Ben Sira 27:1-9

1 Many people have sinned while looking for a profit; if you want to be rich you have to keep blinders on your eyes.

2 It is hard to remove a peg that is stuck between two stones of a house, and it is just as hard to remove dishonesty from buying and selling.

3 Unless you are determined in your fear of the Lord, your house is going to come down on you.

4 Your talk shows your faults; it is like a sieve that separates out the rubbish.

5 The way you think shows your character just as surely as a kiln shows any flaws in the pottery being fired.

6 You can tell how well a tree has been cared for by the fruit it bears, and you can tell a person's feelings by the way he expresses himself. ¹

7 Never praise anyone before you hear him talk; that is the real test.

8 If you try to be honest, you can be, and it will improve your character as handsome clothing improves your appearance.

9 Birds come to roost with those of their own kind, and the habit of honesty comes to those who try to be honest.

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