Siracide 34

1L’insensé se livre à des espérances vaines et trompeuses, et les songes donnent des ailes aux sots.

2C’est vouloir saisir une ombre et atteindre le vent, que de s’arrêter à des songes.

3Une chose d’après une autre, voilà ce qu’on voit en songe ; c’est comme l’image d’un visage en face d’un visage.

4De l’impureté, que peut-il sortir de pur ? Du mensonge, que peut-il sortir de vrai ?

5La divination, les augures et les songes sont choses vaines, pareilles aux imaginations du cœur d’une femme enceinte.

6À moins qu’ils ne soient envoyés par le Très-Haut, dans une visite, ne leur abandonne pas ton cœur.

7Car les songes en ont égaré beaucoup, et ceux qui appuyaient sur eux leurs espérances sont tombés.

8Mais la loi s’accomplit sans mensonge, comme se réalise toute sage parole sortie d’une bouche fidèle.

9L’homme instruit sait beaucoup de choses, et l’homme de grande expérience parle sagement.

10Celui qui n’a pas été éprouvé sait peu de choses, et celui qui a voyagé possède une grande prudence.

11J’ai vu beaucoup de choses dans mes voyages, et ma science est plus grande que mes paroles.

12Souvent j’ai été en danger de mort, et j’ai été sauvé grâce à cette expérience.

13L’esprit de ceux qui craignent le Seigneur vivra, car leur espérance est en celui qui les sauve.

14Celui qui craint le Seigneur n’a peur de rien ; il ne tremble pas, car Dieu est son espérance.

15Heureuse l’âme de celui qui craint le Seigneur ! Sur qui s’appuie-t-elle, et qui est son soutien ?

16Les yeux du Seigneur sont sur ceux qui l’aiment ; il est un protecteur puissant, un appui plein de force, un abri contre le vent d’Orient, un abri contre les feux du midi, une garde contre l’achoppement, un secours contre la chute ;

17il élève l’âme, il illumine les yeux, il donne santé, vie et bénédiction.

18Immoler un bien mal acquis, c’est faire une offrande dérisoire ; et les dérisions des pécheurs ne sauraient être agréables à Dieu.

19Le Très-Haut n’agrée pas les offrandes des impies, et ce n’est pas pour les nombreuses victimes qu’il pardonne les péchés.

20Il immole un fils sous les yeux de son père, celui qui offre un sacrifice pris sur le bien des pauvres.

21Le pain des malheureux est la vie des pauvres ; celui qui les en prive est un meurtrier.

22Il donne la mort à son prochain, celui qui lui ôte sa subsistance ; il verse le sang, celui qui prive le mercenaire de son salaire.

23L’un bâtit et l’autre détruit : qu’en retirent-ils, sinon de la peine ?

24L’un prie et l’autre maudit : duquel le Maître écoutera-t-il la voix ?

25Celui qui se lave après le contact d’un mort et qui le touche encore, que gagne-t-il à s’être lavé ?

26Ainsi en est-il de l’homme qui jeûne pour ses péchés, s’il va les commettre encore : qui entendra sa prière, et que lui servira son humiliation.

1[Vana spes et mendacium viro insensato: et somnia extollunt imprudentes.

2Quasi qui apprehendit umbram et persequitur ventum, sic et qui attendit ad visa mendacia.

3Hoc secundum hoc visio somniorum, ante faciem hominis similitudo hominis.

4Ab immundo, quid mundabitur? et a mendace, quid verum dicetur?

5Divinatio erroris, et auguria mendacia, et somnia malefacientium, vanitas est:

6et sicut parturientis, cor tuum phantasias patitur. Nisi ab Altissimo fuerit emissa visitatio, ne dederis in illis cor tuum:

7multos enim errare fecerunt somnia, et exciderunt sperantes in illis.

8Sine mendacio consummabitur verbum legis, et sapientia in ore fidelis complanabitur.]

9[Qui non est tentatus quid scit? vir in multis expertus cogitabit multa: et qui multa didicit enarrabit intellectum.

10Qui non est expertus pauca recognoscit: qui autem in multis factus est, multiplicat malitiam.

11Qui tentatus non est qualia scit? qui implanatus est abundabit nequitia.

12Multa vidi errando, et plurimas verborum consuetudines.

13Aliquoties usque ad mortem periclitatus sum horum causa, et liberatus sum gratia Dei.]

14[Spiritus timentium Deum quæritur, et in respectu illius benedicetur.

