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1 He that feareth the Lord will do good, and he that hath the knowledge of the law shall obtain her. 2 And as a mother shall she meet him, and receive him as a wife married of a virgin. 3 With the bread of understanding shall she feed him, and give him the water of wisdom to drink. 4 He shall be stayed upon her, and shall not be moved; and shall rely upon her, and shall not be confounded. 5 She shall exalt him above his neighbours, and in the midst of the congregation shall she open his mouth. 6 He shall find joy and a crown of gladness, and she shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name. 7 But foolish men shall not attain unto her, and sinners shall not see her. 8 For she is far from pride, and men that are liars cannot remember her. 9 Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner, for it was not sent him of the Lord. 10 For praise shall be uttered in wisdom, and the Lord will prosper it. 11 Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away: for thou oughtest not to do the things that he hateth. 12 Say not thou, He hath caused me to err: for he hath no need of the sinful man. 13 The Lord hateth all abomination; and they that fear God love it not. 14 He himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel; 15 If thou wilt, to keep the commandments, and to perform acceptable faithfulness. 16 He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt. 17 Before man is life and death; and whether him liketh shall be given him. 18 For the wisdom of the Lord is great, and he is mighty in power, and beholdeth all things: 19 And his eyes are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth every work of man. 20 He hath commanded no man to do wickedly, neither hath he given any man licence to sin.
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[AD 373] Athanasius of Alexandria on Sirach 15:9
Therefore, although wicked people press forward to keep the feast and praise God as though they were at a feast and intrude into the church of the saints, yet God confutes them, saying to the sinner, “Why do you speak of my decrees?” And the gentle Spirit rebukes them, saying, “Praise is not attractive in the mouth of sinners,” neither does sin have anything in common with the praise of God; for the sinner has a mouth speaking perverse things, as the proverb says, “The mouth of the wicked answers evil.” For how is it possible for us to praise God with an impure mouth, since things that are contrary to each other cannot coexist? “For what communion has righteousness with iniquity, or what fellowship is there between light and darkness?” So exclaims Paul, a minister of the gospel. Thus it is that sinners, and all those who have alienated themselves from the catholic church, heretics and schismatics, since they are excluded from glorifying God with the saints, cannot properly even continue as observers of the feast.

Source: FESTAL LETTERS 7:4.13-14
[AD 420] Jerome on Sirach 15:9
What did the Savior say to the devil? “And Jesus ordered him, ‘Be silent, and come out of this man.’ ” Truth does not need false confirmation. “I have not come to be recognized by your testimony but to cast you out of one of my creatures. ‘A compliment from a sinner is unseemly.’ I have no need of the testimony of one to whom I wish every kind of suffering. Be quiet. Your silence itself praises me. I do not want your voice to praise me, but your torment. Your every suffering honors me. Should I be happy that you praise me? No, I am happy that you go. ‘Be silent, and come out of this man.’ ” It is as though he said, “Get out of my house. What are you doing in my dwelling? I want to enter. You, be silent and leave this man, this rational being. Come out of this man: leave to me this dwelling prepared for me. The Lord wants his own dwelling: leave this man, therefore, this rational being.”

Source: HOMILIES ON MARK 2
[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Sirach 15:9
The old song sings about sexual lust, the new song sings of divine love. If your song is moved by lust, then you are singing an old song. Let the words of the new song resonate in your mouth, but if you are sinner there is no such thing as beautiful praise on your lips. It is best to be renewed and chastened than to continue singing the same old song. If, in fact, you have become a new person, even if you remain silent and your singing never reaches human ears, your heart elevates the new inner song15 so that it reaches the ear of God who has restored you. You love, and, even if you are silent, your love is itself a voice that sings to God.

Source: EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 95:2
[AD 435] John Cassian on Sirach 15:9
Of those then who seem to acquire some show of knowledge or of those who while they devote themselves diligently to reading the sacred volume and to committing the Scriptures to memory, yet do not leave behind carnal sins, it is well said in Proverbs: “As a golden ring in a swine’s snout, so is the beauty of an evil-disposed woman.” For what does it profit someone to gain the ornaments of heavenly eloquence and the most precious beauty of the Scriptures if by clinging to filthy deeds and thoughts he destroys it by burying it in the foulest ground or defiles it by the dirty wallowing of his own lusts? For the result will be that which is an ornament to those who rightly use it is not only unable to adorn them but becomes dirty by the increased filth and mud. For “from the mouth of a sinner praise is not attractive.” In fact, the prophet says about souls like this, “Why do you declare my righteous acts and take my covenant in your lips?” They never possess in any lasting way the fear of the Lord of which it is said, “The fear of the Lord is instruction and wisdom.” And yet, they try to get at the meaning of Scripture by continual meditation on them. Thus, it is appropriately asked about them in Proverbs: “What use are riches to a fool? For a senseless person cannot possess wisdom.”

Source: CONFERENCES 2:14.16
[AD 490] Faustus of Riez on Sirach 15:15
Scripture shows beyond a doubt that the seeds of a good will have been sown in human beings when it says, “If you want to, you will keep the commandments. Faithfulness depends on your good will,” and, “Do not despise the Lord’s instruction,” and, “Do not withhold a benefit from one in need,” and, “Do not plot evil against your neighbor,” and, “Do not be like the horse and mule, without intelligence,” and, “Do not despise your mother’s teaching,” and, “Do not listen to a deceitful woman,” and, “He refuses to understand, to do good,” and, “They do not want to be converted.” If someone is accused of not willing something, it is clearly demonstrated that it was in his power to do so. And there are many other similar examples in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, all of which blame and show as culpable especially the will itself. Even the new books of the gospel and of the apostles demonstrate nothing other than free will.

Source: ON GRACE 1:12
[AD 410] Gaudentius of Brescia on Sirach 15:16
The Lord, who is truly a just judge, wants that everyone be the cause of what he merits. He wants the just to suffer for justice alone, and the wicked person, if he persists in evil, to be judged as liable to death based on his free will. As Scripture attests, God formed human beings, making them in his image and likeness, and left the faculty of decision in their hands. “He put before them fire and water, saying, ‘Reach out your hand to what you will.’ ” God “put before the man,” it said, “water and fire,” that is, rest and punishment, forgiveness and torment, life and death. Who, I ask, would not flee torment, punishment and death and not choose rest, forgiveness and life? One flees death, however, who walks in the ways of the precepts that give life. One attains the gift of life who, through the effort of his commitment to spiritual things, avoids actions that bring death. This is why it was said, “Here is water and fire. Reach out your hand” (that is, your actions) “to what you will.” By the hand are meant actions, since we cannot be subjected to sufferings without offenses or merit the prize without a fight, since the apostle says, “Is God unjust in inflicting his wrath?” And also, “Because no one who takes part in a contest is crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

Source: SERMONS 13:16-18
[AD 253] Origen of Alexandria on Sirach 15:17
“He must reign until all things are placed under his feet,” until “the last enemy to be destroyed will be death.” Once this is destroyed, there will be only the Life20 in which we believe. And while death is present among people, those whom it holds prisoner do not believe in Life. But once death is done away with, then all will believe in Life. In the Law, however, you will find both the words, “I have placed before you life and death,” and, “You will live in constant suspense. You will never be sure of your life.”

Source: COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 15:23
[AD 500] Salvian the Presbyter on Sirach 15:17
It is written that life and death both confront humankind and that he reaches out his hand toward what he wants. We draw from these words that everyone will possess for eternity those goods that they seized with their hand, so to speak, during this life. And whatever they became attached to, they will remain attached to, with his mind and will entirely fixated on it.

Source: AGAINST AVARICE 1:1.7