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#Post#: 13455--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:35 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 41 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Concerning Death
41 O death, how bitter is the thought of you
to the one at peace among possessions,
who has nothing to worry about and is prosperous in everything,
and still is vigorous enough to enjoy food!
2 O death, how welcome is your sentence
to one who is needy and failing in strength,
worn down by age and anxious about everything;
to one who is contrary, and has lost all patience!
3 Do not fear death’s decree for you;
remember those who went before you and those who will come
after.
4 This is the Lord’s decree for all flesh;
why then should you reject the will of the Most High?
Whether life lasts for ten years or a hundred or a thousand,
there are no questions asked in Hades.
The Fate of the Wicked
5 The children of sinners are abominable children,
and they frequent the haunts of the ungodly.
6 The inheritance of the children of sinners will perish,
and on their offspring will be a perpetual disgrace.
7 Children will blame an ungodly father,
for they suffer disgrace because of him.
8 Woe to you, the ungodly,
who have forsaken the law of the Most High God!
9 If you have children, calamity will be theirs;
you will beget them only for groaning.
When you stumble, there is lasting joy;[a]
and when you die, a curse is your lot.
10 Whatever comes from earth returns to earth;
so the ungodly go from curse to destruction.
11 The human body is a fleeting thing,
but a virtuous name will never be blotted out.[b]
12 Have regard for your name, since it will outlive you
longer than a thousand hoards of gold.
13 The days of a good life are numbered,
but a good name lasts forever.
14 My children, be true to your training and be at peace;
hidden wisdom and unseen treasure—
of what value is either?
A Series of Contrasts
15 Better are those who hide their folly
than those who hide their wisdom.
16 Therefore show respect for my words;
for it is not good to feel shame in every circumstance,
nor is every kind of abashment to be approved.[c]
17 Be ashamed of sexual immorality, before your father or
mother;
and of a lie, before a prince or a ruler;
18 of a crime, before a judge or magistrate;
and of a breach of the law, before the congregation and the
people;
of unjust dealing, before your partner or your friend;
19 and of theft, in the place where you live.
Be ashamed of breaking an oath or agreement,[d]
and of leaning on your elbow at meals;
of surliness in receiving or giving,
20 and of silence, before those who greet you;
of looking at a prostitute,
21 and of rejecting the appeal of a relative;
of taking away someone’s portion or gift,
and of gazing at another man’s wife;
22 of meddling with his servant-girl—
and do not approach her bed;
of abusive words, before friends—
and do not be insulting after making a gift.
Footnotes:
Sirach 41:9 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 41:11 Heb: Gk People grieve over the death of the body,
but the bad name of sinners will be blotted out
Sirach 41:16 Heb: Gk and not everything is confidently esteemed
by everyone
Sirach 41:19 Heb: Gk before the truth of God and the covenant
#Post#: 13456--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:36 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 42 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
42 Be ashamed of repeating what you hear,
and of betraying secrets.
Then you will show proper shame,
and will find favor with everyone.
Of the following things do not be ashamed,
and do not sin to save face:
2 Do not be ashamed of the law of the Most High and his
covenant,
and of rendering judgment to acquit the ungodly;
3 of keeping accounts with a partner or with traveling
companions,
and of dividing the inheritance of friends;
4 of accuracy with scales and weights,
and of acquiring much or little;
5 of profit from dealing with merchants,
and of frequent disciplining of children,
and of drawing blood from the back of a wicked slave.
6 Where there is an untrustworthy wife, a seal is a good thing;
and where there are many hands, lock things up.
7 When you make a deposit, be sure it is counted and weighed,
and when you give or receive, put it all in writing.
8 Do not be ashamed to correct the stupid or foolish
or the aged who are guilty of sexual immorality.
Then you will show your sound training,
and will be approved by all.
Daughters and Fathers
9 A daughter is a secret anxiety to her father,
and worry over her robs him of sleep;
when she is young, for fear she may not marry,
or if married, for fear she may be disliked;
10 while a virgin, for fear she may be seduced
and become pregnant in her father’s house;
or having a husband, for fear she may go astray,
or, though married, for fear she may be barren.
