Apocrypha (Deuterocanonical books: Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, Maccabees, ...)

My son, according to thy ability do good to thyself, and give the Lord his due offering.

Remember that death will not be long in coming, and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee.

Do good unto thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give to him.

Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good desire overpass thee.

Shalt thou not leave thy travails unto another? and thy labours to be divided by lot?

Give, and take, and sanctify thy soul; for there is no seeking of dainties in the grave.

All flesh waxeth old as a garment: for the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shalt die the death.

As of the green leaves on a thick tree, some fall, and some grow; so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born.

Every work rotteth and consumeth away, and the worker thereof shall go withal.

Blessed is the man that doth meditate good things in wisdom, and that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding.

He that considereth her ways in his heart shall also have understanding in her secrets.

Go after her as one that traceth, and lie in wait in her ways.

He that prieth in at her windows shall also hearken at her doors.

He that doth lodge near her house shall also fasten a pin in her walls.

He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her, and shall lodge in a lodging where good things are.

He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches.

By her he shall be covered from heat, and in her glory shall he dwell.

He that feareth the Lord will do good, and he that hath the knowledge of the law shall obtain her.

And as a mother shall she meet him, and receive him as a wife married of a virgin.

With the bread of understanding shall she feed him, and give him the water of wisdom to drink.

He shall be stayed upon her, and shall not be moved; and shall rely upon her, and shall not be confounded.

She shall exalt him above his neighbours, and in the midst of the congregation shall she open his mouth.

He shall find joy and a crown of gladness, and she shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name.

But foolish men shall not attain unto her, and sinners shall not see her.

For she is far from pride, and men that are liars cannot remember her.

Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner, for it was not sent him of the Lord.

For praise shall be uttered in wisdom, and the Lord will prosper it.

Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away: for thou oughtest not to do the things that he hateth.

Say not thou, He hath caused me to err: for he hath no need of the sinful man.

The Lord hateth all abomination; and they that fear God love it not.

He himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel;

If thou wilt, to keep the commandments, and to perform acceptable faithfulness.

He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt.

Before man is life and death; and whether him liketh shall be given him.

For the wisdom of the Lord is great, and he is mighty in power, and beholdeth all things:

And his eyes are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth every work of man.

He hath commanded no man to do wickedly, neither hath he given any man licence to sin.

Desire not a multitude of unprofitable children, neither delight in ungodly sons.

Though they multiply, rejoice not in them, except the fear of the Lord be with them.

Trust not thou in their life, neither respect their multitude: for one that is just is better than a thousand; and better it is to die without children, than to have them that are ungodly.

For by one that hath understanding shall the city be replenished: but the kindred of the wicked shall speedily become desolate.

Many such things have I seen with mine eyes, and mine ear hath heard greater things than these.

In the congregation of the ungodly shall a fire be kindled; and in a rebellious nation wrath is set on fire.

He was not pacified toward the old giants, who fell away in the strength of their foolishness.

Neither spared he the place where Lot sojourned, but abhorred them for their pride.

He pitied not the people of perdition, who were taken away in their sins:

Nor the six hundred thousand footmen, who were gathered together in the hardness of their hearts.

And if there be one stiffnecked among the people, it is marvel if he escape unpunished: for mercy and wrath are with him; he is mighty to forgive, and to pour out displeasure.

As his mercy is great, so is his correction also: he judgeth a man according to his works.

The sinner shall not escape with his spoils: and the patience of the godly shall not be frustrate.

Make way for every work of mercy: for every man shall find according to his works.

The Lord hardened Pharaoh, that he should not know him, that his powerful works might be known to the world.

His mercy is manifest to every creature; and he hath separated his light from the darkness with an adamant.

Say not thou, I will hide myself from the Lord: shall any remember me from above? I shall not be remembered among so many people: for what is my soul among such an infinite number of creatures?

Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the deep, and the earth, and all that therein is, shall be moved when he shall visit.

The mountains also and foundations of the earth be shaken with trembling, when the Lord looketh upon them.

No heart can think upon these things worthily: and who is able to conceive his ways?

It is a tempest which no man can see: for the most part of his works are hid.

Who can declare the works of his justice? or who can endure them? for his covenant is afar off, and the trial of all things is in the end.

He that wanteth understanding will think upon vain things: and a foolish man erring imagineth follies.

My son, hearken unto me, and learn knowledge, and mark my words with thy heart.

I will shew forth doctrine in weight, and declare his knowledge exactly.

The works of the Lord are done in judgment from the beginning: and from the time he made them he disposed the parts thereof.

He garnished his works for ever, and in his hand are the chief of them unto all generations: they neither labour, nor are weary, nor cease from their works.

None of them hindereth another, and they shall never disobey his word.

After this the Lord looked upon the earth, and filled it with his blessings.

With all manner of living things hath he covered the face thereof; and they shall return into it again.

The Lord created man of the earth, and turned him into it again.

He gave them few days, and a short time, and power also over the things therein.

He endued them with strength by themselves, and made them according to his image,

And put the fear of man upon all flesh, and gave him dominion over beasts and fowls.

They received the use of the five operations of the Lord, and in the sixth place he imparted them understanding, and in the seventh speech, an interpreter of the cogitations thereof.

Counsel, and a tongue, and eyes, ears, and a heart, gave he them to understand.

Withal he filled them with the knowledge of understanding, and shewed them good and evil.

He set his eye upon their hearts, that he might shew them the greatness of his works.

He gave them to glory in his marvellous acts for ever, that they might declare his works with understanding.

And the elect shall praise his holy name.

Beside this he gave them knowledge, and the law of life for an heritage.

He made an everlasting covenant with them, and shewed them his judgments.

Their eyes saw the majesty of his glory, and their ears heard his glorious voice.

And he said unto them, Beware of all unrighteousness; and he gave every man commandment concerning his neighbour.

Their ways are ever before him, and shall not be hid from his eyes.

Every man from his youth is given to evil; neither could they make to themselves fleshy hearts for stony.

For in the division of the nations of the whole earth he set a ruler over every people; but Israel is the Lord’s portion:

Whom, being his firstborn, he nourisheth with discipline, and giving him the light of his love doth not forsake him.

Therefore all their works are as the sun before him, and his eyes are continually upon their ways.

None of their unrighteous deeds are hid from him, but all their sins are before the Lord

But the Lord being gracious and knowing his workmanship, neither left nor forsook them, but spared them.

The alms of a man is as a signet with him, and he will keep the good deeds of man as the apple of the eye, and give repentance to his sons and daughters.

Afterwards he will rise up and reward them, and render their recompence upon their heads.

But unto them that repent, he granted them return, and comforted those that failed in patience.

Return unto the Lord, and forsake thy sins, make thy prayer before his face, and offend less.

Turn again to the most High, and turn away from iniquity: for he will lead thee out of darkness into the light of health, and hate thou abomination vehemently.

Who shall praise the most High in the grave, instead of them which live and give thanks?

Thanksgiving perisheth from the dead, as from one that is not: the living and sound in heart shall praise the Lord.

How great is the lovingkindness of the Lord our God, and his compassion unto such as turn unto him in holiness!

For all things cannot be in men, because the son of man is not immortal.

What is brighter than the sun? yet the light thereof faileth; and flesh and blood will imagine evil.

He vieweth the power of the height of heaven; and all men are but earth and ashes.

He that liveth for ever created all things in general.