Jul 31 - Sirach 49-52
Sirach
1The memory of Josiah is like a blend of fragrances composed by the work of a perfumer2His remembrance will be sweet like honey in every mouth, and like music at a banquet of wine3He was divinely directed for the repentance of the nation, and he took away the abominations of impiety4And he guided his heart toward the Lord. And during the days of sinners, he strengthened piety5Other than David, and Hezekiah, and Josiah, everyone committed sin6For the kings of Judah abandoned the law of the Most High, and they held contempt for the fear of God7For they gave their kingdom to foreigners, and their glory to a strange people8They set fire to the chosen city of sanctity, and they made its streets desolate, in accord with the hand of Jeremiah9For they treated him wickedly, though he was consecrated as a prophet from his mother’s womb: to overthrow, and to root out, and to destroy, and also to rebuild and to renew10It was Ezekiel who saw a vision of glory, which was revealed to him with the chariot of the Cherubim11For it called to mind the enemies under the figure of rain, to do good to those who have revealed the upright ways12And may the bones of the twelve prophets spring up from their place. For they strengthened Jacob, and they redeemed themselves with a virtuous faith13How will we magnify Zerubbabel? For he, too, was like a signet on the right hand14So also was Jesus, the son of Jozadak, who in their days built the house, and raised up a holy temple to the Lord, as a preparation for everlasting glory15And may Nehemiah be remembered for a long time. He raised up for us the walls that had been torn down. And he made firm the gates and the bars. He raised up our houses16No one has been born upon the earth like Enoch. And he was also taken up from the earth17And there was no one like Joseph, who was a man born to be foremost among his brothers, the firmament of his clan, a guide to his brethren, the mainstay of his people18And his bones were visited, and after death, they prophesied19Shem and Seth obtained glory among men. And above every soul, at the very beginning, was Adam
1Simon, the high priest, son of Onias: in his life, he propped up the house, and in his days, he strengthened the temple2Even the height of the temple was established by him: the double building and the high walls of the temple3In his days, waters flowed out from the wells, and these were full beyond measure, like the sea4He cared for his nation, and he freed it from perdition5He prevailed, so as to enlarge the city. And he obtained glory by his behavior among the people. And he enlarged the entrance of the house and of the atrium6He shined in his days like the morning star through the midst of a cloud, and like the full moon7And he shined forth in the temple of God in this manner: like the sun when it shines brightly8and like a rainbow shining amid clouds of glory, and like flowering roses in the days of spring, and like lilies along the water’s edge, and like sweet smelling frankincense in the days of summer9like a fire shining brightly, and like frankincense burning within a fire10like a vessel of solid gold, adorned with every precious stone11like an olive tree producing buds, and like a cypress tree lifting itself on high, when he received the robe of glory and was vested with the consummation of virtue12He gave glory to the vestment of sanctity, when he ascended to the holy altar13Then, when he received the portions from the hands of the priests, he himself stood next to the altar. And around him was the crown of his brethren, like a cedar planted on a mountain of Lebanon14And they stood around him like palm branches, and all were sons of Aaron in their glory15Then the oblation of the Lord was in their hands, in the sight of the entire synagogue of Israel. And completing his service at the altar, so as to magnify the offering to the Most High King16he extended his hand to make a libation, and he offered from the blood of the grape17At the base of the altar, he poured out a divine fragrance to the Most High Prince18Then the sons of Aaron shouted; they sounded finely-made trumpets, and they made a great noise, as a memorial in the sight of God19Then all the people at once hurried forward, and they fell to the ground on their faces, to adore the Lord their God, and to offer prayers to Almighty God Most High20And the singers of Psalms raised their voices, and a full sweet sound increased in the great house21And the people petitioned the Most High Lord in prayer, even until the honor of the Lord was completed, and they finished offering their gifts22Then, descending, he extended his hands over the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, to give glory to God from his lips, and to glory in his name23And he repeated his prayer, wanting to reveal the virtue of God24And now, pray to the God of all, who has accomplished great things over all the earth, who has increased our days from our mother’s womb, and who has acted toward us in accord with his mercy25May he give us joyfulness in heart, and may there be peace in our days, in Israel for unending days26so that Israel may trust the mercy of God to be with us, in order to free us in his days27Two nations my soul hates, and a third, which I hate, is not a nation28those who sit upon mount Seir, and the Philistines, and the foolish people who live at Shechem29Jesus, the son of Sirach, of Jerusalem, who renewed wisdom from his heart, wrote the doctrine of wisdom and discipline in this book30Blessed is he who lives by these good things. Whoever places these things in his heart will be ever wise31For if he does these things, he will prevail in all things. For the light of God is upon his footsteps