11 Keep strict watch over a headstrong daughter,
or she may make you a laughingstock to your enemies,
a byword in the city and the assembly of[a] the people,
and put you to shame in public gatherings.[b]
See that there is no lattice in her room,
no spot that overlooks the approaches to the house.[c]
12 Do not let her parade her beauty before any man,
or spend her time among married women;[d]
13 for from garments comes the moth,
and from a woman comes woman’s wickedness.
14 Better is the wickedness of a man than a woman who does good;
it is woman who brings shame and disgrace.
The Works of God in Nature
15 I will now call to mind the works of the Lord,
and will declare what I have seen.
By the word of the Lord his works are made;
and all his creatures do his will.[e]
16 The sun looks down on everything with its light,
and the work of the Lord is full of his glory.
17 The Lord has not empowered even his holy ones
to recount all his marvelous works,
which the Lord the Almighty has established
so that the universe may stand firm in his glory.
18 He searches out the abyss and the human heart;
he understands their innermost secrets.
For the Most High knows all that may be known;
he sees from of old the things that are to come.[f]
19 He discloses what has been and what is to be,
and he reveals the traces of hidden things.
20 No thought escapes him,
and nothing is hidden from him.
21 He has set in order the splendors of his wisdom;
he is from all eternity one and the same.
Nothing can be added or taken away,
and he needs no one to be his counselor.
22 How desirable are all his works,
and how sparkling they are to see![g]
23 All these things live and remain forever;
each creature is preserved to meet a particular need.[h]
24 All things come in pairs, one opposite the other,
and he has made nothing incomplete.
25 Each supplements the virtues of the other.
Who could ever tire of seeing his glory?
Footnotes:
Sirach 42:11 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 42:11 Heb: Gk to shame before the great multitude
Sirach 42:11 Heb: Gk lacks See . . . house
Sirach 42:12 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 42:15 Syr Compare Heb: most Gk witnesses lack and all . .
. will
Sirach 42:18 Heb: Gk he sees the sign(s) of the age
Sirach 42:22 Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 42:23 Heb: Gk forever for every need, and all are
obedient
#Post#: 13457--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:37 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 43 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Splendor of the Sun
43 The pride of the higher realms is the clear vault of the sky,
as glorious to behold as the sight of the heavens.
2 The sun, when it appears, proclaims as it rises
what a marvelous instrument it is, the work of the Most
High.
3 At noon it parches the land,
and who can withstand its burning heat?
4 A man tending[a] a furnace works in burning heat,
but three times as hot is the sun scorching the mountains;
it breathes out fiery vapors,
and its bright rays blind the eyes.
5 Great is the Lord who made it;
at his orders it hurries on its course.
The Splendor of the Moon
6 It is the moon that marks the changing seasons,[b]
governing the times, their everlasting sign.
7 From the moon comes the sign for festal days,
a light that wanes when it completes its course.
8 The new moon, as its name suggests, renews itself;[c]
how marvelous it is in this change,
a beacon to the hosts on high,
shining in the vault of the heavens!
The Glory of the Stars and the Rainbow
9 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven,
a glittering array in the heights of the Lord.
10 On the orders of the Holy One they stand in their appointed
places;
they never relax in their watches.
11 Look at the rainbow, and praise him who made it;
it is exceedingly beautiful in its brightness.
12 It encircles the sky with its glorious arc;
the hands of the Most High have stretched it out.
The Marvels of Nature
13 By his command he sends the driving snow
and speeds the lightnings of his judgment.
14 Therefore the storehouses are opened,
and the clouds fly out like birds.
15 In his majesty he gives the clouds their strength,
and the hailstones are broken in pieces.
17a The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth;
16 when he appears, the mountains shake.
At his will the south wind blows;
17b so do the storm from the north and the whirlwind.
He scatters the snow like birds flying down,
and its descent is like locusts alighting.
18 The eye is dazzled by the beauty of its whiteness,
and the mind is amazed as it falls.
19 He pours frost over the earth like salt,
and icicles form like pointed thorns.
20 The cold north wind blows,
and ice freezes on the water;
it settles on every pool of water,
and the water puts it on like a breastplate.
21 He consumes the mountains and burns up the wilderness,
and withers the tender grass like fire.
22 A mist quickly heals all things;
the falling dew gives refreshment from the heat.
23 By his plan he stilled the deep
and planted islands in it.
24 Those who sail the sea tell of its dangers,
and we marvel at what we hear.
25 In it are strange and marvelous creatures,
all kinds of living things, and huge sea-monsters.
26 Because of him each of his messengers succeeds,
and by his word all things hold together.
27 We could say more but could never say enough;
let the final word be: “He is the all.”
28 Where can we find the strength to praise him?
For he is greater than all his works.
29 Awesome is the Lord and very great,
and marvelous is his power.
30 Glorify the Lord and exalt him as much as you can,
for he surpasses even that.
When you exalt him, summon all your strength,
and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough.
31 Who has seen him and can describe him?
Or who can extol him as he is?
32 Many things greater than these lie hidden,
for I[d] have seen but few of his works.
33 For the Lord has made all things,
and to the godly he has given wisdom.
Footnotes:
Sirach 43:4 Other ancient authorities read blowing upon
Sirach 43:6 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 43:8 Heb: Gk The month is named after the moon
Sirach 43:32 Heb: Gk we
#Post#: 13458--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:38 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 44 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Hymn in Honor of Our Ancestors[a]
44 Let us now sing the praises of famous men,
our ancestors in their generations.
2 The Lord apportioned to them[b] great glory,
his majesty from the beginning.
3 There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,
and made a name for themselves by their valor;
those who gave counsel because they were intelligent;
those who spoke in prophetic oracles;
4 those who led the people by their counsels
and by their knowledge of the people’s lore;
they were wise in their words of instruction;
5 those who composed musical tunes,
or put verses in writing;
6 rich men endowed with resources,
living peacefully in their homes—
7 all these were honored in their generations,
and were the pride of their times.
8 Some of them have left behind a name,
so that others declare their praise.
9 But of others there is no memory;
they have perished as though they had never existed;
they have become as though they had never been born,
they and their children after them.
10 But these also were godly men,
whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;
11 their wealth will remain with their descendants,
and their inheritance with their children’s children.[c]
12 Their descendants stand by the covenants;
their children also, for their sake.
13 Their offspring will continue forever,
and their glory will never be blotted out.
14 Their bodies are buried in peace,
but their name lives on generation after generation.
15 The assembly declares[d] their wisdom,
and the congregation proclaims their praise.
Enoch
16 Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up,
an example of repentance to all generations.
Noah
17 Noah was found perfect and righteous;
in the time of wrath he kept the race alive;[e]
therefore a remnant was left on the earth
when the flood came.
18 Everlasting covenants were made with him
that all flesh should never again be blotted out by a flood.
Abraham
19 Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations,
and no one has been found like him in glory.
20 He kept the law of the Most High,
and entered into a covenant with him;
he certified the covenant in his flesh,
and when he was tested he proved faithful.
21 Therefore the Lord[f] assured him with an oath
that the nations would be blessed through his offspring;
that he would make him as numerous as the dust of the earth,
and exalt his offspring like the stars,
and give them an inheritance from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates[g] to the ends of the earth.
Isaac and Jacob
22 To Isaac also he gave the same assurance
for the sake of his father Abraham.
The blessing of all people and the covenant
23 he made to rest on the head of Jacob;
he acknowledged him with his blessings,
and gave him his inheritance;
he divided his portions,
and distributed them among twelve tribes.
Moses
From his descendants the Lord[h] brought forth a godly man,
who found favor in the sight of all
Footnotes:
Sirach 44:1 This title is included in the Gk text.
Sirach 44:2 Heb: Gk created
Sirach 44:11 Heb Compare Lat Syr: Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 44:15 Heb: Gk Peoples declare
Sirach 44:17 Heb: Gk was taken in exchange
Sirach 44:21 Gk he
Sirach 44:21 Syr: Heb Gk River
Sirach 44:23 Gk he
#Post#: 13459--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:39 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 45 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
45 1 and was beloved by God and people,
Moses, whose memory is blessed.
2 He made him equal in glory to the holy ones,
and made him great, to the terror of his enemies.
3 By his words he performed swift miracles;[a]
the Lord[b] glorified him in the presence of kings.
He gave him commandments for his people,
and revealed to him his glory.
4 For his faithfulness and meekness he consecrated him,
choosing him out of all humankind.
5 He allowed him to hear his voice,
and led him into the dark cloud,
and gave him the commandments face to face,
the law of life and knowledge,
so that he might teach Jacob the covenant,
and Israel his decrees.
Aaron
6 He exalted Aaron, a holy man like Moses[c]
who was his brother, of the tribe of Levi.
7 He made an everlasting covenant with him,
and gave him the priesthood of the people.
He blessed him with stateliness,
and put a glorious robe on him.
8 He clothed him in perfect splendor,
and strengthened him with the symbols of authority,
the linen undergarments, the long robe, and the ephod.
9 And he encircled him with pomegranates,
with many golden bells all around,
to send forth a sound as he walked,
to make their ringing heard in the temple
as a reminder to his people;
10 with the sacred vestment, of gold and violet
and purple, the work of an embroiderer;
with the oracle of judgment, Urim and Thummim;
11 with twisted crimson, the work of an artisan;
with precious stones engraved like seals,
in a setting of gold, the work of a jeweler,
to commemorate in engraved letters
each of the tribes of Israel;
12 with a gold crown upon his turban,
inscribed like a seal with “Holiness,”
a distinction to be prized, the work of an expert,
a delight to the eyes, richly adorned.
13 Before him such beautiful things did not exist.
No outsider ever put them on,
but only his sons
and his descendants in perpetuity.
14 His sacrifices shall be wholly burned
twice every day continually.
15 Moses ordained him,
and anointed him with holy oil;
it was an everlasting covenant for him
and for his descendants as long as the heavens endure,
to minister to the Lord[d] and serve as priest
and bless his people in his name.
16 He chose him out of all the living
to offer sacrifice to the Lord,
incense and a pleasing odor as a memorial portion,
to make atonement for the[e] people.
17 In his commandments he gave him
authority and statutes and[f] judgments,
to teach Jacob the testimonies,
and to enlighten Israel with his law.
18 Outsiders conspired against him,
and envied him in the wilderness,
Dathan and Abiram and their followers
and the company of Korah, in wrath and anger.
19 The Lord saw it and was not pleased,
and in the heat of his anger they were destroyed;
he performed wonders against them
to consume them in flaming fire.
20 He added glory to Aaron
and gave him a heritage;
he allotted to him the best of the first fruits,
and prepared bread of first fruits in abundance;
21 for they eat the sacrifices of the Lord,
which he gave to him and his descendants.
22 But in the land of the people he has no inheritance,
and he has no portion among the people;
for the Lord[g] himself is his[h] portion and inheritance.
Phinehas
23 Phinehas son of Eleazar ranks third in glory
for being zealous in the fear of the Lord,
and standing firm, when the people turned away,
in the noble courage of his soul;
and he made atonement for Israel.
24 Therefore a covenant of friendship was established with him,
that he should be leader of the sanctuary and of his people,
that he and his descendants should have
the dignity of the priesthood forever.
25 Just as a covenant was established with David
son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah,
that the king’s heritage passes only from son to son,
so the heritage of Aaron is for his descendants alone.
26 And now bless the Lord
who has crowned you with glory.[i]
May the Lord[j] grant you wisdom of mind
to judge his people with justice,
so that their prosperity may not vanish,
and that their glory may endure through all their
generations.
Footnotes:
Sirach 45:3 Heb: Gk caused signs to cease
Sirach 45:3 Gk he
Sirach 45:6 Gk him
Sirach 45:15 Gk him
Sirach 45:16 Other ancient authorities read his or your
Sirach 45:17 Heb: Gk authority in covenants of
Sirach 45:22 Gk he
Sirach 45:22 Other ancient authorities read your
Sirach 45:26 Heb: Gk lacks And . . . glory
Sirach 45:26 Gk he
#Post#: 13460--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:40 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 46 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Joshua and Caleb
46 Joshua son of Nun was mighty in war,
and was the successor of Moses in the prophetic office.
He became, as his name implies,
a great savior of God’s[a] elect,
to take vengeance on the enemies that rose against them,
so that he might give Israel its inheritance.
2 How glorious he was when he lifted his hands
and brandished his sword against the cities!
3 Who before him ever stood so firm?
For he waged the wars of the Lord.
4 Was it not through him that the sun stood still
and one day became as long as two?
5 He called upon the Most High, the Mighty One,
when enemies pressed him on every side,
and the great Lord answered him
with hailstones of mighty power.
6 He overwhelmed that nation in battle,
and on the slope he destroyed his opponents,
so that the nations might know his armament,
that he was fighting in the sight of the Lord;
for he was a devoted follower of the Mighty One.
7 And in the days of Moses he proved his loyalty,
he and Caleb son of Jephunneh:
they opposed the congregation,[b]
restrained the people from sin,
and stilled their wicked grumbling.
8 And these two alone were spared
out of six hundred thousand infantry,
to lead the people[c] into their inheritance,
the land flowing with milk and honey.
9 The Lord gave Caleb strength,
which remained with him in his old age,
so that he went up to the hill country,
and his children obtained it for an inheritance,
10 so that all the Israelites might see
how good it is to follow the Lord.
The Judges
11 The judges also, with their respective names,
whose hearts did not fall into idolatry
and who did not turn away from the Lord—
may their memory be blessed!
12 May their bones send forth new life from where they lie,
and may the names of those who have been honored
live again in their children!
13 Samuel was beloved by his Lord;
a prophet of the Lord, he established the kingdom
and anointed rulers over his people.
14 By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation,
and the Lord watched over Jacob.
15 By his faithfulness he was proved to be a prophet,
and by his words he became known as a trustworthy seer.
16 He called upon the Lord, the Mighty One,
when his enemies pressed him on every side,
and he offered in sacrifice a suckling lamb.
17 Then the Lord thundered from heaven,
and made his voice heard with a mighty sound;
18 he subdued the leaders of the enemy[d]
and all the rulers of the Philistines.
19 Before the time of his eternal sleep,
Samuel[e] bore witness before the Lord and his anointed:
“No property, not so much as a pair of shoes,
have I taken from anyone!”
And no one accused him.
20 Even after he had fallen asleep, he prophesied
and made known to the king his death,
and lifted up his voice from the ground
in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.
Footnotes:
Sirach 46:1 Gk his
Sirach 46:7 Other ancient authorities read the enemy
Sirach 46:8 Gk them
Sirach 46:18 Heb: Gk leaders of the people of Tyre
Sirach 46:19 Gk he
#Post#: 13461--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:41 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 47 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Nathan
47 After him Nathan rose up
to prophesy in the days of David.
David
2 As the fat is set apart from the offering of well-being,
so David was set apart from the Israelites.
3 He played with lions as though they were young goats,
and with bears as though they were lambs of the flock.
4 In his youth did he not kill a giant,
and take away the people’s disgrace,
when he whirled the stone in the sling
and struck down the boasting Goliath?
5 For he called on the Lord, the Most High,
and he gave strength to his right arm
to strike down a mighty warrior,
and to exalt the power[a] of his people.
6 So they glorified him for the tens of thousands he conquered,
and praised him for the blessings bestowed by the Lord,
when the glorious diadem was given to him.
7 For he wiped out his enemies on every side,
and annihilated his adversaries the Philistines;
he crushed their power[b] to our own day.
