1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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Sirach 23:1 O Lord Father, and Sovereign Ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them.

By them. Viz., the tongue and the lips, mentioned in the last verse of the foregoing chapter. (Challoner) --- We cannot resist of ourselves, and must therefore pray to God. (Worthington) --- We have need of a good master to correct our eagerness in speaking. (Calmet)
Sirach 23:2 Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over my heart, that they spare me not in their ignorances, and that their sins may not appear:

Ignorances, etc. That is, that the scourges and discipline of wisdom may restrain the ignorances, that is, the slips and offences which are usually committed by the tongue and the lips. (Challoner) --- The tongue is a restless evil, James 3:8.
Sirach 23:3 Lest my ignorance increase, and my offences be multiplied, and my sins abound, and I fall before my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over me?

Over me. The noblest motives are not always proposed first.
Sirach 23:4 O Lord Father, and God of my life, leave me not to their devices.
Sirach 23:5 Give me not haughtiness of my eyes, and turn away from me all coveting.

Eyes. God never makes such presents, but he permits us to fall in punishment of former transgressions. (Calmet) --- Coveting. Greek, "from thy servants all giant-like affection. Vain hopes and desires remove from me; and thou shalt possess him who wishes to serve thee without ceasing." (Grabe) (Haydock)
Sirach 23:6 Take from me the greediness of the belly, and let not the lusts of the flesh take hold of me, and give me not over to a shameless and foolish mind.

Foolish, (infrunitae) is used in this sense by Seneca. (Calmet) --- Greek has not this epithet. The title, "instruction of the mouth," follows, (Haydock) to ver. 20. (Calmet)
Sirach 23:7 Hear, O ye children, the discipline of the mouth: and he that will keep it, shall not perish by his lips, nor be brought to fall into most wicked works.
Sirach 23:8 A sinner is caught in his own vanity, and the proud and the evil speakers shall fall thereby.
Sirach 23:9 *Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing: for in it there are many falls.

Exodus 20:7.; Matthew 5:33.
Sirach 23:10 And let not the naming of God be usual in thy mouth, and meddle not with the names of saints, for thou shalt not escape free from them.

Them. Alexandrian Greek has only (9.) "swearing, (10.) and have not a custom of naming the Most High." Other editions have "the holy one." (Haydock) --- Rash and false oaths are forbidden, Jeremias 4., and Matthew 5. (Worthington)
Sirach 23:11 For as a slave daily put to the question, is never without a blue mark: so every one that sweareth, and nameth, shall not be wholly pure from sin.

Sin. "No swearing is secure." (St. Augustine) --- Slaves were forced to confess the truth by torments; free-men took an oath; and priests gave their word. (Plut.[Plutarch?] Prob.)
Sirach 23:12 A man that sweareth much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house.
Sirach 23:13 And if he make it void, his sin shall be upon him: and if he dissemble it, he offendeth double:

Dissemble. Greek, "despise." He will be punished, at least, by God. (Calmet)
Sirach 23:14 And if he swear in vain, he shall not be justified: for his house shall be filled with his punishment.

In vain. Without a design to execute, (Grotius) or through levity, or rather falsely, Exodus 23:1., and Deuteronomy 5:11.
Sirach 23:15 There is also another speech opposite to death, let it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob.

Opposite. Or equal. Greek, "clothed with death." He denotes blasphemy, (Leviticus 24:14.) or the invitation to idolatry, (Deuteronomy 13:1.) or calumny, ver. 17., and Leviticus 19:12. (Calmet) --- In oaths God is called to witness, as being unable to deceive. But blasphemy attributes to him or to others what does not belong to them. (Worthington)
Sirach 23:16 For from the merciful all these things shall be taken away, and they shall not wallow in sins.

Merciful. Or true believers, Assideans, 1 Machabees 2:42.
Sirach 23:17 Let not thy mouth be accustomed to indiscreet speech: for therein is the word of sin.

