the buckler against the enemies.
Forget not thy friend in thy mind, and think upon him in thy riches.
Seek [no counsel at him of whom thou art suspected, and disclose not thy counsel unto such as have thee.
Every counselor praises his own counsel: but there is some that counsels for himself.
beware of the counselor, and be advised afore whereto thou will use him: for he will counsel for himself, lest he cast the lot upon thee,
[Ask no counsel for religion of him, that is without religion, nor of justice, of him that hath no justice,] nor of a woman touching her of whom she is jealous, nor of a coward in matters of war, nor of a merchant concerning exchange, nor of a buyer for the sale, nor of an envious man touching thankfulness, nor of the unmerciful touching kindness, [nor of an dishonest man of honesty,] nor of an hireling for any labor, nor of an hireling for the finishing of a work, nor of an idle servant for much business: hearken not unto these in any matter of counsel.
But be continual with a godly man whom thou knows to keep the commandments of the Lord, whose mind is according to thy mind, and is sorry for thee when thou stumble.
Take counsel of thine own heart: for there is no man more faithful unto thee, then it.
For a man’s mind is sometimes more accustomed to show more than seven watchmen that sit above in an high tower.
And above all this pray to the most High, that he will direct thy way in truth.
Let reason go before every enterprise, and counsel before every action.
The [changing] of the countenance is a sign of the changing of the heart: four things appear good and evil, life and death, but the tongue hath ever more the government over them.
Some man is witty, and has instructed many, and yet is unprofitable unto himself.
Some man will be wise in words, and is hated, yea, he is destitute of all food,
Because grace is not given him of the Lord: for he is destitute of all wisdom.
Another is wise for himself, and the fruits of understanding are faithful in his mouth.
A wise man instructed his people, and the fruits of his wisdom fail not.
A wise man shall be plenteously blessed, and all they that see him, shall think him blessed.
The life of man stands in the number of days: but the days of Israel are innumerable.
A wise man shall obtain credit among his people, and his name shall be perpetual.
My son, prove thy soul in thy life, and see what is evil for it, and permit it not to do it.
For all things are not profitable for all men, neither hath every soul pleasure in every thing.
Be not greedy in all delights, and be not to hasty upon all meats.
For excess of meats brings sickness, and gluttony comes into choleric diseases.
By surfet [I am unable to determine what this word is]* have many perished: but he that dieteth himself, prolongs his life.
Ecclesiasticus 38
A physician is commendable. 16 To bury the dead. 24 The wisdom of him that is learned.
HONOR the physician with that honor that is due unto him, because of necessity: for the Lord hath created him.
For of the most High cometh healing, and he shall receive gifts of the King.
The knowledge of the physician lifts up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be in admiration.
The Lord hath created medicines of the earth, and he that is wise, will not abhor it.
Was not the water made sweet with wood, that men might know the virtue thereof?
So he hath given me knowledge, that he might be glorified in his wondrous works.
With such does he heal men, and take away their pains.
Of such doeth the apothecary make a confection, and yet he can not finish his own works: for of the Lord comes prosperity and wealth over all the earth.
My son, fail not in thy sickness, but pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole.
Leave off from sin, and order thine hands aright, and cleanse thine heart from all wickedness.
Offer sweet incense, and find flour for a remembrance: make the offering fat, for thou art not the first giver.
Then give place to the physician: for the Lord hath created him: let him not go from thee, for thou hast need of him.
The hour may come, that their enterprises may have good success.
For they also shall pray unto the Lord, that he would prosper that, which is given for ease, and their physician.
My son, pour forth tears over the dead, and begin to mourn, as if thou had suffered great harm thyself, and then cover his body according to his appointment, and neglect not his burial.
Make a grievous lamentation, and be earnest in the mourning, and use lamentation as he is worthy, and that, a day or two, lest thou be evil spoken of, and then comfort thyself for thine heaviness.
For of heaviness comes death, and the heaviness of the heart breaks and the strength.
Of the affection of the heart comes sorrow, and the life of him that is afflicted, is according to his heart.
Take no heaviness to heart: drive it away and remember the last end.
Forget it not: for there is no turning again: thou shalt do him no good, but hurt thyself.
Remember his judgment: thine also shall be likewise, unto me yesterday, and unto thee today.
Seeing the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest, and comfort thyself again for him, when his spirit is departed from him.
The wisdom of a learned man comes by using well his vacant time: and he that ceases from his own matters and labor, may come by wisdom.
How can he get wisdom that holds the plough, and he that hath pleasure in the good, and in driving oxen, and is occupied in their labors, and talks but of the breed of bullocks?
He gives his mind to make sorrows, and is diligent to give the kine fodder.
So is it of every carpenter, and work master that labors night and day: and they that cut, and grave seals, and make sundry diversities, and give themselves to counterfeit imagery, and watch to perform the work.
The smith in like manner abides by his anvil, and does his diligence to labor the iron: the vapor of the fire dries his flesh, and he must fight with the heat of the furnace: the noise of the hammer is ever in his ears, and his eyes look still upon the thing that he makes: he sets his mind to make up his works: therefore he watches to polish it perfectly.
So does the potter sit by his work: he turns the wheel about with his feet: he is careful always at his work, and makes his work by number.
He fashioned the clay with his arm, and with his feet he tempers the hardiness thereof: his heart imagines how to cover it with lead, and his diligence is to cleanse the oven.
All these hope in their hands, and every one bestows his wisdom in his work.
Without these can not the cities be maintained, nor inhabited, nor occupied.
And yet they are not asked their judgment in the counsel of the people, neither are they high in the congregation, neither sit they upon the judgment seats, nor understand the order of justice: they can not declare matters according to the form of the Law, and they are not meet for hard matters.
But they maintain the state of the world, and their desire is concerning their work and occupation.
*WP4Y
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