8 In all that he did he gave thanks
to the Holy One, the Most High, proclaiming his glory;
he sang praise with all his heart,
and he loved his Maker.
9 He placed singers before the altar,
to make sweet melody with their voices.[c]
10 He gave beauty to the festivals,
and arranged their times throughout the year,[d]
while they praised God’s[e] holy name,
and the sanctuary resounded from early morning.
11 The Lord took away his sins,
and exalted his power[f] forever;
he gave him a covenant of kingship
and a glorious throne in Israel.
Solomon
12 After him a wise son rose up
who because of him lived in security:[g]
13 Solomon reigned in an age of peace,
because God made all his borders tranquil,
so that he might build a house in his name
and provide a sanctuary to stand forever.
14 How wise you were when you were young!
You overflowed like the Nile[h] with understanding.
15 Your influence spread throughout the earth,
and you filled it with proverbs having deep meaning.
16 Your fame reached to far-off islands,
and you were loved for your peaceful reign.
17 Your songs, proverbs, and parables,
and the answers you gave astounded the nations.
18 In the name of the Lord God,
who is called the God of Israel,
you gathered gold like tin
and amassed silver like lead.
19 But you brought in women to lie at your side,
and through your body you were brought into subjection.
20 You stained your honor,
and defiled your family line,
so that you brought wrath upon your children,
and they were grieved[i] at your folly,
21 because the sovereignty was divided
and a rebel kingdom arose out of Ephraim.
22 But the Lord will never give up his mercy,
or cause any of his works to perish;
he will never blot out the descendants of his chosen one,
or destroy the family line of him who loved him.
So he gave a remnant to Jacob,
and to David a root from his own family.
Rehoboam and Jeroboam
23 Solomon rested with his ancestors,
and left behind him one of his sons,
broad in[j] folly and lacking in sense,
Rehoboam, whose policy drove the people to revolt.
Then Jeroboam son of Nebat led Israel into sin
and started Ephraim on its sinful ways.
24 Their sins increased more and more,
until they were exiled from their land.
25 For they sought out every kind of wickedness,
until vengeance came upon them.
Footnotes:
Sirach 47:5 Gk horn
Sirach 47:7 Gk horn
Sirach 47:9 Other ancient authorities add and daily they sing
his praises
Sirach 47:10 Gk to completion
Sirach 47:10 Gk his
Sirach 47:11 Gk horn
Sirach 47:12 Heb: Gk in a broad place
Sirach 47:14 Heb: Gk a river
Sirach 47:20 Other ancient authorities read I was grieved
Sirach 47:23 Heb (with a play on the name Rehoboam) Syr: Gk the
people’s
#Post#: 13462--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:42 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 48 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Elijah
48 Then Elijah arose, a prophet like fire,
and his word burned like a torch.
2 He brought a famine upon them,
and by his zeal he made them few in number.
3 By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens,
and also three times brought down fire.
4 How glorious you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
5 You raised a corpse from death
and from Hades, by the word of the Most High.
6 You sent kings down to destruction,
and famous men, from their sickbeds.
7 You heard rebuke at Sinai
and judgments of vengeance at Horeb.
8 You anointed kings to inflict retribution,
and prophets to succeed you.[a]
9 You were taken up by a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with horses of fire.
10 At the appointed time, it is written, you are destined[b]
to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury,
to turn the hearts of parents to their children,
and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11 Happy are those who saw you
and were adorned[c] with your love!
For we also shall surely live.[d]
Elisha
12 When Elijah was enveloped in the whirlwind,
Elisha was filled with his spirit.
He performed twice as many signs,
and marvels with every utterance of his mouth.[e]
Never in his lifetime did he tremble before any ruler,
nor could anyone intimidate him at all.
13 Nothing was too hard for him,
and when he was dead, his body prophesied.
14 In his life he did wonders,
and in death his deeds were marvelous.
15 Despite all this the people did not repent,
nor did they forsake their sins,
until they were carried off as plunder from their land,
and were scattered over all the earth.