Of sin. A Hebrew idiom, to imply something criminal. Those who have laid aside shame, are capable of any wickedness.
Sirach 23:18 Remember thy father and thy mother, for thou sittest is the midst of great men;

Men. Treat thy parents with no less regard, (Calmet) even though thou shouldst be exalted in dignity. (Lyr.[Lyranus?]) ---Thus thou wilt be rewarded, (Calmet) of if thou transgress, wilt be brought to judgment. (Bossuet) --- Greek, "thou shalt sit," etc. (Haydock)
Sirach 23:19 Lest God forget thee in their sight, and thou, by thy daily custom, be infatuated and suffer reproach: and wish that thou hadst not been born, and curse the day of thy nativity.

Nativity. Wish not that thou hadst not been born of such parents. (Grotius)
Sirach 23:20 *The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words, will never be corrected all the days of his life.

2 Kings 16:7. 		Life. For who will admonish him?
Sirach 23:21 Two sorts of men multiply sins, and the third bringeth wrath and destruction.

Two. The first is a passionate man, (ver. 22.) the second a libertine, (ver. 23.) and the third an adulterer, ver. 25. (Calmet)
Sirach 23:22 A hot soul is a burning fire, it will never be quenched, till it devour something.

Hot. With any furious passion, (Vatable) or anger, (Calmet) avarice, (Worthington) or lust. (Menochius)
Sirach 23:23 And a man that is wicked in the mouth of his flesh, will not leave off till he hath kindled a fire.

Mouth. Greek, "body." --- Fire. Shameful diseases will come upon him, Ecclesiasticus 19:3. His brutal passion will never be satiated. (Calmet)
Sirach 23:24 To a man that is a fornicator, all bread is sweet; he will not be weary of sinning unto the end.

Sweet. He is not delicate in his choice. (Haydock) --- All obstacles increase his irregular desires, Proverbs 9:17. (Calmet)
Sirach 23:25 Every man that passeth beyond his own bed, despising his own soul, and saying: *Who seeth me?

Isaias 29:15.
Sirach 23:26 Darkness compasseth me about, and the walls cover me, and no man seeth me: whom do I fear? the Most High will not remember my sins.
Sirach 23:27 And he understandeth not that his eye seeth all things, for such a man's fear driveth from him the fear of God, and the eyes of men fearing him:

And. Greek, "the eyes of men are his dread." (Haydock) --- Such is the folly of the adulterer!
Sirach 23:28 And he knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, beholding round about all the ways of men, and the bottom of the deep, and looking into the hearts of men, into the most hidden parts.
Sirach 23:29 For all things were known to the Lord God before they were created: so also, after they were perfected, he beholdeth all things.
Sirach 23:30 This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and he shall be chased as a colt: and where he suspected not, he shall be taken.

And he. Greek, "and where," etc. He shall be stoned, Leviticus 20:10. (Calmet) --- Taken. Greek subjoins (ver. 32.) "so," etc. (Haydock) --- If carnal adultery be thus punished, how much more will spiritual adultery, schism, and apostacy from the Catholic religion? (Worthington)
Sirach 23:31 And he shall be in disgrace with all men, because he understood not the fear of the Lord.
Sirach 23:32 *So every woman also that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another:

Leviticus 20:10.; Deuteronomy 22:21.
Sirach 23:33 For first she hath been unfaithful to the law of the Most High: and secondly, she hath offended against her husband: thirdly, she hath fornicated in adultery, and hath gotten her children of another man.
Sirach 23:34 This woman shall be brought into the assembly, and inquisition shall be made of her children.
Sirach 23:35 Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit.
Sirach 23:36 She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her infamy shall not be blotted out.
Sirach 23:37 And they that remain shall know, that there is nothing better than the fear of God: and that there is nothing sweeter than to have regard to the commandments of the Lord.
Sirach 23:38 It is great glory to follow the Lord: for length of days shall be received from him.

Shall. Greek, "that thou shouldst be taken under his protection." (Haydock)