Ecclesiasticus 28

¹He that will be revenged, shall find revenge of our Lord, and keeping he will keep his sin.

²Forgive thy neighbour hurting thee: & then shall thy sins be loosed to thee when thou prayest.

³Man to man reserveth anger, and doth he seek remedy of God?

⁴He hath not mercy on a man like unto himself, and doth he entreat for his own sins?

⁵Himself whereas he is flesh, reserveth anger, and doth he ask propitiation of God? Who by prayer shall obtain for his sin?

⁶Remember the last things, & cease to be at enmity:

⁷for consumption and death are imminent in his commandments.

⁸Remember the fear of God, and be not angry with thy neighbour.

⁹Remember the testament of the High, & contemn the ignorance of thy neighbour.

¹⁰Refrain thyself from strife, and thou shalt diminish thy sins:

¹¹for an angry man kindleth strife, and a sinful man will trouble his friends, and in the midst of them that are at peace he will cast in enmity.

¹²For according to the wood of the forest, so the fire burneth: and according to the power of a man, so shall his anger be, and according to his substance he will increase his anger.

¹³Hasty contention kindleth a fire: & hasty strife sheddeth blood: and an ill testifying tongue bringeth death.

¹⁴If thou blow upon a spark, it will burn as a fire: and if thou spit thereon, it shall be quenched: both proceed out of the mouth.

¹⁵The whisperer & double tongued is accurst: for he hath troubled many that were at peace.

¹⁶A third tongue hath moved many, and dispersed them from nation into nation.

¹⁷It hath destroyed the walled cities of the rich, and hath digged down the houses of great men.

¹⁸It hath cut the forces of peoples, and undone strong nations.

¹⁹A third tongue hath cast out many women, and deprived them of their labours.

²⁰He that regardeth it, shall not have rest, neither shall he have a friend in whom he may repose.

²¹The stroke of a whip maketh a blue mark: but the stroke of the tongue will break the bones.

²²Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not so as they that have perished by their tongue.

²³Blessed is he that is covered from a wicked tongue, that hath not passed into the anger thereof, and that hath not drawn the yoke thereof, and hath not been tied in the bands thereof:

²⁴for the yoke of it is a yoke of iron: and the band of it is a band of brass.

²⁵The death of it, is a most wicked death: and hell is more profitable than it.

²⁶The continuance of it shall not be permanent, but it shall obtain the ways of the unjust: and it shall not burn the just in the flame thereof.

²⁷They that forsake God, shall fall into it, and it shall burn in them, and shall not be quenched, and it shall be sent in upon them as a lion, and as a leopard it shall hurt them.

²⁸Hedge thine ears with thorns, and hear not a wicked tongue, and make doors to thy mouth, and locks.

²⁹Lay together thy silver, and make balance to thy words, and right bridles to thy mouth:

³⁰and take heed lest perhaps thou slip in thy tongue, & fall in the sight of the enemies, that lie in wait for thee, and thy fall be uncurable unto death.