Ben Sira 28:1-10

1 The Lord is taking note of your sins, and if you take vengeance on someone, the Lord will take vengeance on you.
2 But if you forgive someone who has wronged you, your sins will be forgiven when you pray. 1
3 You cannot expect the Lord to pardon you while you are holding a grudge against someone else.
4 You yourself are a sinner, and if you won't forgive another person, you have no right to pray that the Lord will forgive your sins.
5 If you cannot get rid of your anger, you have no hope of forgiveness - you are only a human being.
6 Think about it! Some day you will die, and your body will decay. So give up hate and live by the Lord's commands,
7 the commands in the covenant of the Most High. Instead of getting upset over your neighbor's faults, overlook them.
8 If you stay out of arguments, you will not sin so much, because a hot temper gets them started.
9 It is sinful to break up a friendship by creating hostility among people who get along well together.
10 The more fuel, the hotter the fire. The more stubbornness, the hotter the argument. And the stronger or richer people are, the angrier they can afford to become.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 28.2Matthew 6.14;Mark 11.25.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.