Sirach 16

Apo

1 Desire not a multitude of unprofitable children, neither delight in ungodly sons.

2 Though they multiply, rejoice not in them, except the fear of the Lord be with them.

3 Trust not thou in their life, neither respect their multitude: for one that is just is better than a thousand; and better it is to die without children, than to have them that are ungodly.

4 For by one that hath understanding shall the city be replenished: but the kindred of the wicked shall speedily become desolate.

5 Many such things have I seen with mine eyes, and mine ear hath heard greater things than these.

6 In the congregation of the ungodly shall a fire be kindled; and in a rebellious nation wrath is set on fire.

7 He was not pacified toward the old giants, who fell away in the strength of their foolishness.

8 Neither spared he the place where Lot sojourned, but abhorred them for their pride.

9 He pitied not the people of perdition, who were taken away in their sins:

10 Nor the six hundred thousand footmen, who were gathered together in the hardness of their hearts.

11 And if there be one stiffnecked among the people, it is marvel if he escape unpunished: for mercy and wrath are with him; he is mighty to forgive, and to pour out displeasure.

12 As his mercy is great, so is his correction also: he judgeth a man according to his works

13 The sinner shall not escape with his spoils: and the patience of the godly shall not be frustrate.

14 Make way for every work of mercy: for every man shall find according to his works.

15 The Lord hardened Pharaoh, that he should not know him, that his powerful works might be known to the world.

16 His mercy is manifest to every creature; and he hath separated his light from the darkness with an adamant.

17 Say not thou, I will hide myself from the Lord: shall any remember me from above? I shall not be remembered among so many people: for what is my soul among such an infinite number of creatures?

18 Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the deep, and the earth, and all that therein is, shall be moved when he shall visit.

19 The mountains also and foundations of the earth be shaken with trembling, when the Lord looketh upon them.

20 No heart can think upon these things worthily: and who is able to conceive his ways?

21 It is a tempest which no man can see: for the most part of his works are hid.

22 Who can declare the works of his justice? or who can endure them? for his covenant is afar off, and the trial of all things is in the end.

23 He that wanteth understanding will think upon vain things: and a foolish man erring imagineth follies.

24 by son, hearken unto me, and learn knowledge, and mark my words with thy heart.

25 I will shew forth doctrine in weight, and declare his knowledge exactly.

26 The works of the Lord are done in judgment from the beginning: and from the time he made them he disposed the parts thereof.

27 He garnished his works for ever, and in his hand are the chief of them unto all generations: they neither labour, nor are weary, nor cease from their works.

28 None of them hindereth another, and they shall never disobey his word.

29 After this the Lord looked upon the earth, and filled it with his blessings.

30 With all manner of living things hath he covered the face thereof; and they shall return into it again.

Sep

1 μὴ ἐπιθύμει τέκνων πλῆθος ἀχρήστων μηδὲ εὐφραίνου ἐπὶ υἱοῖς ἀσεβέσιν

2 ἐὰν πληθύνωσιν μὴ εὐφραίνου ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς εἰ μή ἐστιν φόβος κυρίου μετ᾽ αὐτῶν

3 μὴ ἐμπιστεύσῃς τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἔπεχε ἐπὶ τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν κρείσσων γὰρ εἷς ἢ χίλιοι καὶ ἀποθανεῖν ἄτεκνον ἢ ἔχειν τέκνα ἀσεβῆ

4 ἀπὸ γὰρ ἑνὸς συνετοῦ συνοικισθήσεται πόλις φυλὴ δὲ ἀνόμων ἐρημωθήσεται

5 πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἑόρακεν ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου καὶ ἰσχυρότερα τούτων ἀκήκοεν τὸ οὖς μου

6 ἐν συναγωγῇ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐκκαυθήσεται πῦρ καὶ ἐν ἔθνει ἀπειθεῖ ἐξεκαύθη ὀργή

7 οὐκ ἐξιλάσατο περὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων γιγάντων οἳ ἀπέστησαν τῇ ἰσχύι αὐτῶν

8 οὐκ ἐφείσατο περὶ τῆς παροικίας Λωτ οὓς ἐβδελύξατο διὰ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν αὐτῶν

9 οὐκ ἠλέησεν ἔθνος ἀπωλείας τοὺς ἐξηρμένους ἐν ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν

10 καὶ οὕτως ἑξακοσίας χιλιάδας πεζῶν τοὺς ἐπισυναχθέντας ἐν σκληροκαρδίᾳ αὐτῶν

11 κἂν ᾖ εἷς σκληροτράχηλος θαυμαστὸν τοῦτο εἰ ἀθῳωθήσεται ἔλεος γὰρ καὶ ὀργὴ παρ᾽ αὐτῷ δυνάστης ἐξιλασμῶν καὶ ἐκχέων ὀργήν

12 κατὰ τὸ πολὺ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ οὕτως καὶ πολὺς ὁ ἔλεγχος αὐτοῦ ἄνδρα κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ κρινεῖ

13 οὐκ ἐκφεύξεται ἐν ἁρπάγματι ἁμαρτωλός καὶ οὐ μὴ καθυστερήσει ὑπομονὴ εὐσεβοῦς

14 πάσῃ ἐλεημοσύνῃ ποιήσει τόπον ἕκαστος κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσει

17 μὴ εἴπῃς ὅτι ἀπὸ κυρίου κρυβήσομαι καὶ ἐξ ὕψους τίς μου μνησθήσεται ἐν λαῷ πλείονι οὐ μὴ γνωσθῶ τίς γὰρ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ἀμετρήτῳ κτίσει