1The prayer of Jesus, the son of Sirach: I will confess to you, O Lord and King, and I will give praise to you, O God my Saviour2I will acknowledge your name. For you have been my Helper and Protector3And you have freed my body from perdition, from the snare of the iniquitous tongue, and from the lips of those who forge lies. And you have been my Helper in the sight of those who stood nearby4And you have freed me according to the multitude of the mercy of your name: from those who roared and prepared to devour5from the hands of those who sought my life, and from the gates of tribulation that surrounded me6from the oppression of the flames that surrounded me, and so I was not burned in the midst of the fire7from the depths of the bowels of hell, and from the defiled tongue, and from lying words, from an iniquitous king, and from an unjust tongue8My soul shall praise the Lord, even unto death9For my life was drawing near to hell below10And they surrounded me on every side. And there was no one who would help me. I looked around for the assistance of men, and there was none11Then I remembered your mercy, O Lord, and your works, which are from the very beginning12For you rescue those who persevere for you, O Lord, and you free them from the hands of the Gentiles13You exalted my habitation upon the earth, and I made supplication that death would pass away14I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, so that he would not abandon me in the day of my tribulation, nor in the time of arrogance without assistance15I will praise your name unceasingly, and I will praise it with thanksgiving, for my prayer was heeded16And you freed me from perdition, and you rescued me from the time of iniquity17Because of this, I will give thanks and praise to you, and I will bless the name of the Lord18When I was still young, before I wandered astray, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer19I asked for her before the temple, and even to the very end, I will inquire after her. And she flourished like a newly-ripened grape20My heart rejoiced in her. My feet walked in the right path. From my youth, I pursued her21I bent my ear a little and accepted her22I found much wisdom within myself, and I benefited greatly by her23I will give glory to him who gives wisdom to me24For I have decided that I should act according to wisdom. I have been zealous for what is good, and so I will not be confounded25My soul has struggled for wisdom, and in doing so, I have been confirmed26I extended my hands on high, and I mourned my ignorance of her27I directed my soul toward her, and I found her within knowledge28From the beginning, I held my heart to wisdom. Because of this, I will not be forsaken29My stomach was stirred up while seeking her. Because of her, I will hold a good possession30The Lord has given me a tongue as my reward, and I will praise him with it31Draw near to me, you who are untaught, and gather yourselves into the house of discipline32Why are you reluctant? And what do you have to say about these things? Your souls are exceedingly thirsty33I have opened my mouth, and I have spoken. Buy wisdom for yourselves without silver34and subject your neck to her yoke, and let your soul accept her discipline. For she is close enough to be found35See with your own eyes how I have labored only a little, and have found much rest for myself36Take up discipline, as if it were a great sum of money, and possess an abundance of gold in her37Let your soul rejoice in his mercy. For you will not be confounded by his praise38Accomplish your work before the time. And he will give you your reward in his time
1The wisdom of many great things has been revealed to us through the law, and the prophets, and the other books that followed these. Concerning these things, Israel ought to be praised, because of doctrine and wisdom. For it is necessary, not only for those who are speaking, but even for outsiders, to be skillful, both in speaking and in writing, so as to become very learned2My grandfather Jesus, after he gave himself fully to a diligent reading of the law, and the prophets, and the other books that were handed down to us by our ancestors, also wanted to write something himself, about the things that pertain to doctrine and wisdom, so that those who desire to learn and to become skillful in these things would be more and more attentive in mind, and would be strengthened to live according to the law3And so, I exhort you to approach with benevolence, and to perform the reading with attentive study, and to be forbearing in these things when we may seem, while pursuing the image of wisdom, to fall short in the composition of words4For the Hebrew words are deficient when they have been translated into another language.5And not only these words, but also the law itself, and the prophets, and the remainder of the books, have no small difference from when they have been spoken in their own language6For in the time of king Ptolemy Euergetes, in the thirty-eighth year after I had arrived in Egypt, after I had been there for a long time, I found, left behind there, books with a doctrine neither small nor contemptible7And so I considered it to be both good and necessary for me to apply some significant diligence and labor in order to translate this book8Then, after much attentiveness to doctrine over a length of time, I brought to a close the things being considered, so as to offer this book for those who are willing to apply their mind and to learn how they ought to conduct their way of life9for those who have decided to form their life in accord with the law of the Lord