1st Reading – Sirach 27:4-7

When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear;
so do one’s faults when one speaks.
As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace,
so in tribulation is the test of the just.
The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had;
so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.
Praise no one before he speaks,
for it is then that people are tested.

The Book of Sirach, also known as Ecclesiasticus, is one of the Wisdom books of the Old Testament, offering profound teachings on ethics, morality, and reverence for God. Traditionally attributed to Jesus ben Sirach, a Jewish sage who lived in Jerusalem around 200-175 BC, it was originally written in Hebrew and later translated into Greek by his grandson.

In our first reading, Sirach presents short, proverbial statements that offer practical wisdom about human nature, the importance of speech, and how one’s character is revealed through words. Each verse is self-contained, uses vivid imagery, and provides a moral lesson.

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