Bible, Vol. 1. Old Testament -- Book 22b. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 9:11 (Sir 9:11) [tr. NJB (1985)]

Dave — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:23:05 +0000

Do not envy the sinner his success;
you do not know how that will end.

[μὴ ζηλώσῃς δόξαν ἁμαρτωλοῦ·
οὐ γὰρ οἶδας τί ἔσται ἡ καταστροφὴ αὐτοῦ.]

The Bible (The Old Testament) (14th - 2nd C BC) Judeo-Christian sacred scripture [Tanakh, Hebrew Bible], incl. the Apocrypha (Deuterocanonicals)
Book 22b. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 9:11 (Sir 9:11) [tr. NJB (1985)]
(Source)

More on the history and acceptance of this Apocryphal book here and here.

(Source (Greek)). Alternate translations:

Envy not the glory of a sinner: for thou knowest not what shall be his end.
[tr. KJV (1611)]

Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be.
[tr. DRA (1899), 9:16]

Do not envy the sinner his success;
you do not know what turn his career will take.
[tr. JB (1966)]

Don't be jealous of a sinner's success; you don't know what kind of disaster is in store for him.
[tr. GNT (1992 ed.)]

Don’t envy the good reputation
of sinners,
since you don’t know
how sudden their end will be.
[tr. CEB (2011)]

Do not envy the notoriety of sinners,
for you do not know what their end will be like.
[tr. NRSV (2021 ed.)]

Do not envy a sinner, for you do not know his day of reckoning.
[tr. RJPS (2023 ed.), 9:15]

WIST Quotations

Bible, Vol. 1. Old Testament -- Book 22b. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 9:11 (Sir 9:11) [tr. NJB (1985)]