章节研读
Sirach 27 — Speech, Sin, and Consequences
Sirach 27 uses vivid images to teach that speech and small choices disclose a person's inner state and bring predictable consequences.
经文
- 1.有许多人为了一点小利就犯了罪，凡是想要发财的人都闭着眼睛。Many have committed sin for a trifle, and whoever seeks to get rich will avert his eyes.
- 2.就像桩子牢固地插入石头之间的裂缝一样，罪恶就这样卡在买卖之间。As a stake is driven firmly into a fissure between stones, so sin is wedged in between selling and buying.
- 3.如果一个人不坚定而热心地敬畏上帝，他的家就会很快被倾覆。If a man is not steadfast and zealous in the fear of the Lord, his house will be quickly overthrown.
- 4.生命中的试炼 当筛子被摇动时，渣滓仍留在里面；同样，人的污秽仍留在他的思想中。Tests in Life When a sieve is shaken, the refuse remains; so a man’s filth remains in his thoughts.
- 5.窑炉试验陶工的器皿，人的试验在于他的思维。The kiln tests the potter’s vessels; so the test of a man is in his reasoning.
- 6.果实揭示了树的修养，一个人的思想表达同样揭示了他心灵的修养。The fruit discloses the cultivation of a tree; so the expression of a thought discloses the cultivation of a man’s mind.
- 7.不要在听他讲道理之前就夸赞某人，因为这是考验一个人的方法。Do not praise a man before you hear him reason, for this is the test of men.
- 8.报应 如果你追求公义，你就会达到它，并且穿上它作为荣耀的长袍Reward and Retribution If you pursue justice, you will attain it and wear it as a glorious robe.
- 9.鸟以群分，真理归于践行之人。Birds flock with their kind; so truth returns to those who practice it.
- 10.狮子潜伏等待猎物，罪恶也潜伏等待作恶的人。A lion lies in wait for prey; so does sin for the workers of iniquity.
- 11.义人的言语常有智慧，愚人的心却变换如月。Varieties of Speech The talk of the godly man is always wise, but the fool changes like the moon.
- 12.在愚蠢的人中寻找离开的机会，但在深思熟虑的人中停留。Among stupid people watch for a chance to leave, but among thoughtful people stay on.
- 13.愚昧人的言语是悖谬的，他们的笑声是放荡的罪恶。The talk of fools is offensive, and their laughter is wantonly sinful.
- 14.那些常常说谎骂人的人的谈话使人毛骨悚然，他们的争论使人堵住耳朵。The talk of men given to swearing makes one’s hair stand on end, and their quarrels make a man stop his ears.
- 15.骄傲人的争竞导致流血，他们的辱骂令人痛听。The strife of the proud leads to bloodshed, and their abuse is grievous to hear.
- 16.泄露秘密的人会破坏信任，他永远也找不到一个真正的朋友。Betraying Secrets Whoever betrays secrets destroys confidence, and he will never find a congenial friend.
- 17.要爱你的朋友并且对他保持忠诚，但如果你泄露了他的秘密，就不要再去追求他。Love your friend and keep faith with him; but if you betray his secrets, do not run after him.
- 18.因为人要毁灭他的敌人，你却毁灭了你邻居的友谊。For as a man destroys his enemy, so you have destroyed the friendship of your neighbor.
- 19.当你放开手让鸟飞去的时候，你也这样让你的邻居自由离去，不再抓住他。And as you allow a bird to escape from your hand, so you have let your neighbor go, and will not catch him again.
- 20.不要追赶他，因为他已经走得很远，而且像羚羊从网中逃脱一样逃跑了。Do not go after him, for he is too far off, and has escaped like a gazelle from a snare.
- 21.伤口可以用绷带包扎，虐待后可以得到调解，但泄露秘密的人却是没有希望的。For a wound may be bandaged, and there is reconciliation after abuse, but whoever has betrayed secrets is without hope.
- 22.虚伪和报应 谁眨眼谋划恶事，没有人能阻止他。Hypocrisy and Retribution Whoever winks his eye plans evil deeds, and no one can keep him from them.
