DeaconSincere repentance

Sirach — Chapter 5 — Hebrew–Greek comparison

Do Not Presume on Mercy

Saints Translation · V2 · Hebrew–Greek working comparison

Sirach 5 · 15 source units
Hebrew–English · Literal-Smooth	Greek–English · Literal-Smooth	Classification & Notes
Hebrew 5:1 · translated Do not rely on your wealth, and do not say, “It is within my power.” Do not rely on your strength to follow your soul's desire. Hebrew witness A · I verso אל תשען על חילך ואל תאמר יש לאל ידי· אל תשען על כוחך ללכת אחר תאות נפשך׃ Manuscript transcription	5:1 Do not rely on your possessions, and do not say, “They are sufficient for me.”	Different · Hebrew 5:1 — A adds the strength and desire clause here.
Hebrew 5:2 · translated Do not follow your heart and your eyes, walking in evil desires. Hebrew witness A · I verso אל תלך אחרי לבך ועיניך ללכת בחמודות רעה׃ Manuscript transcription	5:2 Do not follow your soul and your strength in walking according to the desires of your heart.	Similar · Hebrew 5:2 — Hebrew eyes contrasts with Greek strength.
Hebrew 5:3 · translated Do not say, “Who can match his power?” For YHWH seeks out the persecuted. Hebrew witness A · I verso אל תאמר מי יוכל כחו כי ייי מבקש נרדפים׃ Manuscript transcription	5:3 Do not say, “Who will have power over me?” For the Lord will certainly exact retribution.	Different · Hebrew 5:3 — Hebrew concern for the persecuted differs from Greek exacting retribution; pronoun remains difficult. Inherited Greek note 5:3 The emphatic repeated retribution verb is represented by certainly.
Hebrew 5:4 · translated Do not say, “I sinned, and what can He do to me?” For God is slow to anger. Do not say, “YHWH is merciful and will wipe out all my iniquities.” Hebrew witness A · I verso אל תאמר חטאתי ומה יעשה לי מאומה כי אל ארך אפים הוא׃ אל תאמר רחום ייי וכל עונותי ימחה׃ Manuscript transcription	5:4 Do not say, “I sinned, and what happened to me?” For the Lord is patient.	Different · Hebrew 5:4 — A adds the mercy saying, anticipating 5:6.
Hebrew 5:5 · translated Do not rely on forgiveness so as to add iniquity to iniquity. Hebrew witness A · I verso אל סליחה אל תבטח להוסיף עון על עון׃ Manuscript transcription	5:5 Do not become fearless about atonement, adding sin upon sins.	Same · Hebrew 5:5 — The principal sense corresponds to the inherited Greek-English rendering. Inherited Greek note 5:5 The warning concerns presuming on forgiveness, without deleting the source’s atonement term.
Hebrew 5:6 · translated And you say, “His mercies are many; He will forgive my many iniquities.” For mercy and anger are with Him, and His wrath rests upon the wicked. Hebrew witness A · I verso ואמרת רחמיו רבים לרוב עונותי יסלח׃ כי רחמים ואף עמו ואל רשעים ינוח רגזו׃ Manuscript transcription	5:6 Do not say, “His compassion is great; He will atone for the multitude of my sins.” For mercy and wrath are with Him, and His anger will settle upon sinners.	Similar · Hebrew 5:6 — Hebrew opens with a statement; the Greek prohibition is not inserted.
Hebrew 5:7 · translated Do not delay returning to Him, and do not put it off from day to day; for His wrath comes out suddenly, and on the day of vengeance you will perish. Hebrew witness A · I verso אל תאחר לשוב אליו ואל תתעבר מיום אל יום׃ כי פתאום יצא זעמו וביום נקם תספה׃ Manuscript transcription	5:7 Do not delay turning to the Lord, and do not put it off from day to day. For the Lord’s wrath will go out suddenly, and at the time of retribution you will perish.	Same · Hebrew 5:7 — The principal sense corresponds to the inherited Greek-English rendering.
Hebrew 5:8 · translated Do not trust in false possessions, for they will not help on the day of wrath. Hebrew witness A · I verso אל תבטח על נכסי שקר כי לא יועילו ביום עברה׃ Manuscript transcription	5:8 Do not rely on unjust possessions, for they will be of no benefit to you on the day of calamity.	Similar · Hebrew 5:8 — The principal sense corresponds to the inherited Greek-English rendering.
Hebrew 5:9 · translated Do not winnow in every wind or turn along a torrent's course. Hebrew witness A · I verso אל תהיה זורה לכל רוח ופונה דרך שבולת׃ Manuscript transcription	5:9 Do not winnow in every wind or walk on every path; that is how the double-tongued sinner acts.	Different · Hebrew 5:9 — The Hebrew path phrase is difficult; Greek every path and the double-tongued sinner are fuller. C II verso reads ואל תלך לכל שביל, “do not walk on every path,” agreeing with Greek; https://bensira.org/transcriptions/C/C_II_Verso.pdf. Inherited Greek note 5:9 The agricultural image and double tongue are retained.
