Precepts for Everyday Living
5 Do not rely on your wealth
or say, “I have enough.”(A)
2 Do not follow your inclination and strength
in pursuing the desires of your heart.(B)
3 Do not say, “Who can have power over me?”
for the Lord will surely punish you.(C)
4 Do not say, “I sinned, yet what has happened to me?”
for the Lord is slow to anger.(D)
5 Do not be so confident of forgiveness[a]
that you add sin to sins.(E)
6 Do not say, “His mercy is great;
he will forgive[b] the multitude of my sins,”
for both mercy and wrath are with him,
and his anger will rest on sinners.(F)
7 Do not delay to turn back to the Lord,
and do not postpone it from day to day,
for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come forth,
and at the time of punishment you will perish.(G)
8 Do not rely on dishonest wealth,
for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity.(H)
9 Do not winnow in every wind
or follow every path.[c]
10 Stand firm in what you know,
and let your speech be consistent.
11 Be quick to hear,
and utter a reply patiently.(I)
12 If you understand, answer your neighbor,
but if not, put your hand over your mouth.(J)
13 Honor and dishonor come from speaking,
and the tongue of mortals may be their downfall.(K)
14 Do not be called double-tongued[d]
and do not lay traps with your tongue,
for shame comes to the thief
and severe condemnation to the double-tongued.(L)
15 In great and small matters cause no harm,[e]
Footnotes
- 5.5Heb: Gk atonement
- 5.6Heb: Gk he (or it) will atone for
- 5.9Gk adds so it is with the double-tongued sinner
- 5.14Heb: Gk a slanderer
- 5.15Heb Syr: Gk be ignorant
Cross references
- 5.1 : Job 31.24; Ps 62.10; Lk 12.15, 19; 1 Tim 6.17
- 5.2 : Prov 3.5
- 5.3 : Ps 12.4
- 5.4 : Eccl 8.11; 2 Pet 3.9
- 5.5 : Sir 3.27
- 5.6 : Ex 34.7; Sir 16.11, 12
- 5.7 : Isa 55.6; 1 Thess 5.3
- 5.8 : Prov 10.2; 11.4; Ezek 7.19
- 5.11 : Jas 1.19
- 5.12 : Wis 8.12; Sir 18.19
- 5.13 : Prov 18.21; Sir 1.29; Mt 12.37
- 5.14 : Sir 6.1; 28.13; 2 Cor 12.20