Little-Known Treasures from Scripture

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 Hey everyone!

I've been listening to the Bible in a Year podcast a lot lately. In the process, I listened to so many books that gave profound advice, but that hardly anyone knows about. It just made me want to spread this wisdom to everyone. 

So, I thought I would share a few quotes from one of these books, called Sirach (Ecclesiasticus if you read the Dhouay-Rheims Version) with you all to reflect on. It is a deuterocannonical book, or one of the books that Catholic Bibles have, but non-Catholic Bibles don't. The format is basically a father giving advice to his son. So many of the teachings are rules we should all live by, including some really good social precepts. I pray that as you read these, you will hunger for more great Wisdom from our Heavenly Father. 

I used the Dhouay Rheims Version because it is in the public domain, but included the citation for the New American Bible as well.

"Advise not with fools, for they cannot love but such things please them.

"Before a stranger do no matter of counsel, for thou knowest not what he will bring forth.

"Open not thy heart to every man: lest he repay thee with an evil turn, and speak reproachfully to thee."

--Sirach 8:17-19, NAB (8:20-22, DRV)

In other words, don't trust your secrets or take advice form someone you don't know very well. There are usually better paths, I can assure you.

"Keep fidelity with a friend in his poverty, that in his prosperity you might also rejoice."

 Sirach 22:23, NAB (22:28, DRV)

True friends are the ones who always stay loyal through the thick and the thin. Imagine how grateful you would be to a friend who always stayed by you.

"Judge of the disposition of thy neighbor by thyself. "

Sirach 31:15, NAB (31:18, DRV)

It sounds pretty much like the golden rule-- if you wouldn't like someone to do a something to you, they probably wouldn't like it if you did that to them. Yet, how often do we not take this into consideration?

I'm telling you-- these are gems!

These insights are so profound, yet very often, we don't follow them! And that's just the beginning! The entire book of Sirach--  and the whole Bible-- have so much to offer, yet so many of us just pass by these less widespread books. I highly encourage you all to crack open a Bible and possibly do a little Lectio divina on a lesser known passage. See how much it applies to you! Then, keep exploring. And if you have trouble, I would recommend a podcast, such as Bible in a Year, to help find some of these passages as well as get some helpful commentary on them.

What lesser known gems from Scripture can you find? Let me know in the comments!

That's all for now. God Bless!

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