The Holy Scripture
Chapter IV
My son, defraud not the poor of his living, and make not the needy eyes to wait long.
τέκνον τὴν ζωὴν τοῦ πτωχοῦ μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς καὶ μὴ παρελκύσῃς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπιδεεῖς
Make not a hungry soul sorrowful; neither provoke a man in his distress.
ψυχὴν πεινῶσαν μὴ λυπήσῃς καὶ μὴ παροργίσῃς ἄνδρα ἐν ἀπορίᾳ αὐτοῦ
Add not more trouble to a heart that is vexed; and defer not to give to him that is in need.
καρδίαν παρωργισμένην μὴ προσταράξῃς καὶ μὴ παρελκύσῃς δόσιν προσδεομένου
Reject not the supplication of the afflicted; neither turn away thy face from a poor man.
ἱκέτην θλιβόμενον μὴ ἀπαναίνου καὶ μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ πτωχοῦ
Turn not away thine eye from the needy, and give him none occasion to curse thee:
ἀπὸ δεομένου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς ὀφθαλμὸν καὶ μὴ δῷς τόπον ἀνθρώπῳ καταράσασθαί σε
for if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him.
καταρωμένου γάρ σε ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ τῆς δεήσεως αὐτοῦ ἐπακούσεται ὁ ποιήσας αὐτόν
Get thyself the love of the congregation, and bow thy head to a great man.
προσφιλῆ συναγωγῇ σεαυτὸν ποίει καὶ μεγιστᾶνι ταπείνου τὴν κεφαλήν σου
Let it not grieve thee to bow down thine ear to the poor, and give him a friendly answer with meekness.
κλῖνον πτωχῷ τὸ οὖς σου καὶ ἀποκρίθητι αὐτῷ εἰρηνικὰ ἐν πραΰτητι
Deliver him that suffereth wrong from the hand of the oppressor; and be not fainthearted when thou sittest in judgment.
ἐξελοῦ ἀδικούμενον ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδικοῦντος καὶ μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνειν σε
Be as a father unto the fatherless, and instead of a husband unto their mother: so shalt thou be as the son of the most High, and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth.
γίνου ὀρφανοῖς ὡς πατὴρ καὶ ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς υἱὸς ὑψίστου καὶ ἀγαπήσει σε μᾶλλον ἢ μήτηρ σου
Wisdom exalteth her children, and layeth hold of them that seek her.
ἡ σοφία υἱοὺς αὐτῆς ἀνύψωσεν καὶ ἐπιλαμβάνεται τῶν ζητοῦντων αὐτήν
He that loveth her loveth life; and they that seek to her early shall be filled with joy.
ὁ ἀγαπῶν αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ζωήν καὶ οἱ ὀρθρίζοντες πρὸς αὐτὴν ἐμπλησθήσονται εὐφροσύνης
He that holdeth her fast shall inherit glory; and wheresoever she entereth, the Lord will bless.
ὁ κρατῶν αὐτῆς κληρονομήσει δόξαν καὶ οὗ εἰσπορεύεται εὐλογεῖ κύριος
They that serve her shall minister to the Holy One: and them that love her the Lord doth love.
οἱ λατρεύοντες αὐτῇ λειτουργήσουσιν ἁγίῳ καὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ὁ κύριος
Whoso giveth ear unto her shall judge the nations: and he that attendeth unto her shall dwell securely.
ὁ ὑπακούων αὐτῆς κρινεῖ ἔθνη καὶ ὁ προσέχων αὐτῇ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθώς
If a man commit himself unto her, he shall inherit her; and his generation shall hold her in possession.
ἐὰν ἐμπιστεύσῃ κατακληρονομήσει αὐτήν καὶ ἐν κατασχέσει ἔσονται αἱ γενεαὶ αὐτοῦ
For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline, until she may trust his soul, and try him by her laws.
ὅτι διεστραμμένως πορεύσεται μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν πρώτοις φόβον καὶ δειλίαν ἐπάξει ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν καὶ βασανίσει αὐτὸν ἐν παιδείᾳ αὐτῆς ἕως οὗ ἐμπιστεύσῃ τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ πειράσει αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασιν αὐτῆς
Then will she return the straight way unto him, and comfort him, and shew him her secrets.
καὶ πάλιν ἐπανήξει κατ᾿ εὐθεῖαν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εὐφρανεῖ αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποκαλύψει αὐτῷ τὰ κρυπτὰ αὐτῆς
But if he go wrong, she will forsake him, and give him over to his own ruin.
ἐὰν ἀποπλανηθῇ ἐγκαταλείψει αὐτὸν καὶ παραδώσει αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας πτώσεως αὐτοῦ
Observe the opportunity, and beware of evil; and be not ashamed when it concerneth thy soul.
συντήρησον καιρὸν καὶ φύλαξαι ἀπὸ πονηροῦ καὶ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς σου μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς
For there is a shame that bringeth sin; and there is a shame which is glory and grace.
ἔστιν γὰρ αἰσχύνη ἐπάγουσα ἁμαρτίαν καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη δόξα καὶ χάρις
Accept no person against thy soul, and let not the reverence of any man cause thee to fall.
μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ μὴ ἐντραπῇς εἰς πτῶσίν σου
And refrain not to speak, when there is occasion to do good, and hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.
μὴ κωλύσῃς λόγον ἐν καιρῷ χρείας
For by speech wisdom shall be known: and learning by the word of the tongue.
ἐν γὰρ λόγῳ γνωσθήσεται σοφία καὶ παιδεία ἐν ῥήματι γλώσσης
In no wise speak against the truth; but be abashed of the error of thine ignorance.
μὴ ἀντίλεγε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀπαιδευσίας σου ἐντράπηθι
Be not ashamed to confess thy sins; and force not the course of the river.
μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς ὁμολογῆσαι ἐφ᾿ ἁμαρτίαις σου καὶ μὴ βιάζου ῥοῦν ποταμοῦ
Make not thyself an underling to a foolish man; neither accept the person of the mighty.
καὶ μὴ ὑποστρώσῃς ἀνθρώπῳ μωρῷ σεαυτὸν καὶ μὴ λάβῃς πρόσωπον δυνάστου
Strive for the truth unto death, and the Lord shall fight for thee.
ἕως θανάτου ἀγώνισαι περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ κύριος ὁ θεὸς πολεμήσει ὑπὲρ σοῦ
Be not hasty in thy tongue, and in thy deeds slack and remiss.
μὴ γίνου θρασὺς ἐν γλώσσῃ σου καὶ νωθρὸς καὶ παρειμένος ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις σου
Be not as a lion in thy house, nor frantic among thy servants.
μὴ ἴσθι ὡς λέων ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου καὶ φαντασιοκοπῶν ἐν τοῖς οἰκέταις σου
Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldest repay.
μὴ ἔστω ἡ χείρ σου ἐκτεταμένη εἰς τὸ λαβεῖν καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀποδιδόναι συνεσταλμένη