Ben Sira 10:1-10

1 A wise ruler will educate his people, and his government will be orderly.

2 All the officials and all the citizens will be like their ruler.

3 An uneducated king will ruin his people, but a government will grow strong if its rulers are wise.

4 The Lord sees to the government of the world and brings the right person to power at the right time.

5 The success of that person is in the Lord's hands. The Lord is the source of the honor given to any official.

6 Don't be angry with someone for every little thing he does wrong. Don't do anything out of injured pride.

7 Arrogance and injustice are hated by both the Lord and people.

8 Injustice, arrogance, and wealth cause nations to fall from power, and others then rise to take their place.

9 We are only dust and ashes; what have we got to be proud of? Our body decays even while we are alive.

10 A long illness puzzles the doctor. Even a king may be alive today and dead tomorrow.

Footnotes

• [a]. Our body . . . alive; [this sentence in both Greek and Hebrew is unclear.]
• [b]. A long . . . doctor; [this sentence in both Greek and Hebrew is unclear.]