15Spes enim illorum in salvantem illos, et oculi Dei in diligentes se.

16Qui timet Dominum nihil trepidabit: et non pavebit, quoniam ipse est spes ejus.

17Timentis Dominum, beata est anima ejus.

18Ad quem respicit, et quis est fortitudo ejus?

19Oculi Domini super timentes eum: protector potentiæ, firmamentum virtutis, tegimen ardoris, et umbraculum meridiani:

20deprecatio offensionis, et adjutorium casus: exaltans animam, et illuminans oculos, dans sanitatem, et vitam, et benedictionem.]

21[Immolantis ex iniquo oblatio est maculata, et non sunt beneplacitæ subsannationes injustorum.

22Dominus solus sustinentibus se in via veritatis et justitiæ.

23Dona iniquorum non probat Altissimus, nec respicit in oblationes iniquorum, nec in multitudine sacrificiorum eorum propitiabitur peccatis.

24Qui offert sacrificium ex substantia pauperum, quasi qui victimat filium in conspectu patris sui.

25Panis egentium vita pauperum est: qui defraudat illum homo sanguinis est.

26Qui aufert in sudore panem, quasi qui occidit proximum suum.

27Qui effundit sanguinem, et qui fraudem facit mercenario, fratres sunt.

28Unus ædificans, et unus destruens: quid prodest illis, nisi labor?

29Unus orans, et unus maledicens: cujus vocem exaudiet Deus?

30Qui baptizatur a mortuo, et iterum tangit eum, quid proficit lavatio illius?

31Sic homo qui jejunat in peccatis suis, et iterum eadem faciens: quid proficit humiliando se? orationem illius quis exaudiet?]

1The hopes of a man that is void of understanding are vain and deceitful: and dreams lift up fools.

2The man that giveth heed to lying visions, is like to him that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the wind.

3The vision of dreams is the resemblance of one thing to another: as when a man’s likeness is before the face of a man.

4What can be made clean by the unclean? and what truth can come from that which is false?

5Deceitful divinations and lying omens and the dreams of evildoers, are vanity:

6And the heart fancieth as that of a woman in travail: except it be a vision sent forth from the most High, set no thy heart upon them.

7For dreams have deceived many, and they have failed that put their trust in them.

8The word of the law shall be fulfilled without a lie, and wisdom shall be made plain in the mouth of the faithful.

9What doth he know, that hath not been tried? A man that hath much experience, shall think of many things: and he that hath learned many things, shall shew forth understanding.

10He that hath no experience, knoweth little: and he that hath been experienced in many things, multiplieth prudence.

11He that hath not been tried, what manner of things doth he know? he that hath been surprised, shall abound with subtlety.

12I have seen many things by travelling, and many customs of things.

13Sometimes I have been in danger of death for these things, and I have been delivered by the grace of God.

14The spirit of those that fear God; is sought after, and by his regard shall be blessed.

15For their hope is on him that saveth them, and the eyes of God are upon them that love him.

16He that feareth the Lord shall tremble at nothing, and shall not be afraid for he is his hope.

17The soul of him that feareth the Lord is blessed.

18To whom doth he look, and who in his strength?

19The eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him, he is their powerful protector, and strong stay, a defence from the heat, and a cover from the sun at noon,

20A preservation from stumbling, and a help from falling; he raiseth up the soul, and enlighteneth the eyes, and giveth health, and life, and blessing.

21The offering of him that sacrificeth of a thing wrongfully gotten, is stained, and the mockeries of the unjust are not acceptable.

22The Lord is only for them that wait upon him in the way of truth and justice.

23The most High approveth not the gifts of the wicked: neither hath he respect to the oblations of the unjust, nor will he be pacified for sins by the multitude of their sacrifices.

24He that offereth sacrifice of the goods of the poor, is as one that sacrificeth the son in the presence of his father.

25The bread of the needy, is the life of the poor: he that defraudeth them thereof, is a man of blood.

26He that taketh away the bread gotten by sweat, is like him that killeth his neighbour.

27He that sheddeth blood, and he that defraudeth the labourer of his hire, are brothers.

28When one buildeth up, and another pulleth down: what profit have they but the labour?

29When one prayeth, and another curseth: whose voice will God hear?

30He that washeth himself after touching the dead, if he toucheth him again, what doth his washing avail?

31So a man that fasteth for his sins, and doth the same again, what doth his humbling himself profit him? who will hear his prayer?