Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition

THE BOOK OF SIRACH

and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.

³Does a man harbor anger against another,

and yet seek for healing from the Lord?

⁴Does he have no mercy toward a man like himself,

and yet pray for his own sins?

⁵If he himself, being flesh, maintains wrath,

will he then seek forgiveness from God?

Who will make expiation for his sins?

⁶Remember the end of your life, and cease from enmity,

remember destruction and death, and be true to the commandments.

⁷Remember the commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbor;

remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook ignorance.

⁸Refrain from strife, and you will lessen sins;

for a man given to anger will kindle strife,

⁹and a sinful man will disturb friends

and inject enmity among those who are at peace.

¹⁰In proportion to the fuel for the fire, so will be the burning,

and in proportion to the obstinacy of strife will be the burning;^p

in proportion to the strength of the man will be his anger,

and in proportion to his wealth he will heighten his wrath.

¹¹A hasty quarrel kindles fire,

and urgent strife sheds blood.

¹²If you blow on a spark, it will glow;

if you spit on it, it will be put out;

and both come out of your mouth.

¹³Curse the whisperer and deceiver,

for he has destroyed many who were at peace.

¹⁴Slander^q has shaken many,

and scattered them from nation to nation,

and destroyed strong cities,

and overturned the houses of great men.

¹⁵Slander^q has driven away courageous women,

and deprived them of the fruit of their toil.

¹⁶Whoever pays heed to slander^r will not find rest,

nor will he settle down in peace.

¹⁷The blow of a whip raises a welt,

but a blow of the tongue crushes the bones.

¹⁸Many have fallen by the edge of the sword,

but not so many as have fallen because of the tongue.

¹⁹Happy is the man who is protected from it,

who has not been exposed to its anger,

who has not borne its yoke,

and has not been bound with its chains;

²⁰for its yoke is a yoke of iron,

and its chains are chains of bronze;

²¹its death is an evil death,

and Hades is preferable to it.

²²It will not be master over the godly,

and they will not be burned in its flame.

²³Those who forsake the Lord will fall into its power;

it will burn among them and will not be put out.

It will be sent out against them like a lion;

like a leopard it will mangle them.

²⁴See that you fence in your property with thorns,

lock up your silver and gold,

²⁵make balances and scales for your words,

and make a door and a bolt for your mouth.

²⁶Beware lest you err with your tongue,^s

lest you fall before him who lies in wait.

On Lending and Borrowing, Home, and Hospitality

29 He that shows mercy will lend to his neighbor,

and he that strengthens him with his hand keeps the commandments.

²Lend to your neighbor in the time of his need;

and in turn, repay your neighbor promptly.

³Confirm your word and keep faith with him,

and on every occasion you will find what you need.

⁴Many persons regard a loan as a windfall,

and cause trouble to those who help them.

⁵A man will kiss another’s hands until he gets a loan,

and will lower his voice in speaking of his neighbor’s money;

but at the time for repayment he will delay,

and will pay in words of unconcern,

and will find fault with the time.

⁶If the lender^t exerts pressure, he will hardly get back half,

and will regard that as a windfall.

If he does not, the borrower^u has robbed him of his money,

and he has needlessly made him his enemy;

he will repay him with curses and reproaches,

and instead of glory will repay him with dishonor.

⁷Because of such wickedness, therefore,^v many have refused to lend;

they have been afraid of being defrauded needlessly.

⁸Nevertheless, be patient with a man in humble circumstances,

and do not make him wait for your alms.

⁹Help a poor man for the commandment’s sake,

and because of his need do not send him away empty.

¹⁰Lose your silver for the sake of a brother or a friend,

and do not let it rust under a stone and be lost.

¹¹Lay up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High,

and it will profit you more than gold.

¹²Store up almsgiving in your treasury,

and it will rescue you from all affliction;

¹³more than a mighty shield and more than a heavy spear,

it will fight on your behalf against your enemy.

¹⁴A good man will be surety for his neighbor,

but a man who has lost his sense of shame will fail him.

¹⁵Do not forget all the kindness of your surety,

for he has given his life for you.

¹⁶A sinner will overthrow the prosperity of his surety,

¹⁷ and one who does not feel grateful will abandon his rescuer.

¹⁸Being surety has ruined many men who were prosperous,

and has shaken them like a wave of the sea;

it has driven men of power into exile,

and they have wandered among foreign nations.

¹⁹The sinner who has fallen into suretyship

and pursues gain will fall into lawsuits.

²⁰Assist your neighbor according to your ability,

but take heed to yourself lest you fall.

²¹The essentials for life are water and bread

and clothing and a house to cover one’s nakedness.

²²Better is the life of a poor man under the shelter of his roof

than sumptuous food in another man’s house.

²³Be content with little or much.^w

²⁴It is a miserable life to go from house to house,

and where you are a stranger you may not open your mouth;

²⁵you will play the host and provide drink without being thanked,

and besides this you will hear bitter words:

²⁶“Come here, stranger, prepare the table,

and if you have anything at hand, let me have it to eat.”

²⁷“Give place, stranger, to an honored person;

my brother has come to stay with me; I need my house.”

²⁸These things are hard to bear for a man who has feeling:

scolding about lodging^x and the reproach of the moneylender.

Discipline of Children, Right Attitudes

30 He who loves his son will whip him often,

in order that he may rejoice at the way he turns out.

²He who disciplines his son will profit by him,

and will boast of him among acquaintances.

³He who teaches his son will make his enemies envious,

and will glory in him in the presence of friends.

⁴The^y father may die, and yet he is not dead,

for he has left behind him one like himself;

⁵while alive he saw and rejoiced,

and when he died he was not grieved;

⁶he has left behind him an avenger against his enemies,

and one to repay the kindness of his friends.

⁷He who spoils his son will bind up his wounds,

and his feelings will be troubled at every cry.

⁸A horse that is untamed turns out to be stubborn,

and a son unrestrained turns out to be wilful.

⁹Pamper a child, and he will frighten you;

play with him, and he will give you grief.

¹⁰Do not laugh with him, lest you have sorrow with him,

and in the end you will gnash your teeth.

¹¹Give him no authority in his youth,

and do not ignore his errors.

¹²Bow down his neck in his youth,^z

and beat his sides while he is young,

lest he become stubborn and disobey you,

and you have sorrow of soul from him.^a

¹³Discipline your son and take pains with him,

that you may not be offended by his shamelessness.

¹⁴Better off is a poor man who is well and strong in constitution

than a rich man who is severely afflicted in body.

¹⁵Health and soundness are better than all gold,

and a robust body than countless riches.

¹⁶There is no wealth better than health of body,

and there is no gladness above joy of heart.

¹⁷Death is better than a miserable life,

and eternal rest^b than chronic sickness.

¹⁸Good things poured out upon a mouth that is closed

are like offerings of food placed upon a grave.

¹⁹Of what use to an idol is an offering of fruit?

For it can neither eat nor smell.

So is he who is afflicted by the Lord;

²⁰he sees with his eyes and groans,

like a eunuch who embraces a maiden and groans.

²¹Do not give yourself over to sorrow,

and do not afflict yourself deliberately.

²²Gladness of heart is the life of man,

and the rejoicing of a man is length of days.

²³Delight your soul and comfort your heart,

and remove sorrow far from you,

for sorrow has destroyed many,

and there is no profit in it.

²⁴Jealousy and anger shorten life,

and anxiety brings on old age too soon.

²⁵A man of cheerful and good heart

will give heed to the food he eats.

Right Conduct

31 Wakefulness over wealth wastes away one’s flesh,

and anxiety about it removes sleep.

²Wakeful anxiety prevents slumber,

and a severe illness carries off sleep.^c

³The rich man toils as his wealth accumulates,

and when he rests he fills himself with his dainties.

⁴The poor man toils as his livelihood diminishes,

and when he rests he becomes needy.

⁵He who loves gold will not be justified,

and he who pursues money will be led astray^d by it.

⁶Many have come to ruin because of gold,

and their destruction has met them face to face.

⁷It is a stumbling block to those who are devoted to it,

and every fool will be taken captive by it.

⁸Blessed is the rich man who is found blameless,

and who does not go after gold.

⁹Who is he? And we will call him blessed,

for he has done wonderful things among his people.

¹⁰Who has been tested by it and been found perfect?

Let it be for him a ground for boasting.

Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress,

and to do evil and did not do it?

¹¹His prosperity will be established,

and the assembly will relate his acts of charity.

¹²Are you seated at the table of a great man?^e

Do not be greedy^f at it,

and do not say, “There is certainly much upon it!”

¹³Remember that a greedy^g eye is a bad thing.

What has been created more greedy^g than the eye?

Therefore it sheds tears from every face.

¹⁴Do not reach out your hand for everything you see,

and do not crowd your neighbor^h at the dish.

¹⁵Judge your neighbor’s feelings by your own,

and in every matter be thoughtful.

¹⁶Eat like a human being what is set before you,

and do not chew greedily, lest you be hated.

¹⁷Be the first to stop eating, for the sake of good manners,

and do not be insatiable, lest you give offense.

¹⁸If you are seated among many persons,

do not reach out your hand before they do.

¹⁹How ample a little is for a well-disciplined man!

He does not breathe heavily upon his bed.

²⁰Healthy sleep depends on moderate eating;

he rises early, and feels fit.ⁱ

The distress of sleeplessness and of nausea

and colic are with the glutton.

²¹If you are overstuffed with food,

get up in the middle of the meal, and you will have relief.

²²Listen to me, my son, and do not disregard me,

and in the end you will appreciate my words.

In all your work be industrious,

and no sickness will overtake you.

²³Men will praise the one who is liberal with food,

and their testimony to his excellence is trustworthy.

²⁴The city will complain of the one who is miserly with food,

and their testimony to his miserliness is accurate.

²⁵Do not aim to be valiant over wine,

for wine has destroyed many.

²⁶Fire and water prove^j the temper of steel,

so wine tests hearts in the strife of the proud.

²⁷Wine is like life to men,

if you drink it in moderation.

What is life to a man who is without wine?

It has been created to make men glad.

²⁸Wine drunk in season and temperately

is rejoicing of heart and gladness of soul.

²⁹Wine drunk to excess is bitterness of soul,

with provocation and stumbling.

³⁰Drunkenness increases the anger of a fool to his injury,

reducing his strength and adding wounds.

³¹Do not reprove your neighbor at a banquet of wine,

and do not despise him in his merrymaking;

speak no word of reproach to him,

and do not afflict him by making demands of him.

32 If they make you master of the feast, do not exalt yourself;

be among them as one of them;

take good care of them and then be seated;

² when you have fulfilled your duties, take your place,

that you may be merry on their account

and receive a wreath for your excellent leadership.

³Speak, you who are older, for it is fitting that you should,

but with accurate knowledge, and do not interrupt the music.

⁴Where there is entertainment, do not pour out talk;

do not display your cleverness out of season.

⁵A ruby seal in a setting of gold

is a concert of music at a banquet of wine.

⁶A seal of emerald in a rich setting of gold

is the melody of music with good wine.

⁷Speak, young man, if there is need of you,

but no more than twice, and only if asked.

⁸Speak concisely, say much in few words;

be as one who knows and yet holds his tongue.

⁹Among the great do not act as their equal;

and when another is speaking, do not babble.

¹⁰Lightning speeds before the thunder,

and approval precedes a modest man.

¹¹Leave in good time and do not be the last;

go home quickly and do not linger.

¹²Amuse yourself there, and do what you have in mind,

but do not sin through proud speech.

¹³And for these things bless him who made you

and satisfies you with his good gifts.

¹⁴He who fears the Lord will accept his discipline,

and those who rise early to seek him^k will find favor.

¹⁵He who seeks the law will be filled with it,

but the hypocrite will stumble at it.

¹⁶Those who fear the Lord will form true judgments,

and like a light they will kindle righteous deeds.

¹⁷A sinful man will shun reproof,

and will find a decision according to his liking.

¹⁸A man of judgment will not overlook an idea,

and an insolent^l and proud man will not cower in fear.^m

¹⁹Do nothing without deliberation;

and when you have acted, do not regret it.

²⁰Do not go on a path full of hazards,

and do not stumble over stony ground.

²¹Do not be overconfident on a smoothⁿ way,

²² and give good heed to your paths.^o

²³Guard^p yourself in every act,

for this is the keeping of the commandments.

²⁴He who believes the law gives heed to the commandments,

and he who trusts the Lord will not suffer loss.

Practical Advice

33 No evil will befall the man who fears the Lord,

but in trial he will deliver him again and again.

²A wise man will not hate the law,

but he who is hypocritical about it is like a boat in a storm.

³A man of understanding will trust in the law;

for him the law is as dependable as an inquiry by means of Urim.

⁴Prepare what to say, and thus you will be heard;

bind together your instruction, and make your answer.

⁵The heart of a fool is like a cart wheel,

and his thoughts like a turning axle.

⁶A stallion is like a mocking friend;

he neighs under every one who sits on him.

⁷Why is any day better than another,

when all the daylight in the year is from the sun?

⁸By the Lord’s decision they were distinguished,

and he appointed the different seasons and feasts;

⁹some of them he exalted and hallowed,

and some of them he made ordinary days.

¹⁰All men are from the ground,

and Adam was created of the dust.

¹¹In the fulness of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them

and appointed their different ways;

¹²some of them he blessed and exalted,

and some of them he made holy and brought near to himself;

but some of them he cursed and brought low,

and he turned them out of their place.

¹³As clay in the hand of the potter—

for all his ways are as he pleases—

so men are in the hand of him who made them,

to give them as he decides.

¹⁴Good is the opposite of evil,

and life the opposite of death;

so the sinner is the opposite of the godly.

¹⁵Look upon all the works of the Most High;

they likewise are in pairs, one the opposite of the other.

¹⁶I was the last on watch;

I was like one who gleans after the grape-gatherers;

by the blessing of the Lord I excelled,

and like a grape-gatherer I filled my wine press.

¹⁷Consider that I have not labored for myself alone,

but for all who seek instruction.

¹⁸Hear me, you who are great among the people,

and you leaders of the congregation, listen.

¹⁹To son or wife, to brother or friend,

do not give power over yourself, as long as you live;

and do not give your property to another,

lest you change your mind and must ask for it.

²⁰While you are still alive and have breath in you,

do not let any one take your place.

²¹For it is better that your children should ask from you

than that you should look to the hand of your sons.

²²Excel in all that you do;

bring no stain upon your honor.

²³At the time when you end the days of your life,

in the hour of death, distribute your inheritance.

²⁴Fodder and a stick and burdens for a donkey;

bread and discipline and work for a servant.

²⁵Set your slave to work, and you will find rest;

leave his hands idle, and he will seek liberty.

²⁶Yoke and thong will bow the neck,

and for a wicked servant there are racks and tortures.

²⁷Put him to work, that he may not be idle,

for idleness teaches much evil.

²⁸Set him to work, as is fitting for him,

and if he does not obey, make his chains heavy.

²⁹Do not act immoderately toward anybody,

and do nothing without discretion.

³⁰If you have a servant, let him be as yourself,

because you have bought him with blood.

³¹If you have a servant, treat him as a brother,

for as your own soul you will need him.

If you ill-treat him, and he leaves and runs away,

which way will you go to seek him?

Fear of the Lord, Sacrifices, Justice, and Prayer

34 A man of no understanding has vain and false hopes,

and dreams give wings to fools.

²As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind,

so is he who gives heed to dreams.

³The vision of dreams is this against that,

the likeness of a face confronting a face.

⁴From an unclean thing what will be made clean?

And from something false what will be true?

⁵Divinations and omens and dreams are folly,

and like a woman with labor pains the mind has fancies.

⁶Unless they are sent from the Most High as a visitation,

do not give your mind to them.

⁷For dreams have deceived many,

and those who put their hope in them have failed.

⁸Without such deceptions the law will be fulfilled,

and wisdom is made perfect in truthful lips.

⁹An educated^q man knows many things,

and one with much experience will speak with understanding.

¹⁰He that is inexperienced knows few things,

but he that has traveled acquires much cleverness.

¹¹I have seen many things in my travels,

and I understand more than I can express.

¹²I have often been in danger of death,

but have escaped because of these experiences.

¹³The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live,

for their hope is in him who saves them.

¹⁴He who fears the Lord will not be timid,

nor play the coward, for he is his hope.

¹⁵Blessed is the soul of the man who fears the Lord!

To whom does he look? And who is his support?

¹⁶The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love him,

a mighty protection and strong support,

a shelter from the hot wind and a shade from noonday sun,

a guard against stumbling and a defense against falling.

¹⁷He lifts up the soul and gives light to the eyes;

he grants healing, life, and blessing.

¹⁸If one sacrifices from what has been wrongfully obtained, the offering is blemished;^r

the gifts^s of the lawless are not acceptable.

¹⁹The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly;

and he is not propitiated for sins by a multitude of sacrifices.

²⁰Like one who kills a son before his father’s eyes

is the man who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor.

²¹The bread of the needy is the life of the poor;

whoever deprives them of it is a man of blood.

²²To take away a neighbor’s living is to murder him;

to deprive an employee of his wages is to shed blood.

²³When one builds and another tears down,

what do they gain but toil?

²⁴When one prays and another curses,

to whose voice will the Lord listen?

²⁵If a man washes after touching a dead body, and touches it again,

what has he gained by his washing?

²⁶So if a man fasts for his sins,

and goes again and does the same things,

who will listen to his prayer?

And what has he gained by humbling himself?

The Law and Sacrifice—Divine Justice

35 He who keeps the law makes many offerings;

he who heeds the commandments sacrifices a peace offering.

²He who returns a kindness offers fine flour,

and he who gives alms sacrifices a thank offering.

³To keep from wickedness is pleasing to the Lord,

and to forsake unrighteousness is atonement.

⁴Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed,

⁵ for all these things are to be done because of the commandment.

⁶The offering of a righteous man anoints the altar,

and its pleasing odor rises before the Most High.

⁷The sacrifice of a righteous man is acceptable,

and the memory of it will not be forgotten.

⁸Glorify the Lord generously,

and do not stint the first fruits of your hands.

⁹With every gift show a cheerful face,

and dedicate your tithe with gladness.

¹⁰Give to the Most High as he has given,

and as generously as your hand has found.

¹¹For the Lord is the one who repays,

and he will repay you sevenfold.

¹²Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it;

and do not trust to an unrighteous sacrifice;

for the Lord is the judge,

and with him is no partiality.

¹³He will not show partiality in the case of a poor man;

and he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged.

¹⁴He will not ignore the supplication of the fatherless,

nor the widow when she pours out her story.

¹⁵Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek

as she cries out against him who has caused them to fall?

¹⁶He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted,

and his prayer will reach to the clouds.

¹⁷The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds,

and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord;^t

he will not desist until the Most High visits him,

and the just judge executes judgment.

¹⁸And the Lord will not delay,

neither will he be patient with them,

till he crushes the loins of the unmerciful

and repays vengeance on the nations;

till he takes away the multitude of the insolent,

and breaks the scepters of the unrighteous;

¹⁹till he repays man according to his deeds,

and the works of men according to their devices;

till he judges the case of his people

and makes them rejoice in his mercy.

²⁰Mercy is as welcome when he afflicts them

as clouds of rain in the time of drought.

A Prayer for God’s People; Wise Sayings

36 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, the God of all, and look upon us,

and show us the light of your mercy;

² send fear of you upon the nations.

³Lift up your hand against foreign nations

and let them see your might.

⁴As in us you have been sanctified before them,

so in them may you be magnified before us;

⁵and let them know you, as we have known

that there is no God but you, O Lord.

⁶Show signs anew, and work further wonders;

make your hand and your right arm glorious.

⁷Rouse your anger and pour out your wrath;

destroy the adversary and wipe out the enemy.

⁸Hasten the day, and remember the appointed time,^u

and let people recount your mighty deeds.

⁹Let him who survives be consumed in the fiery wrath,

and may those who harm your people meet destruction.

¹⁰Crush the heads of the rulers of the enemy,

who say, “There is no one but ourselves.”

¹¹Gather all the tribes of Jacob,

and give^v them their inheritance, as at the beginning.

¹²Have mercy, O Lord, upon the people called by your name,

upon Israel, whom you have likened to a^w first-born son.

¹³Have pity on the city of your sanctuary,^x

Jerusalem, the place of your rest.

¹⁴Fill Zion with the celebration of your wondrous deeds,

and your temple^y with your glory.

¹⁵Bear witness to those whom you created in the beginning,

and fulfil the prophecies spoken in your name.

¹⁶Reward those who wait for you,

and let your prophets be found trustworthy.

¹⁷Listen, O Lord, to the prayer of your servants,

according to the blessing of Aaron for your people,

and direct us in the way of righteousness,

and all who are on the earth will know

that you are the Lord, the God of the ages.

¹⁸The stomach will take any food,

yet one food is better than another.

¹⁹As the palate tastes the kinds of game,

so an intelligent mind detects false words.

²⁰A perverse mind will cause grief,

but a man of experience will pay him back.

²¹A woman will accept any man,

but one daughter is better than another.

²²A woman’s beauty gladdens the countenance,

and surpasses every human desire.

²³If kindness and humility mark her speech,

her husband is not like other men.

²⁴He who acquires a wife gets his best possession,^z

a helper fit for him and a pillar of support.^a

²⁵Where there is no fence, the property will be plundered;

and where there is no wife, a man will wander about and sigh.

²⁶For who will trust a nimble robber

that skips from city to city?

So who will trust a man that has no home,

and lodges wherever night finds him?

Concerning Good Council, Reason, and Moderation

37 Every friend will say, “I too am a friend”;

but some friends are friends only in name.

²Is it not a grief to the death

when a companion and friend turns to enmity?

³O evil imagination, why were you formed

to cover the land with deceit?

⁴Some companions rejoice in the happiness of a friend,

but in time of trouble are against him.

⁵Some companions help a friend for their stomachs’ sake,

and in the face of battle take up the shield.

⁶Do not forget a friend in your heart,

and be not unmindful of him in your wealth.

⁷Every counselor praises counsel,

but some give counsel in their own interest.

⁸Be wary of a counselor,

and learn first what is his interest—

for he will take thought for himself—

lest he cast the lot against you

⁹ and tell you, “Your way is good,”

and then stand aloof to see what will happen to you.

¹⁰Do not consult with one who looks at you suspiciously;

hide your counsel from those who are jealous of you.

¹¹Do not consult with a woman about her rival

or with a coward about war,

with a merchant about barter

or with a buyer about selling,

with a grudging man about gratitude

or with a merciless man about kindness,

with an idler about any work

or with a man hired for a year about completing his work,

with a lazy servant about a big task—

pay no attention to these in any matter of counsel.

¹²But stay constantly with a godly man

whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments,

whose soul is in accord with your soul,

and who will sorrow with you if you fail.

¹³And establish the counsel of your own heart,

for no one is more faithful to you than it is.

¹⁴For a man’s soul sometimes keeps him better informed

than seven watchmen sitting high on a watchtower.

¹⁵And besides all this pray to the Most High

that he may direct your way in truth.

¹⁶Reason is the beginning of every work,

and counsel precedes every undertaking.

¹⁷As a clue to changes of heart

¹⁸ four turns of fortune appear,

good and evil, life and death;

and it is the tongue that continually rules them.

¹⁹A man may be shrewd and the teacher of many,

and yet be unprofitable to himself.

²⁰A man skilled in words may be hated;

he will be destitute of all food,

²¹for grace was not given him by the Lord,

since he is lacking in all wisdom.

²²A man may be wise to his own advantage,

and the fruits of his understanding may be trustworthy on his lips.

²³A wise man will instruct his own people,

and the fruits of his understanding will be trustworthy.

²⁴A wise man will have praise heaped upon him,

and all who see him will call him happy.

²⁵The life of a man is numbered by days,

but the days of Israel are without number.

²⁶He who is wise among his people will inherit confidence,^b

and his name will live for ever.

²⁷My son, test your soul while you live;

see what is bad for it and do not give it that.

²⁸For not everything is good for every one,

and not every person enjoys everything.

²⁹Do not have an insatiable appetite for any luxury,

and do not give yourself up to food;

³⁰for overeating brings sickness,

and gluttony leads to nausea.

³¹Many have died of gluttony,

but he who is careful to avoid it prolongs his life.

Concerning Physicians, Tradesmen, and Craftsmen

38 Honor the physician with the honor due him,^c according to your need of him,

for the Lord created him;

²for healing comes from the Most High,

and he will receive a gift from the king.

³The skill of the physician lifts up his head,

and in the presence of great men he is admired.

⁴The Lord created medicines from the earth,

and a sensible man will not despise them.

⁵Was not water made sweet with a tree

in order that his^d power might be known?

⁶And he gave skill to men

that he^e might be glorified in his marvelous works.

⁷By them he heals and takes away pain;

⁸ the pharmacist makes of them a compound.

His works will never be finished;

and from him health^f is upon the face of the earth.

⁹My son, when you are sick do not be negligent,

but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you.

¹⁰Give up your faults and direct your hands aright,

and cleanse your heart from all sin.

¹¹Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial portion of fine flour,

and pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford.^g

¹²And give the physician his place, for the Lord created him;

let him not leave you, for there is need of him.

¹³There is a time when success lies in the hands of physicians,^h

¹⁴ for they too will pray to the Lord

that he should grant them success in diagnosisⁱ

and in healing, for the sake of preserving life.

¹⁵He who sins before his Maker,

may he fall into the care^j of a physician.

¹⁶My son, let your tears fall for the dead,

and as one who is suffering grievously begin the lament.

Lay out his body with the honor due him,

and do not neglect his burial.

¹⁷Let your weeping be bitter and your wailing fervent;

observe the mourning according to his merit,

for one day, or two, to avoid criticism;

then be comforted for your sorrow.

¹⁸For sorrow results in death,

and sorrow of heart saps one’s strength.

¹⁹In calamity sorrow continues,

and the life of the poor man weighs down his heart.

²⁰Do not give your heart to sorrow;

drive it away, remembering the end of life.

²¹Do not forget, there is no coming back;

you do the dead^k no good, and you injure yourself.

²²“Remember my doom, for yours is like it:

yesterday it was mine, and today it is yours.”

²³When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance cease,

and be comforted for him when his spirit has departed.

²⁴The wisdom of the scribe depends on the opportunity of leisure;

and he who has little business may become wise.

²⁵How can he become wise who handles the plow,

and who glories in the shaft of a goad,

who drives oxen and is occupied with their work,

and whose talk is about^l bulls?

²⁶He sets his heart on plowing furrows,

and he is careful about fodder for the heifers.

²⁷So too is every craftsman and master workman

who labors by night as well as by day;

those who cut the signets of seals,

each is diligent in making a great variety;

he sets his heart on painting a lifelike image,

and he is careful to finish his work.

²⁸So too is the smith sitting by the anvil,

intent upon his handiwork in iron;

the breath of the fire melts his flesh,

and he wastes away in^m the heat of the furnace;

he inclines his ear to the sound of the hammer,ⁿ

and his eyes are on the pattern of the object.

He sets his heart on finishing his handiwork,

and he is careful to complete its decoration.

²⁹So too is the potter sitting at his work

and turning the wheel with his feet;

he is always deeply concerned over his work,

and all his output is by number.

³⁰He moulds the clay with his arm

and makes it pliable with his feet;

he sets his heart to finish the glazing,

and he is careful to clean the furnace.

³¹All these rely upon their hands,

and each is skilful in his own work.

³²Without them a city cannot be established,

and men can neither sojourn nor live there.

³³Yet they are not sought out for the council of the people,

nor do they attain eminence in the public assembly.

They do not sit in the judge’s seat,

nor do they understand the sentence of judgment;

they cannot expound discipline or judgment,

and they are not found using proverbs.

³⁴But they keep stable the fabric of the world,

and their prayer is in the practice of their trade.

The Student of the Law; and Praise of God

39 On the other hand he who devotes himself

to the study of the law of the Most High

will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients,

and will be concerned with prophecies;

²he will preserve the discourse of notable men

and penetrate the subtleties of parables;

³he will seek out the hidden meanings of proverbs

and be at home with the obscurities of parables.

⁴He will serve among great men

and appear before rulers;

he will travel through the lands of foreign nations,

for he tests the good and the evil among men.

⁵He will set his heart to rise early

to seek the Lord who made him,

and will make supplication before the Most High;

he will open his mouth in prayer

and make supplication for his sins.

⁶If the great Lord is willing,

he will be filled with the spirit of understanding;

he will pour forth words^o of wisdom

and give thanks to the Lord in prayer.

⁷He will direct his counsel and knowledge rightly,

and meditate on his secrets.

⁸He will reveal instruction in his teaching,

and will glory in the law of the Lord’s covenant.

⁹Many will praise his understanding,

and it will never be blotted out;

his memory will not disappear,

and his name will live through all generations.

¹⁰Nations will declare his wisdom,

and the congregation will proclaim his praise;

¹¹if he lives long, he will leave a name greater than a thousand,

and if he goes to rest, it is enough^p for him.

¹²I have yet more to say, which I have thought upon,

and I am filled, like the moon at the full.

¹³Listen to me, O you holy sons,

and bud like a rose growing by a stream of water;

¹⁴send forth fragrance like frankincense,

and put forth blossoms like a lily.

Scatter the fragrance, and sing a hymn of praise;

bless the Lord for all his works;

¹⁵ascribe majesty to his name

and give thanks to him with praise,

with songs on your lips, and with lyres;

and this you shall say in thanksgiving:

¹⁶“All things are the works of the Lord, for they are very good,

and whatever he commands will be done in his time.”

¹⁷No one can say, “What is this?” “ Why is that?”

for in God’s^q time all things will be sought after.

At his word the waters stood in a heap,

and the reservoirs of water at the word of his mouth.

¹⁸At his command whatever pleases him is done,

and none can limit his saving power.

¹⁹The works of all flesh are before him,

and nothing can be hid from his eyes.

²⁰From everlasting to everlasting he beholds them,

and nothing is marvelous to him.

²¹No one can say, “What is this?” “ Why is that?”

for everything has been created for its use.

²²His blessing covers the dry land like a river,

and drenches it like a flood.

²³The nations will incur his wrath,

just as he turns fresh water into salt.

²⁴To the holy his ways are straight,

just as they are obstacles to the wicked.

²⁵From the beginning good things were created for good people,

just as evil things for sinners.

²⁶Basic to all the needs of man’s life

are water and fire and iron and salt

and wheat flour and milk and honey,

the blood of the grape, and oil and clothing.

²⁷All these are for good to the godly,

just as they turn into evils for sinners.

²⁸There are winds that have been created for vengeance,

and in their anger they scourge heavily;

in the time of consummation they will pour out their strength

and calm the anger of their Maker.

²⁹Fire and hail and famine and pestilence,

all these have been created for vengeance;

³⁰the teeth of wild beasts, and scorpions and vipers,

and the sword that punishes the ungodly with destruction;

³¹they will rejoice in his commands,

and be made ready on earth for their service,

and when their times come they will not transgress his word.

³²Therefore from the beginning I have been convinced,

and have thought this out and left it in writing:

³³The works of the Lord are all good,

and he will supply every need in its hour.

³⁴And no one can say, “This is worse than that,”

for all things will prove good in their season.

³⁵So now sing praise with all your heart and voice,

and bless the name of the Lord.

Human Wretchedness and Joys of Life

40 Much labor was created for every man,

and a heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam,

from the day they come forth from their mother’s womb

till the day they return to^r the mother of all.

²Their perplexities and fear of heart—

their anxious thought is the day of death,

³from the man who sits on a splendid throne

to the one who is humbled in dust and ashes,

⁴from the man who wears purple and a crown

to the one who is clothed in burlap;

⁵there is anger and envy and trouble and unrest,

and fear of death, and fury and strife.

And when one rests upon his bed,

his sleep at night confuses his mind.

⁶He gets little or no rest,

and afterward in his sleep, as though he were on watch,

he is troubled by the visions of his mind

like one who has escaped from the battle-front;

⁷at the moment of his rescue he wakes up,

and wonders that his fear came to nothing.

⁸With all flesh, both man and beast,

and upon sinners seven times more,

⁹are death and bloodshed and strife and sword,

calamities, famine and affliction and plague.

¹⁰All these were created for the wicked,

and on their account the flood came.

¹¹All things that are from the earth turn back to the earth,

and what is from the waters returns to the sea.

¹²All bribery and injustice will be blotted out,

but good faith will stand for ever.

¹³The wealth of the unjust will dry up like a torrent,

and crash like a loud clap of thunder in a rain.

¹⁴A generous man will be made glad;

likewise transgressors will utterly fail.

¹⁵The children of the ungodly will not put forth many branches;

they are unhealthy roots upon sheer rock.

¹⁶The reeds by any water or river bank

will be plucked up before any grass.

¹⁷Kindness is like a garden of blessings,

and almsgiving endures for ever.

¹⁸Life is sweet for the self-reliant and the worker,^s

but he who finds treasure is better off than both.

¹⁹Children and the building of a city establish a man’s name,

but a blameless wife is accounted better than both.

²⁰Wine and music gladden the heart,

but the love of wisdom is better than both.

²¹The flute and the harp make pleasant melody,

but a pleasant voice is better than both.

²²The eye desires grace and beauty,

but the green shoots of grain more than both.

²³A friend or a companion never meets one amiss,

but a wife with her husband is better than both.

²⁴Brothers and help are for a time of trouble,

but almsgiving rescues better than both.

²⁵Gold and silver make the foot stand sure,

but good counsel is esteemed more than both.

²⁶Riches and strength lift up the heart,

but the fear of the Lord is better than both.

There is no loss in the fear of the Lord,

and with it there is no need to seek for help.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is like a garden of blessing,

and covers a man^t better than any glory.

²⁸My son, do not lead the life of a beggar;

it is better to die than to beg.

²⁹When a man looks to the table of another,

his existence cannot be considered as life.

He pollutes himself with another man’s food,

but a man who is intelligent and well instructed guards against that.

³⁰In the mouth of the shameless begging is sweet,

but in his stomach a fire is kindled.

A Series of Contrasts

41 O death, how bitter is the reminder of you

to one who lives at peace among his possessions,

to a man without distractions, who is prosperous in everything,

and who still has the vigor to enjoy his food!

²O death, how welcome is your sentence

to one who is in need and is failing in strength,

very old and distracted over everything;

to one who is contrary, and has lost his patience!

³Do not fear the sentence of death;

remember your former days and the end of life;

this is the decree from the Lord for all flesh,

⁴ and how can you reject the good pleasure of the Most High?

Whether life is for ten or a hundred or a thousand years,

there is no inquiry about it in Hades.

⁵The children of sinners are abominable children,

and they frequent the haunts of the ungodly.

⁶The inheritance of the children of sinners will perish,

and on their posterity will be a perpetual reproach.

⁷Children will blame an ungodly father,

for they suffer reproach because of him.

⁸Woe to you, ungodly men,

who have forsaken the law of the Most High God!

⁹When you are born, you are born to a curse;

and when you die, a curse is your lot.

¹⁰Whatever is from the dust returns to dust;

so the ungodly go from curse to destruction.

¹¹The mourning of men is about their bodies,

but the evil name of sinners will be blotted out.

¹²Have regard for your name, since it will remain for you

longer than a thousand great stores of gold.

¹³The days of a good life are numbered,

but a good name endures for ever.

¹⁴My children, observe instruction and be at peace;

hidden wisdom and unseen treasure,

what advantage is there in either of them?

¹⁵Better is the man who hides his folly

than the man who hides his wisdom.

¹⁶Therefore show respect for my words:

For it is not good to retain every kind of shame,

and not everything is confidently esteemed by every one.

¹⁷Be ashamed of immorality, before your father or mother;

and of a lie, before a prince or a ruler;

¹⁸of a transgression, before a judge or magistrate;

and of iniquity, before a congregation or the people;

of unjust dealing, before your partner or friend;

¹⁹ and of theft, in the place where you live.

Be ashamed before the truth of God and his covenant.

Be ashamed of selfish behavior at meals,^u

of surliness in receiving and giving,

²⁰ and of silence, before those who greet you;

of looking at a woman who is a harlot,

²¹ and of rejecting the appeal of a kinsman;

of taking away some one’s portion or gift,

and of gazing at another man’s wife;

²²of meddling with his maidservant—

and do not approach her bed;

of abusive words, before friends—

and do not upbraid after making a gift;

²³of repeating and telling what you hear,

and of revealing secrets.

Then you will show proper shame,

and will find favor with every man.

42 Of the following things do not be ashamed,

and do not let partiality lead you to sin:

²of the law of the Most High and his covenant,

and of rendering judgment to acquit the ungodly;

³of keeping accounts with a partner or with traveling companions,

and of dividing the inheritance of friends;

⁴of accuracy with scales and weights,

and of acquiring much or little;

⁵of profit from dealing with merchants,

and of much discipline of children,

and of whipping a wicked servant severely.^v

⁶Where there is an evil wife, a seal is a good thing;

and where there are many hands, lock things up.

⁷Whatever you deal out, let it be by number and weight,

and make a record of all that you give out or take in.

⁸Do not be ashamed to instruct the stupid or foolish

or the aged man who quarrels with the young.

Then you will be truly instructed,

and will be approved before all men.

⁹A daughter keeps her father secretly wakeful,

and worry over her robs him of sleep;

when she is young, lest she not marry,

or if married, lest she be hated;

¹⁰while a virgin, lest she be defiled

or become pregnant in her father’s house;

or having a husband, lest she prove unfaithful,

or, though married, lest she be barren.

¹¹Keep strict watch over a headstrong daughter,

lest she make you a laughingstock to your enemies,

a byword in the city and notorious^w among the people,

and put you to shame before the great multitude.

¹²Do not look upon any one for beauty,

and do not sit in the midst of women;

¹³for from garments comes the moth,

and from a woman comes woman’s wickedness.

¹⁴Better is the wickedness of a man than a woman who does good;

and it is a woman who brings shame and disgrace.

¹⁵I will now call to mind the works of the Lord,

and will declare what I have seen.

By the words of the Lord his works are done,

and in his will, justice is carried out.

¹⁶The sun looks down on everything with its light,

and the work of the Lord is full of his glory.

¹⁷The Lord has not enabled his holy ones

to recount all his marvelous works,

which the Lord the Almighty has established

that the universe may stand firm in his glory.

¹⁸He searches out the abyss, and the hearts of men,^x

and considers their crafty devices.

For the Most High knows all that may be known,

and he looks into the signs^y of the age.

¹⁹He declares what has been and what is to be,

and he reveals the tracks of hidden things.

²⁰No thought escapes him,

and not one word is hidden from him.

²¹He has ordained the splendors of his wisdom,

and he is from everlasting and to everlasting.

Nothing can be added or taken away,

and he needs no one to be his counselor.

²²How greatly to be desired are all his works,

and how sparkling they are to see!^z

²³All these things live and remain for ever

for every need, and are all obedient.

²⁴All things are twofold, one opposite the other,

and he has made nothing incomplete.

²⁵One confirms the good things of the other,

and who can have enough of beholding his glory?

God’s Greatness in Creation

43 The pride of the heavenly heights is the clear firmament,

the appearance of heaven in a spectacle of glory.

²The sun, when it appears, making proclamation as it goes forth,

is a marvelous instrument, the work of the Most High.

