Sirach 39

Apo

1 But he that giveth his mind to the law of the most High, and is occupied in the meditation thereof, will seek out the wisdom of all the ancient, and be occupied in prophecies.

2 He will keep the sayings of the renowned men: and where subtil parables are, he will be there also.

3 He will seek out the secrets of grave sentences, and be conversant in dark parables.

4 He shall serve among great men, and appear before princes: he will travel through strange countries; for he hath tried the good and the evil among men.

5 He will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him, and will pray before the most High, and will open his mouth in prayer, and make supplication for his sins.

6 When the great Lord will, he shall be filled with the spirit of understanding: he shall pour out wise sentences, and give thanks unto the Lord in his prayer.

7 He shall direct his counsel and knowledge, and in his secrets shall he meditate.

8 He shall shew forth that which he hath learned, and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord.

9 Many shall commend his understanding; and so long as the world endureth, it shall not be blotted out; his memorial shall not depart away, and his name shall live from generation to generation.

10 Nations shall shew forth his wisdom, and the congregation shall declare his praise.

11 If he die, he shall leave a greater name than a thousand: and if he live, he shall increase it.

12 Yet have I more to say, which I have thought upon; for I am filled as the moon at the full.

13 Hearken unto me, ye holy children, and bud forth as a rose growing by the brook of the field:

14 And give ye a sweet savour as frankincense, and flourish as a lily, send forth a smell, and sing a song of praise, bless the Lord in all his works.

15 Magnify his name, and shew forth his praise with the songs of your lips, and with harps, and in praising him ye shall say after this manner:

16 All the works of the Lord are exceeding good, and whatsoever he commandeth shall be accomplished in due season.

17 And none may say, What is this? wherefore is that? for at time convenient they shall all be sought out: at his commandment the waters stood as an heap, and at the words of his mouth the receptacles of waters.

18 At his commandment is done whatsoever pleaseth him; and none can hinder, when he will save.

19 The works of all flesh are before him, and nothing can be hid from his eyes.

20 He seeth from everlasting to everlasting; and there is nothing wonderful before him.

21 A man need not to say, What is this? wherefore is that? for he hath made all things for their uses.

22 His blessing covered the dry land as a river, and watered it as a flood.

23 As he hath turned the waters into saltness: so shall the heathen inherit his wrath.

24 As his ways are plain unto the holy; so are they stumblingblocks unto the wicked.

25 For the good are good things created from the beginning: so evil things for sinners.

26 The principal things for the whole use of man's life are water, fire, iron, and salt, flour of wheat, honey, milk, and the blood of the grape, and oil, and clothing.

27 All these things are for good to the godly: so to the sinners they are turned into evil.

28 There be spirits that are created for vengeance, which in their fury lay on sore strokes; in the time of destruction they pour out their force, and appease the wrath of him that made them.

29 Fire, and hail, and famine, and death, all these were created for vengeance;

30 Teeth of wild beasts, and scorpions, serpents, and the sword punishing the wicked to destruction.

31 They shall rejoice in his commandment, and they shall be ready upon earth, when need is; and when their time is come, they shall not transgress his word.

32 Therefore from the beginning I was resolved, and thought upon these things, and have left them in writing.

33 All the works of the Lord are good: and he will give every needful thing in due season.

34 So that a man cannot say, This is worse than that: for in time they shall all be well approved.

35 And therefore praise ye the Lord with the whole heart and mouth, and bless the name of the Lord.

Sep

1 πλὴν τοῦ ἐπιδιδόντος τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ διανοουμένου ἐν νόμῳ ὑψίστου σοφίαν πάντων ἀρχαίων ἐκζητήσει καὶ ἐν προφητείαις ἀσχοληθήσεται

2 διήγησιν ἀνδρῶν ὀνομαστῶν συντηρήσει καὶ ἐν στροφαῖς παραβολῶν συνεισελεύσεται

3 ἀπόκρυφα παροιμιῶν ἐκζητήσει καὶ ἐν αἰνίγμασι παραβολῶν ἀναστραφήσεται

4 ἀνὰ μέσον μεγιστάνων ὑπηρετήσει καὶ ἔναντι ἡγουμένων ὀφθήσεται ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίων ἐθνῶν διελεύσεται ἀγαθὰ γὰρ καὶ κακὰ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐπείρασεν

5 τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπιδώσει ὀρθρίσαι πρὸς κύριον τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτὸν καὶ ἔναντι ὑψίστου δεηθήσεται καὶ ἀνοίξει στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτοῦ δεηθήσεται

6 ἐὰν κύριος ὁ μέγας θελήσῃ πνεύματι συνέσεως ἐμπλησθήσεται αὐτὸς ἀνομβρήσει ῥήματα σοφίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν προσευχῇ ἐξομολογήσεται κυρίῳ

7 αὐτὸς κατευθυνεῖ βουλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπιστήμην καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀποκρύφοις αὐτοῦ διανοηθήσεται

8 αὐτὸς ἐκφανεῖ παιδείαν διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν νόμῳ διαθήκης κυρίου καυχήσεται

9 αἰνέσουσιν τὴν σύνεσιν αὐτοῦ πολλοί καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐκ ἐξαλειφθήσεται οὐκ ἀποστήσεται τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ζήσεται εἰς γενεὰς γενεῶν

10 τὴν σοφίαν αὐτοῦ διηγήσονται ἔθνη καὶ τὸν ἔπαινον αὐτοῦ ἐξαγγελεῖ ἐκκλησία

11 ἐὰν ἐμμείνῃ ὄνομα καταλείψει ἢ χίλιοι καὶ ἐὰν ἀναπαύσηται ἐκποιεῖ αὐτῷ

12 ἔτι διανοηθεὶς ἐκδιηγήσομαι καὶ ὡς διχομηνία ