⁴One who trusts others too quickly is lightminded,
and one who sins does wrong to himself.
⁵One who rejoices in wickedness will be condemned, ⁶and for one who hates gossip evil is lessened.

Loose-talk.  Sir.19.7-19

⁷Never repeat a conversation,
and you will lose nothing at all.
⁸With friend or foe do not report it,
and unless it would be a sin for you, do not disclose it;
⁹for some one has heard you and watched you,
and when the time comes he will hate you.
¹⁰Have you heard a word? Let it die with you.
Be brave! It will not make you burst!
¹¹With such a word a fool will suffer pangs
like a woman in labour with a child.
¹²Like an arrow stuck in the flesh of the thigh,
so is a word inside a fool.

¹³Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it;
but if he did anything, so that he may do it no more.
¹⁴Question a neighbour, perhaps he did not say it;
but if he said it, so that he may not say it again.
¹⁵Question a friend, for often it is slander;
so do not believe everything you hear.
¹⁶A person may make a slip without intending it.
Who has never sinned with his tongue?
¹⁷Question your neighbour before you threaten him;
and let the law of the Most High take its course.

Real Wisdom.  Sir.19.20-30

²⁰All wisdom is the fear of the Lord,
and in all wisdom there is the fulfilment of the law.
²²But the knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom,
nor is there prudence where sinners take counsel.
²³There is a cleverness which is abominable,
but there is a fool who merely lacks wisdom.
²⁴Better is the God-fearing man who lacks intelligence,
than the highly prudent man who transgresses the law.
²⁵There is a cleverness which is scrupulous but unjust,
and there are people who distort kindness to gain a verdict.
²⁶There is a rascal bowed down in mourning,
but inwardly he is full of deceit.
²⁷He hides his face and pretends not to hear;
but where no one notices, he will forestall you.
²⁸And if by lack of strength he is prevented from sinning,
he will do evil when he finds an opportunity.
²⁹A man is known by his appearance,
and a sensible man is known by his face,
when you meet him.
³⁰A man's attire and open-mouthed laughter,
and a man's manner of walking,
show what he is.