³At noon it parches the land;

and who can withstand its burning heat?

⁴A man tending^a a furnace works in burning heat,

but the sun burns the mountains three times as much;

it breathes out fiery vapors,

and with bright beams it blinds the eyes.

⁵Great is the Lord who made it;

and at his command it hastens on its course.

⁶He made the moon also, to serve in its season^b

to mark the times and to be an everlasting sign.

⁷From the moon comes the sign for feast days,

a light that wanes when it has reached the full.

⁸The month is named for the moon,

increasing marvelously in its phases,

an instrument of the hosts on high

shining forth in the firmament of heaven.

⁹The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven,

a gleaming array in the heights of the Lord.

¹⁰At the command of the Holy One they stand as ordered,

they never relax in their watches.

¹¹Look upon the rainbow, and praise him who made it,

exceedingly beautiful in its brightness.

¹²It encircles the heaven with its glorious arc;

the hands of the Most High have stretched it out.

¹³By his command he sends the driving snow

and speeds the lightning of his judgment.

¹⁴Therefore the storehouses are opened,

and the clouds fly forth like birds.

¹⁵In his majesty he amasses the clouds,

and the hailstones are broken in pieces.

¹⁶At his appearing the mountains are shaken;

at his will the south wind blows.

¹⁷The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth;

so do the tempest from the north and the whirlwind.

He scatters the snow like birds flying down,

and its descent is like locusts alighting.

¹⁸The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness,

and the mind is amazed at its falling.

¹⁹He pours the hoarfrost upon the earth like salt,

and when it freezes, it becomes pointed thorns.

²⁰The cold north wind blows,

and ice freezes over the water;

it rests upon every pool of water,

and the water puts it on like a breastplate.

²¹He consumes the mountains and burns up the wilderness,

and withers the tender grass like fire.

²²A mist quickly heals all things;

when the dew appears, it refreshes from the heat.

²³By his counsel he stilled the great deep

and planted islands in it.

²⁴Those who sail the sea tell of its dangers,

and we marvel at what we hear.

²⁵For in it are strange and marvelous works,

all kinds of living things, and huge creatures of the sea.

²⁶Because of him his messenger finds the way,

and by his word all things hold together.

²⁷Though we speak much we cannot reach the end,

and the sum of our words is: “He is the all.”

²⁸Where shall we find strength to praise him?

For he is greater than all his works.

²⁹Terrible is the Lord and very great,

and marvelous is his power.

³⁰When you praise the Lord, exalt him as much as you can;

for he will surpass even that.

When you exalt him, put forth all your strength,

and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough.

³¹Who has seen him and can describe him?

Or who can extol him as he is?

³²Many things greater than these lie hidden,

for we have seen but few of his works.

³³For the Lord has made all things,

and to the godly he has granted wisdom.

Praise of Our Fathers

44 Let us now praise famous men,

and our fathers in their generations.

²The Lord apportioned to them^c great glory,

his majesty from the beginning.

³There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,

and were men renowned for their power,

giving counsel by their understanding,

and proclaiming prophecies;

⁴leaders of the people in their deliberations

and in understanding of learning for the people,

wise in their words of instruction;

⁵those who composed musical tunes,

and set forth verses in writing;

⁶rich men furnished with resources,

living peaceably in their habitations—

⁷all these were honored in their generations,

and were the glory of their times.

⁸There are some of them who have left a name,

so that men declare their praise.

⁹And there are some who have no memorial,

who have perished as though they had not lived;

they have become as though they had not been born,

and so have their children after them.

¹⁰But these were men of mercy,

whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;

¹¹their prosperity will remain with their descendants,

and their inheritance to their children’s children.^d

¹²Their descendants stand by the covenants;

their children also, for their sake.

¹³Their posterity will continue for ever,

and their glory will not be blotted out.

¹⁴Their bodies were buried in peace,

and their name lives to all generations.

¹⁵Peoples will declare their wisdom,

and the congregation proclaims their praise.

¹⁶E'noch pleased the Lord, and was taken up;

he was an example of repentance to all generations.

¹⁷Noah was found perfect and righteous;

in the time of wrath he was taken in exchange;

therefore a remnant was left to the earth

when the flood came.

¹⁸Everlasting covenants were made with him

that all flesh should not be blotted out by a flood.

¹⁹Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations,

and no one has been found like him in glory;

²⁰he kept the law of the Most High,

and was taken into covenant with him;

he established the covenant in his flesh,

and when he was tested he was found faithful.

²¹Therefore the Lord^e assured him by an oath

that the nations would be blessed through his posterity;

that he would multiply him like the dust of the earth,

and exalt his posterity like the stars,

and cause them to inherit from sea to sea

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

²²To Isaac also he gave the same assurance

for the sake of Abraham his father.

²³The blessing of all men and the covenant

he made to rest upon the head of Jacob;

he acknowledged him with his blessings,

and gave him his inheritance;^f

he determined his portions,

and distributed them among twelve tribes.

45 From his descendants the Lord^g brought forth a man of mercy,

who found favor in the sight of all flesh

and was beloved by God and man,

Moses, whose memory is blessed.

²He made him equal in glory to the holy ones,

and made him great in the fears of his enemies.

³By his words he caused signs to cease;

the Lord^g glorified him in the presence of kings.

He gave him commands for his people,

and showed him part of his glory.

⁴He sanctified him through faithfulness and meekness;

he chose him out of all mankind.

⁵He made him hear his voice,

and led him into the thick darkness,

and gave him the commandments face to face,

the law of life and knowledge,

to teach Jacob the covenant,

and Israel his judgments.

⁶He exalted Aaron, the brother of Moses,^h

a holy man like him, of the tribe of Levi.

⁷He made an everlasting covenant with him,

and gave him the priesthood of the people.

He blessed him with splendid vestments,

and put a glorious robe upon him.

⁸He clothed him with superb perfection,

and strengthened him with the symbols of authority,

the linen breeches, the long robe, and the ephod.

⁹And he encircled him with pomegranates,

with very many golden bells round about,

to send forth a sound as he walked,

to make their ringing heard in the temple

as a reminder to the sons of his people;

¹⁰with a holy garment, of gold and blue

and purple, the work of an embroiderer;

with the oracle of judgment, U'rim and Thummim;

¹¹ with twisted scarlet, the work of a craftsman;

with precious stones engraved like signets,

in a setting of gold, the work of a jeweler,

for a reminder, in engraved letters,

according to the number of the tribes of Israel;

¹²with a gold crown upon his turban,

inscribed like a signet with “Holiness,”

a distinction to be prized, the work of an expert,

the delight of the eyes, richly adorned.

¹³Before his time there never were such beautiful things.

No outsider ever put them on,

but only his sons

and his descendants perpetually.

¹⁴His sacrifices shall be wholly burned

twice every day continually.

¹⁵Moses ordained him,

and anointed him with holy oil;

it was an everlasting covenant for him

and for his descendants all the days of heaven,

to minister to the Lordⁱ and serve as priest

and bless his people in his name.

¹⁶He 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 people.^j

¹⁷In his commandments he gave him

authority in statutes and^k judgments,

to teach Jacob the testimonies,

and to enlighten Israel with his law.

¹⁸Outsiders conspired against him,

and envied him in the wilderness,

Da'than and Abi'ram and their men

and the company of Ko'rah, in wrath and anger.

¹⁹The Lord saw it and was not pleased,

and in the wrath of his anger they were destroyed;

he wrought wonders against them

to consume them in flaming fire.

²⁰He added glory to Aaron

and gave him a heritage;

he allotted to him the first of the first fruits,

he prepared bread of first fruits in abundance;

²¹for they eat the sacrifices to the Lord,

which he gave to him and his descendants.

²²But in the land of the people he has no inheritance,

and he has no portion among the people;

for the Lord^l himself is his^m portion and inheritance.

²³Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar is the third in glory,

for he was zealous in the fear of the Lord,

and stood fast, when the people turned away,

in the ready goodness of his soul,

and made atonement for Israel.

²⁴Therefore a covenant of peace 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 for ever.

