Old Testament

New Testament

Sirach 20:1-12 Common English Bible (CEB)

1. There is a bad timeto rebuke someone.Those who keep silentare the prudent ones.

2. How much better to investigatethan to be angry!

3. And those who confess openlywill be kept from loss.

4. Like eunuchs desiring to violate a girl,so are those who make decisionsby force.

5. There are people who are silentand are found to be wise,and there are those who are hatedbecause they talk a lot.

6. There are those who keep silentbecause they have nothing to sayin response,and there are those who keep silentbecause they know the right time.

7. Wise people keep silentuntil the proper moment,but those who swagger and are senseless will miss the right moment.

8. Those who talk excessively will be loathed,and those who pretendto have authority will be hated.

9. Some people have successin bad circumstances,and there’s a windfall that resultsin loss.

10. There’s a gift that won’t profit you,and there’s a gift that will bringtwice the return.

11. There are losses sufferedfor the sake of one’s reputation,and there are people who have raisedtheir heads from humiliation.

12. There are those who buy a lot for a little,and they pay for it seven times over.

Read complete chapter Sirach 20