- 23.在你面前，他的口才是全部的甜蜜，他也赞赏你的言语，但后来他会扭曲他的言语，并用你的言语来冒犯你。In your presence his mouth is all sweetness, and he admires your words; but later he will twist his speech and with your own words he will give offense.
- 24.我曾经恨过很多事情，但没有一样能与他相比，即使是上帝也会憎恨他。I have hated many things, but none to be compared to him; even the Lord will hate him.
- 25.无论谁将石头直直地向上抛去，石头必落在他的头上；背叛的打击也会使人受伤。Whoever throws a stone straight up throws it on his own head; and a treacherous blow opens up wounds.
- 26.挖坑的人必会掉在坑里，设网的人必被网缠住。He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who sets a snare will be caught in it.
- 27.如果有人作恶，恶果必然会归于他，却不知道灾祸从哪里来。If a man does evil, it will roll back upon him, and he will not know where it came from.
- 28.傲慢的人口出讥笑和辱骂，但报应像狮子一般在等待着他。Mockery and abuse issue from the proud man, but vengeance lies in wait for him like a lion.
- 29.那些因义人跌倒而欢喜的人必被网罗缠住，痛苦必在他们死之前将他们吞噬。Those who rejoice in the fall of the godly will be caught in a snare, and pain will consume them before their death.
- 30.愤怒和报复的愤怒和忿怒，也都是可憎的，罪人将拥有它们。Anger and Vengeance Anger and wrath, these also are abominations, and the sinful man will possess them.
这段经文的意思
The chapter opens with a warning that seemingly insignificant choices have lasting consequences. Sin is compared to a stake wedged between stones, fixed and hard to remove, particularly in the routine context of buying and selling (vv. 1–2). Without steadfastness in the fear of the Lord, even a household is said to collapse (v. 3). The point is that moral stability, not wealth or cleverness, is what sustains a life.
A series of testing images follows: a sieve separates refuse, a kiln tests pottery, and fruit reveals the tree's cultivation (vv. 4–6). Sirach applies these to human beings — a person's reasoning, conversation, and thought disclose the state of the mind. The principle is stated directly: do not praise a man before you hear him speak, because talk is the test of character (v. 7). Speech is then developed further: the godly speak wisely, but the fool is fickle as the moon (v. 11), the talk of fools is offensive and their laughter wanton sin (v. 13), and the speech of habitual swearers provokes revulsion (v. 14).
The final movement addresses betrayal and hypocrisy. Whoever reveals secrets destroys trust and cannot regain a true friend (vv. 16–21), and the flatterer who winks while plotting evil is singled out as hated by both the speaker and, ultimately, the Lord (vv. 22–24). The chapter closes with a cluster of retributive sayings: those who set traps fall into them, evil rolls back on its doer, and pride invites vengeance (vv. 25–30). The unifying claim is that words and deeds come back on the speaker and doer in kind.
背景
Sirach (also called Ecclesiasticus) is a book of wisdom instructions, and chapter 27 sits within its long middle section devoted to moral exhortation. The supplied headings within the chapter — Tests in Life, Varieties of Speech, Betraying Secrets, Hypocrisy and Retribution, Anger and Vengeance — show how the author groups sayings by theme. The chapter does not narrate events; instead it strings together proverbs, similes, and short essays that move from topic to topic.
The curated note indicates this chapter was added from material outside the original priority set. No cross references or original-language word studies are provided for this passage, so any deeper link to specific Hebrew or Greek terms cannot be made from the supplied material.
常见问题
What is the main theme of Sirach 27?
The chapter unites two themes: speech and small choices reveal character, and wrongdoing — especially betrayal and deceit — rebounds on the one who does it. Testing images and retributive sayings frame both ideas.
Why does Sirach compare sin to a stake wedged between stones?
The stake image is given in the context of buying and selling. It portrays sin as something that, once introduced into an ordinary transaction, becomes tightly fixed and difficult to remove — making small everyday dealings a genuine moral test.
Does Sirach 27 teach that every wrong is punished in this life?
The chapter repeatedly asserts that evil tends to recoil on the wrongdoer — traps catch their setters, secrets betrayers lose friends, and pride invites downfall. It presents these as reliable moral patterns rather than guarantees in every individual case.