18 ἰδοὺ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἄβυσσος καὶ γῆ ἐν τῇ ἐπισκοπῇ αὐτοῦ σαλευθήσονται

19 ἅμα τὰ ὄρη καὶ τὰ θεμέλια τῆς γῆς ἐν τῷ ἐπιβλέψαι εἰς αὐτὰ τρόμῳ συσσείονται

20 καὶ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς οὐ διανοηθήσεται καρδία καὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ τίς ἐνθυμηθήσεται

21 καὶ καταιγίς ἣν οὐκ ὄψεται ἄνθρωπος τὰ δὲ πλείονα τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀποκρύφοις

22 ἔργα δικαιοσύνης τίς ἀναγγελεῖ ἢ τίς ὑπομενεῖ μακρὰν γὰρ ἡ διαθήκη

23 ἐλαττούμενος καρδίᾳ διανοεῖται ταῦτα καὶ ἀνὴρ ἄφρων καὶ πλανώμενος διανοεῖται μωρά

24 ἄκουσόν μου τέκνον καὶ μάθε ἐπιστήμην καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λόγων μου πρόσεχε τῇ καρδίᾳ σου

25 ἐκφανῶ ἐν σταθμῷ παιδείαν καὶ ἐν ἀκριβείᾳ ἀπαγγελῶ ἐπιστήμην

26 ἐν κρίσει κυρίου τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἀπὸ ποιήσεως αὐτῶν διέστειλεν μερίδας αὐτῶν

27 ἐκόσμησεν εἰς αἰῶνα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς αὐτῶν εἰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν οὔτε ἐπείνασαν οὔτε ἐκοπίασαν καὶ οὐκ ἐξέλιπον ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν

28 ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐξέθλιψεν καὶ ἕως αἰῶνος οὐκ ἀπειθήσουσιν τοῦ ῥήματος αὐτοῦ

29 καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα κύριος εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐπέβλεψεν καὶ ἐνέπλησεν αὐτὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν αὐτοῦ

30 ψυχῇ παντὸς ζῴου ἐκάλυψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτῶν

Vul

1 [Ne jucunderis in filiis impiis, si multiplicentur:
nec oblecteris super ipsos, si non est timor Dei in illis.

2 Non credas vitæ illorum,
et ne respexeris in labores eorum.

3 Melior est enim unus timens Deum,
quam mille filii impii:

4 et utile est mori sine filiis,
quam relinquere filios impios.

5 Ab uno sensato inhabitabitur patria:
tribus impiorum deseretur.

6 Multa talia vidit oculis meus,
et fortiora horum audivit auris mea.

7 In synagoga peccantium exardebit ignis,
et in gente incredibili exardescet ira.

8 Non exoraverunt pro peccatis suis antiqui gigantes,
qui destructi sunt confidentes suæ virtuti.

9 Et non pepercit peregrinationi Lot,
et execratus est eos præ superbia verbi illorum.

10 Non misertus est illis, gentem totam perdens,
et extollentem se in peccatis suis.

11 Et sicut sexcenta millia peditum,
qui congregati sunt in duritia cordis sui:
et si unus fuisset cervicatus,
mirum si fuisset immunis.

12 Misericordia enim et ira est cum illo:
potens exoratio, et effundens iram.

13 Secundum misericordiam suam,
sic correptio illius homines secundum opera sua judicat.

14 Non effugiet in rapina peccator,
et non retardabit sufferentia misericordiam facientis.

15 Omnis misericordia faciet locum unicuique,
secundum meritum operum suorum,
et secundum intellectum peregrinationis ipsius.]

16 [Non dicas: A Deo abscondar:
et ex summo, quis mei memorabitur?

17 in populo magno non agnoscar:
quæ est enim anima mea in tam immensa creatura?

18 Ecce cælum et cæli cælorum,
abyssus, et universa terra, et quæ in eis sunt,
in conspectu illius commovebuntur.

19 Montes simul, et colles, et fundamenta terræ,
cum conspexerit illa Deus, tremore concutientur.

20 Et in omnibus his insensatum est cor,
et omne cor intelligitur ab illo.

21 Et vias illius quis intelligit,
et procellam quam nec oculus videbit hominis?

22 Nam plurima illius opera sunt in absconsis:
sed opera justitiæ ejus quis enuntiabit, aut quis sustinebit?
longe enim est testamentum a quibusdam,
et interrogatio omnium in consummatione est.

23 Qui minoratur corde cogitat inania,
et vir imprudens et errans cogitat stulta.]

24 [Audi me, fili, et disce disciplinam sensus,
et in verbis meis attende in corde tuo:

25 et dicam in æquitate disciplinam,
et scrutabor enarrare sapientiam:
et in verbis meis attende in corde tuo,
et dico in æquitate spiritus virtutes
quas posuit Deus in opera sua ab initio,
et in veritate enuntio scientiam ejus.

26 In judicio Dei opera ejus ab initio,
et ab institutione ipsorum distinxit partes illorum,
et initia eorum in gentibus suis.

27 Ornavit in æternum opera illorum:
nec esurierunt, nec laboraverunt,
et non destiterunt ab operibus suis.

28 Unusquisque proximum sibi non angustiabit in æternum:

29 non sis incredibilis verbo illius.

30 Post hæc Deus in terram respexit,
et implevit illam bonis suis:

31 anima omnis vitalis denuntiavit ante faciem ipsius,
et in ipsam iterum reversio illorum.]