The people were left very few in number,
but with a ruler from the house of David.
16 Some of them did what was right,
but others sinned more and more.
Hezekiah
17 Hezekiah fortified his city,
and brought water into its midst;
he tunneled the rock with iron tools,
and built cisterns for the water.
18 In his days Sennacherib invaded the country;
he sent his commander[f] and departed;
he shook his fist against Zion,
and made great boasts in his arrogance.
19 Then their hearts were shaken and their hands trembled,
and they were in anguish, like women in labor.
20 But they called upon the Lord who is merciful,
spreading out their hands toward him.
The Holy One quickly heard them from heaven,
and delivered them through Isaiah.
21 The Lord[g] struck down the camp of the Assyrians,
and his angel wiped them out.
22 For Hezekiah did what was pleasing to the Lord,
and he kept firmly to the ways of his ancestor David,
as he was commanded by the prophet Isaiah,
who was great and trustworthy in his visions.
Isaiah
23 In Isaiah’s[h] days the sun went backward,
and he prolonged the life of the king.
24 By his dauntless spirit he saw the future,
and comforted the mourners in Zion.
25 He revealed what was to occur to the end of time,
and the hidden things before they happened.
Footnotes:
Sirach 48:8 Heb: Gk him
Sirach 48:10 Heb: Gk are for reproofs
Sirach 48:11 Other ancient authorities read and have died
Sirach 48:11 Text and meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 48:12 Heb: Gk lacks He performed . . . mouth
Sirach 48:18 Other ancient authorities add from Lachish
Sirach 48:21 Gk He
Sirach 48:23 Gk his
#Post#: 13463--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:42 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 49 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Josiah and Other Worthies
49 The name[a] of Josiah is like blended incense
prepared by the skill of the perfumer;
his memory[b] is as sweet as honey to every mouth,
and like music at a banquet of wine.
2 He did what was right by reforming the people,
and removing the wicked abominations.
3 He kept his heart fixed on the Lord;
in lawless times he made godliness prevail.
4 Except for David and Hezekiah and Josiah,
all of them were great sinners,
for they abandoned the law of the Most High;
the kings of Judah came to an end.
5 They[c] gave their power to others,
and their glory to a foreign nation,
6 who set fire to the chosen city of the sanctuary,
and made its streets desolate,
as Jeremiah had foretold.[d]
7 For they had mistreated him,
who even in the womb had been consecrated a prophet,
to pluck up and ruin and destroy,
and likewise to build and to plant.
8 It was Ezekiel who saw the vision of glory,
which God[e] showed him above the chariot of the cherubim.
9 For God[f] also mentioned Job
who held fast to all the ways of justice.[g]
10 May the bones of the Twelve Prophets
send forth new life from where they lie,
for they comforted the people of Jacob
and delivered them with confident hope.
11 How shall we magnify Zerubbabel?
He was like a signet ring on the right hand,
12 and so was Jeshua son of Jozadak;
in their days they built the house
and raised a temple[h] holy to the Lord,
destined for everlasting glory.
13 The memory of Nehemiah also is lasting;
he raised our fallen walls,
and set up gates and bars,
and rebuilt our ruined houses.
Retrospect
14 Few have[i] ever been created on earth like Enoch,
for he was taken up from the earth.
15 Nor was anyone ever born like Joseph;[j]
even his bones were cared for.
16 Shem and Seth and Enosh were honored,[k]
but above every other created living being was Adam.
Footnotes:
Sirach 49:1 Heb: Gk memory
Sirach 49:1 Heb: Gk it
Sirach 49:5 Heb He
Sirach 49:6 Gk by the hand of Jeremiah
Sirach 49:8 Gk He
Sirach 49:9 Gk he
Sirach 49:9 Heb Compare Syr: Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 49:12 Other ancient authorities read people
Sirach 49:14 Heb Syr: Gk No one has
Sirach 49:15 Heb Syr: Gk adds the leader of his brothers, the
support of the people
Sirach 49:16 Heb: Gk Shem and Seth were honored by people
#Post#: 13464--------------------------------------------------
Re: BOOK OF WISDOM - THE BOOK OF SIRACH
By: patrick jane Date: May 25, 2020, 6:43 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Sirach 50 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Simon Son of Onias
50 The leader of his brothers and the pride of his people[a]
was the high priest, Simon son of Onias,
who in his life repaired the house,
and in his time fortified the temple.
