Sirach
Chapter 28
He who seeks revenge will face the vengeance of the Lord, who keeps a strict record of sins.
Forgive your neighbor’s mistakes, and you may ask for your sins to be forgiven.
If a person holds resentment against another, how can he ask God for healing?
If he lacks compassion for others, how can he pray for forgiveness for his sins?
As long as he, a mere flesh, remains resentful, who will grant him pardon?
Remember your mortality and give up hatred; keep in mind your eventual decay in the grave and follow the commandments.
Remember the commandments and do not hold grudges against your neighbor. Recall the Covenant with the Most High and overlook offenses.
Quarrels
Avoid quarreling to prevent sin; the hot-headed spark disputes.
The sinner causes trouble among friends, sowing discord among peaceful people.
Fire burns when fuel is added; stubbornness prolongs the argument. The stronger the man, the greater his rage; his anger matches his wealth.
A sudden quarrel ignites a fire; a hasty dispute leads to bloodshed.
Blow on a spark and it ignites; spit on it, and it dies out—both come from your mouth.
Slander
Cursed be the gossiper with his spiteful tongue. He has destroyed many who lived peacefully.
The vicious tongue has demolished many and driven them from nation to nation. It has ruined powerful cities and brought low great households.
The vicious tongue has cast out wives who were beyond reproach, depriving them of the fruit of their labor.
Whoever listens to it will never find rest or be able to live in peace.
The whip leaves a mark, but the lash of the tongue shatters bones.
Many have fallen by the sword, but far more have perished by the tongue.
Happy is the one who has escaped it and has not been exposed to its fury, who has not been weighed down by its yoke or chained by it.
For it is a yoke of iron, and its chains are bronze.
It brings a miserable death—actual death is better!
But it will not tyrannize those who keep the faith; it will not consume their soul.
Those who abandon the Lord will fall victim to it; it will burn them without being consumed itself; it will lunge at them like a lion and rip them apart like a leopard.
Exhortation
Look, you put a fence around your property to protect your silver and gold.
Similarly, weigh your words carefully and secure your speech with a bolted door.
Be careful of a slip of the tongue when you speak, or you might fall in front of those who wait for you.
Commentaries
Revenge.
It emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and mercy toward others. This reflects the core of one of the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer: “forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us,” which is illustrated by one of the most beautiful parables about the forgiveness we constantly need and must also continually extend to our neighbor (cf. Mt 6:12.14f).
Quarrels.
Disputes and conflicts affect healthy relationships; they are caused by individuals whom Ben Sirach describes as sinners, and, for obvious reasons, the apprentice sage must avoid these people. The importance of the mouth is emphasized because it can both start and resolve conflicts.
Slander.
Nothing is more dangerous and destructive than a gossiping tongue because it can destroy peace (13:16) and ruin the tranquility and happiness of men (14) and women (15). A tongue used for gossip causes situations worse than even death can bring. The wise person’s approach is to ignore the gossip and “curse” him (13), that is, to remove him from his path; the author praises those who know how to protect themselves from this harmful influence on society (19).
Exhortation.
This conclusion to the theme of gossip and its effects highlights that a wise person must create boundaries around what they value most and themselves to protect against gossipmongers. It calls for righteous discernment, carefully weighing every word and expression to prevent stumbling before others.