Hebrew 5:10 · translated Be firm in your understanding, and let your word come afterward. Hebrew witness A · I verso; II recto היה סמוך ^ע^ל דעתך ואחר יהי דברך׃ Manuscript transcription Additional folio transcriptions: 2	5:10 Be firm in your understanding, and let your word be one.	Different · Hebrew 5:10 — A reads אחר, afterward/another, rather than Greek one; no silent correction to אחד. Inherited Greek note 5:10 The concise unity-of-speech image is not expanded into an unprinted oath.
Hebrew 5:11 · translated Be quick to listen, and answer a matter with patience. Hebrew witness A · II recto היה ממהר להאזין ובארך רוח השב פתגם׃ Manuscript transcription	5:11 Be quick in listening, and give your answer with patience.	Same · Hebrew 5:11 — The principal sense corresponds to the inherited Greek-English rendering.
Hebrew 5:12 · translated If you have something to say, answer your neighbor; if not, put your hand over your mouth. Hebrew witness A · II recto אם יש אתך ענה רעך ואם אין ידך על פיך׃ Manuscript transcription	5:12 If you have understanding, answer your neighbor; if not, let your hand be over your mouth.	Same · Hebrew 5:12 — The principal sense corresponds to the inherited Greek-English rendering.
Hebrew 5:13 · translated Honor and disgrace are in the speaker's hand, and a person's tongue is his downfall. Hebrew witness A · II recto כבוד וקלון ביוד בוטא ולשון אדם מפלתו׃ Manuscript transcription	5:13 Glory and dishonor are in speech, and a person’s tongue can bring about his fall.	Similar · Hebrew 5:13 — The spelling ביוד is irregular; hand is provisional.
Hebrew 5:14 · translated Do not be called double-tongued, and do not slander with your tongue; for shame was created for a thief, and disgrace is the companion of the double-tongued. Hebrew witness A · II recto אל תקרא בעל שתים ובלשונך אל תרגל רע׃ כי על גנב נבראה בשת חרפה רעהו בעל שתים׃ Manuscript transcription	5:14 Do not be called a whisperer, and do not set an ambush with your tongue. For shame rests upon a thief, and harsh condemnation upon someone double-tongued.	Similar · Hebrew 5:14 — The final clause is syntactically compressed. Inherited Greek note 5:14 Whisperer is retained in the sense of a covert slanderer; the two comparisons remain explicit.
Hebrew 5:15 · fragmentary In small and great matters do not act corruptly. Hebrew witness A · II recto מעט והרבה אל תשחת Manuscript transcription Hebrew 6:1 · fragmentary Do not become an enemy in place of a friend. A bad name and disgrace will leave you reproach; so it is with an evil, double-tongued person. Hebrew witness A · II recto ותחת אוהב אל תהי שונא ]] [[ שם רע וקלון תוריש חרפה כן איש רע בעל שתים׃ Manuscript transcription	5:15 In great and small matters do not act ignorantly, and do not become an enemy in place of a friend. For a bad name will inherit shame and reproach; that is how it is with the double-tongued sinner.	Similar · Hebrew 5:15 — Hebrew 5:15 corresponds only to the first clause of inherited Greek 5:15. Classification assesses only surviving/readable wording, not lost portions. Similar · Hebrew 6:1 — Hebrew 6:1 corresponds to the latter part of inherited Greek 5:15, not a missing Greek verse. Classification assesses only surviving/readable wording, not lost portions. Inherited Greek note 5:15 This entire paragraph is printed under source 5:15, including material commonly assigned to 6:1. The publisher’s next chapter begins at 6:2; this boundary difference is not a translation omission.

Source and numbering

Hebrew English is newly translated from the manuscript-specific transcriptions in The Book of Ben Sira portal. Each translated unit identifies its selected witness and folio. This is a selected-witness working edition, not an exhaustive collation of every manuscript or a reconstruction of lost Hebrew. Brackets and fragmentary status identify uncertainty; no Greek text has been back-translated to fill Hebrew gaps.

The Greek-source English and its notes are inherited from the existing Sirach edition. The comparison categories are provisional editorial assessments against that English; this update is not a fresh verification of every Greek reading or its apparatus.

Working translation preserved from the recovered manuscript of 8 September 2026. Declared source: Septuaginta, Rahlfs–Hanhart, 2006, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, publisher’s Greek main text. Independent linguistic and critical-apparatus review remains outstanding. Source-access and reception claims in the inherited notes have not been freshly revalidated. Chapter and section headings are editorial.

The translator’s prologue is separate from the 51 chapters. Its eight source units map to publisher labels 1, 1a–1g; main-text 1:1 maps to 1h. Source 5:15 includes material often numbered 6:1, so chapter 6 begins at 6:2. Source label gaps are preserved; no text is invented.