Sirach
Chapter 23
O Lord, Father and Master of my life, do not abandon me to the careless words of my lips or let me fall because of them.
Who will discipline my thoughts and teach my heart wisdom?
Let them not be lenient with my sins or the mistakes of my mind, lest my errors grow and sins multiply, leading me into the hands of my enemies and causing my foes to rejoice.
Lord, Father and God of my life, do not allow me to become proud;
keep greed far from me.
Do not let lust and greed take hold of me; do not deliver me to filthy passions.
On Speaking
Children, learn how to control your language; if you can watch over it, you will not be caught off guard.
The sinner will fall into his own words, just as the proud man and those who curse do.
Do not get used to swearing or taking the name of the Holy One.
For, just as a slave who is constantly watched will not escape without punishment, so too, you will not be considered guiltless if you always call upon his name.
The man who swears habitually will be full of sins, and disgrace will cling to his household. If he fails to keep his oath out of carelessness, punishment will come upon him; if he does so knowingly, his sin is doubled, and if he swears falsely, he will not be forgiven. In any case, his household will be filled with disasters.
There is a way of speaking that deserves death; let it not be used by the descendants of Jacob. Virtuous people stay far away from it and avoid wallowing in sin.
Do not let foul language become habitual, for it is sinful.
Remember your father and mother when you sit among great people, lest you forget yourself and act foolishly in their presence. Otherwise, you will wish you had never been born and curse the day of your birth.
A man who is used to indecent talk will never be reformed in his lifetime.
Sexual Passion
Two types of people multiply sins, and a third attracts the Lord’s anger: A fierce passion that burns like fire will not be extinguished until it consumes itself. A man who seeks pleasure from his own body will not stop until he catches fire.
To the indecent man, all food tastes sweet, and he will not be satisfied until death.
The man unfaithful to the marriage bed who thinks: “Who sees me? Darkness surrounds me, the walls hide me; nobody can see me. Why should I worry? The Almighty will not take note of my faults.”
He fears the scrutiny of men but does not realize that the Lord’s eyes are a thousand times brighter than the sun, watching all conduct and penetrating the most secret corners.
All things are present to him before they are created, and they will be after their end.
This man will be punished in view of the whole city and caught when he least expects it.
Likewise, a woman who is unfaithful to her husband and bears a child by another man will be punished.
First, she disobeys the law of the Almighty. Second, she sins against her husband; and third, she is tainted with adultery, having children by another man.
She will be brought before the assembly and questioned about her children.
The children will not be able to take root, and their branches will not bear fruit.
She will leave behind a cursed memory, and her shame will never be erased.
Those who see her will understand that nothing matters more than the fear of the Lord, and nothing is sweeter than obeying his commands.
Commentaries
Prayer for Self-control.
Prayers are relatively uncommon in wisdom literature (see, however, 36:1-22 and 51:1-12). This prayer isn’t entirely separate from the previous theme of building friendship, as friendship can be lost through a slip of the tongue, such as revealing a secret. It also connects to the following sections, which also focus on the theme of the tongue. The prayer has two parts, each introduced by the invocation “Lord, Father, Master of my life” (1) and “Lord, Father, God of my life” (4). The first part expresses a desire to control the tongue, since it can do much harm; the second part reflects a desire to master unrestrained appetites and passions, as losing control of these can result in losing one’s humanity.
On Speaking.
Those whose words will never trap those who are careful in their speech. The author emphasizes the theme of oaths and invoking God’s name. Swearing was very common, and to make the oath more believable, it was often done in God’s name; now, if the oath turns out to be false, the person is guilty of punishment because they not only took God’s name in vain but also made a falsehood appear to be true, harming their neighbor.
Sexual Passion.
This section starts with a numerical proverb. It lists three sins related to sexual misconduct: uncontrolled passion, incest, and fornication, while warning about their consequences. Among these sins, it emphasizes adultery, distinguishing between that of the husband (verses 18-21), criticizing the deceitful attitude of the adulterer who does not fear God’s punishment but hides from human eyes, “as if the eyes of God did not shine a thousand times brighter than the sun” (19). This highlights that, ultimately, one must answer to God for sin. The focus then shifts to female adultery. The law of Israel was strict and severe, and the author was familiar with it (cf. Lv 20:10; Dt 22:22-24; Jn 7:53-8:11). Ben Sirach emphasizes the curse that rests on the woman, especially on the children born of such relationships. This diverges from the teachings of Jeremiah and, even more so, Ezekiel, who had already reexamined the idea that the punishment for the sins of the fathers affects their children (cf. Jer 31:29ff; Ezk 18). Similar ideas are still present in the New Testament (cf. Jn 9:2). Ultimately, all of this could be avoided if the Law of the Lord were followed faithfully (27).