²⁵A covenant was also established with David,

the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah:

the heritage of the king is from son to son only;

so the heritage of Aaron is for his descendants.

²⁶May the Lordⁿ grant you wisdom in your heart

to judge his people in righteousness,

so that their prosperity may not vanish,

and that their glory may endure throughout their generations.^o

46 Joshua the son of Nun was mighty in war,

and was the successor of Moses in prophesying.

He became, in accordance with his name,

a great savior of God’s^p elect,

to take vengeance on the enemies that rose against them,

so that he might give Israel its inheritance.

²How glorious he was when he lifted his hands

and stretched out his sword against the cities!

³Who before him ever stood so firm?

For he waged the wars of the Lord.

⁴Was not the sun held back by his hand?

And did not one day become as long as two?

⁵He called upon the Most High, the Mighty One,

when enemies pressed him on every side,

⁶and the great Lord answered him

with hailstones of mighty power.

He hurled down war upon that nation,

and at the descent of Beth-ho'ron^q he destroyed those who resisted,

so that the nations might know his armament,

that he was fighting in the sight of the Lord;

for he wholly followed the Mighty One.

⁷And in the days of Moses he did a loyal deed,

he and Caleb the son of Jephun'neh:

they withstood the congregation,^r

restrained the people from sin,

and stilled their wicked murmuring.

⁸And these two alone were preserved

out of six hundred thousand people on foot,

to bring them into their inheritance,

into a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁹And the Lord gave Caleb strength,

which remained with him to old age,

so that he went up to the hill country,

and his children obtained it for an inheritance;

¹⁰so that all the sons of Israel might see

that it is good to follow the Lord.

¹¹The judges also, with their respective names,

those whose hearts did not fall into idolatry

and who did not turn away from the Lord—

may their memory be blessed!

¹²May their bones revive from where they lie,

and may the name of those who have been honored

live again in their sons!

¹³Samuel, beloved by his Lord,

a prophet of the Lord, established the kingdom

and anointed rulers over his people.

¹⁴By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation,

and the Lord watched over Jacob.

¹⁵By his faithfulness he was proved to be a prophet,

and by his words he became known as a trustworthy seer.

¹⁶He called upon the Lord, the Mighty One,

when his enemies pressed him on every side,

and he offered in sacrifice a sucking lamb.

¹⁷Then the Lord thundered from heaven,

and made his voice heard with a mighty sound;

¹⁸and he wiped out the leaders of the people of Tyre

and all the rulers of the Philis'tines.

¹⁹Before the time of his eternal sleep,

Samuel^s called men to witness before the Lord and his anointed:

“I have not taken any one’s property,

not so much as a pair of shoes.”

And no man accused him.

²⁰Even after he had fallen asleep he prophesied

and revealed to the king his death,

and lifted up his voice out of the earth in prophecy,

to blot out the wickedness of the people.

47 And after him Nathan rose up

to prophesy in the days of David.

²As the fat is selected from the peace offering,

so David was selected from the sons of Israel.

³He played with lions as with young goats,

and with bears as with lambs of the flock.

⁴In his youth did he not kill a giant,

and take away reproach from the people,

when he lifted his hand with a stone in the sling

and struck down the boasting of Goliath?

⁵For he appealed to the Lord, the Most High,

and he gave him strength in his right hand

to slay a man mighty in war,

to exalt the power^t of his people.

⁶So they glorified him for his ten thousands,

and praised him for the blessings of the Lord,

when the glorious diadem was bestowed upon him.

⁷For he wiped out his enemies on every side,

and annihilated his adversaries the Philis'tines;

he crushed their power^t even to this day.

⁸In all that he did he gave thanks

to the Holy One, the Most High, with ascriptions of glory;

he sang praise with all his heart,

and he loved his Maker.

⁹He placed singers before the altar,

to make sweet melody with their voices.

¹⁰He gave beauty to the feasts,

and arranged their times throughout the year,^u

while they praised God’s^v holy name,

and the sanctuary resounded from early morning.

¹¹The Lord took away his sins,

and exalted his power^w for ever;

he gave him the covenant of kings

and a throne of glory in Israel.

¹²After him rose up a wise son

who fared amply^x because of him;

¹³Solomon reigned in days of peace,

and God gave him rest on every side,

that he might build a house for his name

and prepare a sanctuary to stand for ever.

¹⁴How wise you became in your youth!

You overflowed like a river with understanding.

¹⁵Your soul covered the earth,

and you filled it with parables and riddles.

¹⁶Your name reached to far-off islands,

and you were loved for your peace.

¹⁷For your songs and proverbs and parables,

and for your interpretations, the countries marveled at you.

¹⁸In the name of the Lord God,

who is called the God of Israel,

you gathered gold like tin

and amassed silver like lead.

¹⁹But you laid your loins beside women,

and through your body you were brought into subjection.

²⁰You put stain upon your honor,

and defiled your posterity,

so that you brought wrath upon your children

and they were grieved^y at your folly,

²¹so that the sovereignty was divided

and a disobedient kingdom arose out of E'phraim.

²²But the Lord will never give up his mercy,

nor cause any of his works to perish;

he will never blot out the descendants of his chosen one,

nor destroy the posterity of him who loved him;

so he gave a remnant to Jacob,

and to David a root of his stock.

²³Solomon rested with his fathers,

and left behind him one of his sons,

ample in^z folly and lacking in understanding,

Rehobo'am, whose policy caused the people to revolt.

Also Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, who caused Israel to sin

and gave to E'phraim a sinful way.

²⁴Their sins became exceedingly many,

so as to remove them from their land.

²⁵For they sought out every sort of wickedness,

till vengeance came upon them.

48 Then the prophet Eli'jah arose like a fire,

and his word burned like a torch.

²He brought a famine upon them,

and by his zeal he made them few in number.

³By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens,

and also three times brought down fire.

⁴How glorious you were, O Eli'jah, in your wondrous deeds!

And who has the right to boast which you have?

⁵You who raised a corpse from death

and from Hades, by the word of the Most High;

⁶who brought kings down to destruction,

and famous men from their beds,

and easily destroyed their dominion;

⁷who heard rebuke at Sinai

and judgments of vengeance at Horeb;

⁸who anointed kings to inflict retribution,

and prophets to succeed you.^a

⁹You who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire,

in a chariot with horses of fire;

¹⁰you who are ready^b at the appointed time, it is written,

to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury,

to turn the heart of the father to the son,

and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

¹¹Blessed are those who saw you,

and those who have fallen asleep^c in your love;

for we also shall surely live,

but our name, after death, will not be such.^d

¹²It was Eli'jah who was covered by the whirlwind,

and Eli'sha was filled with his spirit;

in all his days he did not tremble before any ruler,

and no one brought him into subjection.

¹³Nothing was too hard for him,

and when he was dead his body prophesied.

¹⁴As in his life he did wonders,

so in death his deeds were marvelous.

¹⁵For all this the people did not repent,

and they did not forsake their sins,

till they were carried away captive from their land

and were scattered over all the earth;

the people were left very few in number,

but with rulers from the house of David.

¹⁶Some of them did what was pleasing to God,^e

but others multiplied sins.

¹⁷Hezeki'ah fortified his city,

and brought water into the midst of it;

he tunneled the sheer rock with iron

and built pools for water.

¹⁸In his days Sennach'erib came up,

and sent the Rab'shakeh;^f

he lifted up his hand against Zion

and made great boasts in his arrogance.

¹⁹Then their hearts were shaken and their hands trembled,

and they were in anguish, like women with labor pains.

²⁰But they called upon the Lord who is merciful,

spreading forth their hands toward him;

and the Holy One quickly heard them from heaven,

and delivered them by the hand of Isaiah.

²¹The Lord^g struck the camp of the Assyrians,

and his angel wiped them out.

²²For Hezeki'ah did what was pleasing to the Lord,

and he held strongly to the ways of David his father,

which Isai'ah the prophet commanded,

who was great and faithful in his vision.

²³In his days the sun went backward,

and he lengthened the life of the king.