2 He laid the foundations for the high double walls,
the high retaining walls for the temple enclosure.
3 In his days a water cistern was dug,[b]
a reservoir like the sea in circumference.
4 He considered how to save his people from ruin,
and fortified the city against siege.
5 How glorious he was, surrounded by the people,
as he came out of the house of the curtain.
6 Like the morning star among the clouds,
like the full moon at the festal season;[c]
7 like the sun shining on the temple of the Most High,
like the rainbow gleaming in splendid clouds;
8 like roses in the days of first fruits,
like lilies by a spring of water,
like a green shoot on Lebanon on a summer day;
9 like fire and incense in the censer,
like a vessel of hammered gold
studded with all kinds of precious stones;
10 like an olive tree laden with fruit,
and like a cypress towering in the clouds.
11 When he put on his glorious robe
and clothed himself in perfect splendor,
when he went up to the holy altar,
he made the court of the sanctuary glorious.
12 When he received the portions from the hands of the priests,
as he stood by the hearth of the altar
with a garland of brothers around him,
he was like a young cedar on Lebanon
surrounded by the trunks of palm trees.
13 All the sons of Aaron in their splendor
held the Lord’s offering in their hands
before the whole congregation of Israel.
14 Finishing the service at the altars,[d]
and arranging the offering to the Most High, the Almighty,
15 he held out his hand for the cup
and poured a drink offering of the blood of the grape;
he poured it out at the foot of the altar,
a pleasing odor to the Most High, the king of all.
16 Then the sons of Aaron shouted;
they blew their trumpets of hammered metal;
they sounded a mighty fanfare
as a reminder before the Most High.
17 Then all the people together quickly
fell to the ground on their faces
to worship their Lord,
the Almighty, God Most High.
18 Then the singers praised him with their voices
in sweet and full-toned melody.[e]
19 And the people of the Lord Most High offered
their prayers before the Merciful One,
until the order of worship of the Lord was ended,
and they completed his ritual.
20 Then Simon[f] came down and raised his hands
over the whole congregation of Israelites,
to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips,
and to glory in his name;
21 and they bowed down in worship a second time,
to receive the blessing from the Most High.
A Benediction
22 And now bless the God of all,
who everywhere works great wonders,
who fosters our growth from birth,
and deals with us according to his mercy.
23 May he give us[g] gladness of heart,
and may there be peace in our[h] days
in Israel, as in the days of old.
24 May he entrust to us his mercy,
and may he deliver us in our[i] days!
Epilogue
25 Two nations my soul detests,
and the third is not even a people:
26 Those who live in Seir,[j] and the Philistines,
and the foolish people that live in Shechem.
27 Instruction in understanding and knowledge
I have written in this book,
Jesus son of Eleazar son of Sirach[k] of Jerusalem,
whose mind poured forth wisdom.
28 Happy are those who concern themselves with these things,
and those who lay them to heart will become wise.
29 For if they put them into practice, they will be equal to
anything,
for the fear[l] of the Lord is their path.
Footnotes:
Sirach 50:1 Heb Syr: Gk lacks this line. Compare 49.15
Sirach 50:3 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 50:6 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 50:14 Other ancient authorities read altar
Sirach 50:18 Other ancient authorities read in sweet melody
throughout the house
Sirach 50:20 Gk he
Sirach 50:23 Other ancient authorities read you
Sirach 50:23 Other ancient authorities read your
Sirach 50:24 Other ancient authorities read his
Sirach 50:26 Heb Compare Lat: Gk on the mountain of Samaria
Sirach 50:27 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
Sirach 50:29 Heb: Other ancient authorities read light
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