Sirach 37:1-16: a reflection

1Every friend will say, “I also am his friend”; but there is a friend which is only a friend in name. 2Isn’t there a grief in it even to death when a companion and friend is turned into an enemy? 3O wicked imagination, why were you formed to cover the dry land with deceit? 4There is a companion who rejoices in the gladness of a friend, but in time of affliction will be against him. 5There is a companion who for the belly’s sake labors with his friend, yet in the face of battle will carry his buckler. 6Don’t forget a friend in your soul. Don’t be unmindful of him in your riches. 7Every counselor extols counsel, but some give counsel in their own interest. 8Let your soul beware of a counselor, and know in advance what is his interest (for he will take counsel for himself), lest he cast the lot against you, 9and say to you, “Your way is good.” Then he will stand near you, to see what will happen to you. 10Don’t take counsel with one who looks askance at you. Hide your counsel from those who are jealous of you. 11Don’t consult with a woman about her rival, with a coward about war, with a merchant about business, with a buyer about selling, with an envious man about thankfulness, with an unmerciful man about kindliness, with a sluggard about any kind of work, with a hireling in your house about finishing his work, or with an idle servant about much business. Pay no attention to these in any matter of counsel. 12But rather be continually with a godly man, whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments, who in his soul is as your own soul, and who will grieve with you, if you fail. 13Make the counsel of your heart stand, for there is no one more faithful to you than it. 14For a man’s soul is sometimes inclined to inform him better than seven watchmen who sit on high on a watch-tower. 15Above all this ask the Most High that he may direct your way in truth. 16Let reason be the beginning of every work. Let counsel go before every action.

Sirach gives shrewd advice about seeking counsel, warning that not every counselor has our good at heart, and pointing finally to the surest guide. Beware of a counselor, he says, and know in advance what is his interest, for he will take counsel for himself. Some who advise us are really advising in their own interest, not ours; we do well to be wary, to know a counselor's stake before we trust his counsel. Sirach urges us to seek the counsel of the godly, those who keep the commandments and who love us as their own soul; and above all, he says, ask the Most High that he may direct your way in truth. Wise seeking of counsel means being discerning about our counselors, wary of self-interest, valuing the godly, and, above all, asking God to direct us. Human counsel is to be weighed with discernment; God's direction is to be sought above all. The surest guide is not any human counselor but God, whom we should ask to direct our way.

Notice the layers of Sirach's counsel about counsel. First, be discerning: not every counselor has your good at heart; some advise in their own interest, and you should know their stake before trusting their advice. Second, value the godly counselor, one who keeps the commandments and loves you as his own soul, who will grieve with you if you fail. And third, above all, ask God to direct your way in truth. This is a wise ordering: weigh human counsel with discernment, wary of self-interest; seek the counsel of the godly; but above every human counselor, seek the direction of God. Human counsel has its place, but it is fallible, sometimes self-interested; God's direction is sure. To lean only on human counsel, without discernment and without seeking God, is unwise; the surest guide is God, whom we should ask above all to direct our way. Wise decisions weigh good counsel but rest finally on God's direction. Above all our counselors stands the God we should ask to guide us.

That is worth taking to heart, for we should seek counsel with discernment and, above all, ask God to direct our way. We can lean uncritically on human counsel, trusting advisers without discerning their interest, or seek counsel everywhere but from God; but Sirach urges us to be wary of self-interested counselors, to value the godly, and above all to ask God to direct our way in truth. Human counsel is fallible; God's direction is sure. Wise seeking of counsel weighs human advice with discernment but rests finally on God. Do not lean uncritically on human counsel; seek it with discernment, and above all ask God to direct your way, as Sirach urges. Seek counsel with discernment, wary of self-interested advisers and valuing the godly, but above all ask God to direct your way in truth, as Sirach urges us to beware of counselors who advise in their own interest and to ask the Most High to direct our way; for human counsel is fallible and sometimes self-interested, while God's direction is sure, and wise decisions weigh good counsel with discernment but rest finally on the God we should ask, above all our counselors, to guide us.

Lord, Sirach gives shrewd advice about seeking counsel, warning that not every counselor has our good at heart, and pointing finally to the surest guide. Beware of a counselor, he says, and know in advance what is his interest, for he will take counsel for himself. Some who advise us are really advising in their own interest, not ours; we do well to be wary. Sirach urges us to seek the counsel of the godly, those who keep the commandments and who love us as their own soul; and above all, he says, ask the Most High that he may direct your way in truth. Wise seeking of counsel means being discerning about our counselors, valuing the godly, and, above all, asking you to direct us. Show me the layers of Sirach's counsel about counsel. First, be discerning: not every counselor has my good at heart; some advise in their own interest. Second, value the godly counselor, who loves me as his own soul. And third, above all, ask you to direct my way in truth. This is a wise ordering: weigh human counsel with discernment; seek the counsel of the godly; but above every human counselor, seek your direction. Human counsel has its place, but it is fallible, sometimes self-interested; your direction is sure. Take that to my heart, for I should seek counsel with discernment and, above all, ask you to direct my way. I can lean uncritically on human counsel, trusting advisers without discerning their interest, or seek counsel everywhere but from you; but Sirach urges me to be wary of self-interested counselors, to value the godly, and above all to ask you to direct my way. Keep me from leaning uncritically on human counsel; help me seek it with discernment, and above all ask you to direct my way, Lord, as Sirach urges, resting my decisions finally on you.