²⁴By the spirit of might he saw the last things,

and comforted those who mourned in Zion.

²⁵He revealed what was to occur to the end of time,

and the hidden things before they came to pass.

49 The memory of Josi'ah is like a blending of incense

prepared by the art of the perfumer;

it is sweet as honey to every mouth,

and like music at a banquet of wine.

²He was led aright in converting the people,

and took away the abominations of iniquity.

³He set his heart upon the Lord;

in the days of wicked men he strengthened godliness.

⁴Except David and Hezeki'ah and Josi'ah

they all sinned greatly,

for they forsook the law of the Most High;

the kings of Judah came to an end;

⁵for they gave their power to others,

and their glory to a foreign nation,

⁶who set fire to the chosen city of the sanctuary,

and made her streets desolate,

according to the word^h of Jeremi'ah.

⁷For they had afflicted him;

yet he had been consecrated in the womb as prophet,

to pluck up and afflict and destroy,

and likewise to build and to plant.

⁸It was Ezek'iel who saw the vision of glory

which Godⁱ showed him above the chariot of the cherubim.

⁹For Godⁱ remembered his enemies with storm,

and did good to those who directed their ways rightly.^j

¹⁰May the bones of the twelve prophets

revive from where they lie,

for they comforted the people of Jacob

and delivered them with confident hope.

¹¹How shall we magnify Zerub'babel?

He was like a signet on the right hand,

¹² and so was Jesh'ua the son of Jo'zadak;

in their days they built the house

and raised a temple^k holy to the Lord,

prepared for everlasting glory.

¹³The memory of Nehemi'ah also is lasting;

he raised for us the walls that had fallen,

and set up the gates and bars

and rebuilt our ruined houses.

¹⁴No one like E'noch has been created on earth,

for he was taken up from the earth.

¹⁵And no man like Joseph^l has been born,

and his bones are cared for.

¹⁶Shem and Seth were honored among men,

and Adam above every living being in the creation.

Simon Son of Onias; a Benediction, and an Epilogue

50 The leader of his brethren and the pride of his people^m

was Simon the high priest, son of Oni'as,

who in his life repaired the house,

and in his time fortified the temple.

²He laid the foundations for the high double walls,ⁿ

the high retaining walls for the temple enclosure.

³In his days a cistern for water was quarried out,^o

a reservoir like the sea in circumference.

⁴He considered how to save his people from ruin,

and fortified the city to withstand a seige.

⁵How glorious he was when the people gathered round him

as he came out of the inner sanctuary!^p

⁶Like the morning star among the clouds,

like the moon when it is full;

⁷like the sun shining upon the temple of the Most High,

and like the rainbow gleaming in glorious clouds;

⁸like roses in the days of the first fruits,

like lilies by a spring of water,

like a green shoot on Lebanon^q on a summer day;

⁹like fire and incense in the censer,

like a vessel of hammered gold

adorned with all kinds of precious stones;

¹⁰like an olive tree putting forth its fruit,

and like a cypress towering in the clouds.

¹¹When he put on his glorious robe

and clothed himself with superb perfection

and went up to the holy altar,

he made the court of the sanctuary glorious.

¹²And when he received the portions from the hands of the priests,

as he stood by the hearth of the altar

with a garland of brethren around him,

he was like a young cedar on Lebanon;

and they surrounded him like the trunks of palm trees,

¹³ all the sons of Aaron in their splendor

with the Lord’s offering in their hands,

before the whole congregation of Israel.

¹⁴Finishing the service at the altars,

and arranging the offering to the Most High, the Almighty,

¹⁵he reached out his hand to the cup

and poured a libation 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.

¹⁶Then the sons of Aaron shouted,

they sounded the trumpets of hammered work,

they made a great noise to be heard

for remembrance before the Most High.

¹⁷Then all the people together made haste

and fell to the ground upon their faces

to worship their Lord,

the Almighty, God Most High.

¹⁸And the singers praised him with their voices

in sweet and full-toned melody.^r

¹⁹And the people besought the Lord Most High

in prayer before him who is merciful,

till the order of worship of the Lord was ended;

so they completed his service.

²⁰Then Simon^s came down, and lifted up his hands

over the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,

to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips,

and to glory in his name;

²¹and they bowed down in worship a second time,

to receive the blessing from the Most High.

²²And now bless the God of all,

who in every way does great things;

who exalts our days from birth,

and deals with us according to his mercy.

²³May he give us^t gladness of heart,

and grant that peace may be in our days in Israel,

as in the days of old,

²⁴that Israel may believe that the God of mercy is with us

to deliver us in our^u days!

²⁵With two nations my soul is vexed,

and the third is no nation:

²⁶Those who live on Mount Se'ir,^v and the Philis'tines,

and the foolish people that dwell in She'chem.

²⁷Instruction in understanding and knowledge

I have written in this book,

Jesus the son of Si'rach, son of Elea'zar,^w of Jerusalem,

who out of his heart poured forth wisdom.

²⁸Blessed is he who concerns himself with these things,

and he who lays them to heart will become wise.

²⁹For if he does them, he will be strong for all things,

for the light of the Lord is his path.

The Search for Wisdom

51 I will give thanks to you, O Lord and King,

and will praise you as God my Savior.

I give thanks to your name,

² for you have been my protector and helper

and have delivered my body from destruction

and from the snare of a slanderous tongue,

from lips that utter lies.

Before those who stood by

you were my helper, ³and delivered me,

in the greatness of your mercy and of your name,

from the gnashings of teeth about to devour me,^x

from the hand of those who sought my life,

from the many afflictions that I endured,

⁴from choking fire on every side

and from the midst of fire which I did not kindle,

⁵from the depths of the belly of Hades,

from an unclean tongue and lying words—

⁶ the slander of an unrighteous tongue to the king.

My soul drew near to death,

and my life was very near to Hades beneath.

⁷They surrounded me on every side,

and there was no one to help me;

I looked for the assistance of men,

and there was none.

⁸Then I remembered your mercy, O Lord,

and your work from of old,

that you deliver those who wait for you

and save them from the hand of their enemies.

⁹And I sent up my supplication from the earth,

and prayed for deliverance from death.

¹⁰I appealed to the Lord, the Father of my lord,

not to forsake me in the days of affliction,

at the time when there is no help against the proud.

¹¹I will praise your name continually,

and will sing praise with thanksgiving.

My prayer was heard,

¹² for you saved me from destruction

and rescued me from an evil plight.

Therefore I will give thanks to you and praise you,

and I will bless the name of the Lord.

¹³While I was still young, before I went on my travels,

I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.

¹⁴Before the temple I asked for her,

and I will search for her to the last.

¹⁵From blossom to^y ripening grape

my heart delighted in her;

my foot entered upon the straight path;

from my youth I followed her steps.

¹⁶I inclined my ear a little and received her,

and I found for myself much instruction.

¹⁷I made progress therein;

to him who gives wisdom I will give glory.

¹⁸For I resolved to live according to wisdom,^z

and I was zealous for the good;

and I shall never be put to shame.

¹⁹My soul grappled with wisdom,^z

and in my conduct I was strict;^a

I spread out my hands to the heavens,

and lamented my ignorance of her.

²⁰I directed my soul to her,

and through purification I found her.

I gained understanding^b with her from the first,

therefore I will not be forsaken.

²¹My heart was stirred to seek her,

therefore I have gained a good possession.

²²The Lord gave me a tongue as my reward,

and I will praise him with it.

²³Draw near to me, you who are untaught,

and lodge in my school.

²⁴Why do you say you are lacking in these things,^c

and why are your souls very thirsty?

²⁵I opened my mouth and said,

Get these things^d for yourselves without money.

²⁶Put your neck under the yoke,

and let your souls receive instruction;

it is to be found close by.

²⁷See with your eyes that I have labored little

and found for myself much rest.

²⁸Get instruction with a large sum of silver,

and you will gain by it much gold.

²⁹May your soul rejoice in his mercy,

and may you not be put to shame when you praise him.

³⁰Do your work before the appointed time,

and in God’s^e time he will give you your reward.