Sirach – Chapter 23

Old Testament38 Verses

Chapter Summary

Chapter 23 of Sirach begins: "O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them." Jacob stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 38 verses, two threads run through the text: sin and divine judgment and family and covenant relationships. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them.

2Who 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:

3Lest my ignorances increase, and my offences be multiplied, and my sins abound, and I fall before my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over me?

4O Lord, father, and God of my life, leave me not to their devices.

5Give me not haughtiness of my eyes, and turn away from me all coveting.

6Take 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.

7Hear, 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.

8A sinner is caught in his own vanity, and the proud and the evil speakers shall fall thereby.

9Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing: for in it there are many falls.

10And 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.

11For 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.

12A man that sweareth much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house.

13And if he make it void, his sin shall be upon him, and if he dissemble it, he offendeth double:

14And if he swear in vain, he shall not be justified: for his house shall be filled with his punishment.

15There is also another speech opposite to death, let it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob.

16For from the merciful all these things shall be taken away, and they shall not wallow in sins.

17Let not thy mouth be accustomed to indiscreet speech: for therein is the word of sin.

18Remember thy father and thy mother, for thou sittest in the midst of great men:

19Lest 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.

20The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words, will never be corrected all the days of his life.

21Two sorts of men multiply sins, and the third bringeth wrath and destruction.

22A hot soul is a burning fire, it will never be quenched, till it devour some thing.

23And a man that is wicked in the mouth of his flesh, will not leave off till he hath kindled a fire.

24To a man that is a fornicator all bread is sweet, he will not be weary of sinning unto the end.

25Every man that passeth beyond his own bed, despising his own soul, and saying: Who seeth me?

26Darkness 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.

27And he understandeth not that his eye seeth all things, for such a man's fear driveth him from the fear of God, and the eyes of men fearing him:

28And 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.

29For all things were known to the Lord God, before they were created: so also after they were perfected he beholdeth all things.

30This 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.

31And he shall be in disgrace with all men, because he understood not the fear of the Lord.

32So every woman also that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another:

33For 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.

34This woman shall be brought into the assembly, and inquisition shall be made of her children.

35Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit.

36She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her infamy shall not be blotted out.

37And 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.

38It is great glory to follow the Lord: for length of days shall be received from him.

Important Verses in Sirach 23

O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them.

Sirach 23:1

O Lord, father, and God of my life, leave me not to their devices.

Sirach 23:4

For all things were known to the Lord God, before they were created: so also after they were perfected he beholdeth all things.

Sirach 23:29

It is great glory to follow the Lord: for length of days shall be received from him.

Sirach 23:38

Historical Context

As a Old Testament book, Sirach was written with students of wisdom seeking to live the Law with practical prudence in view. Chapter 23 of 51 stands in the central portion of the book, where decisive events or teachings take shape. It is a wisdom instruction on how to live before God in ordinary circumstances with 38 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter focuses on Jacob, whose actions and words drive the passage forward. It opens with the line: "O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them." The chapter ends with: "It is great glory to follow the Lord: for length of days shall be received from him. " Read against its original backdrop, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) is the longest wisdom book of the Bible, written by a Jerusalem sage who ran a school for young men. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of Sirach around About 180 BC in Hebrew; Greek translation about 132 BC.

Who Wrote It

Jesus ben Sira of Jerusalem; translated into Greek by his grandson

When It Was Written

About 180 BC in Hebrew; Greek translation about 132 BC

Catholic Commentary

This chapter offers practical instruction on how to live wisely before God in daily life. A pivotal line is verse 1: "O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them." The passage repeatedly touches on sin and divine judgment.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 854). Here, this deuterocanonical book provides guidance for daily life (CIC 1806). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize sin and divine judgment as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

The moral and spiritual import remains timely: Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.. St. Jerome insisted that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ; this chapter offers material for meditation, examination of conscience, and deeper love of God.

Main Teachings

  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Suffering, united to Christ, becomes a path of purification and deeper trust in God.

People in This Chapter

Jacob1 mention

Reflection for Today

In Sirach Chapter 23, the Church invites us to listen attentively to God's Word within the broader narrative of practical wisdom and fear of the Lord.

The Second Vatican Council reminded the faithful that Scripture should permeate Catholic spirituality (Dei Verbum, 21-26). Sirach Chapter 23 supports that call by drawing attention to trust in providence amid uncertainty within the wider message that All wisdom comes from the Lord.

As you continue through Sirach, carry this chapter's lesson into your family, parish, and work. Catholic faith is always ecclesial—God speaks to us as members of Christ's Body, not as isolated individuals.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sirach Chapter 23 about?

Sirach 23 contains 38 verses. It opens with "O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them." and closes with "It is great glory to follow the Lord: for length of days shall be received from him. ". The book as a whole is wisdom instruction (deuterocanonical).

What is a key verse in Sirach 23?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Sirach Chapter 23?

This chapter mentions Jacob.

Who wrote Sirach and when?

Jesus ben Sira of Jerusalem; translated into Greek by his grandson. About 180 BC in Hebrew; Greek translation about 132 BC.

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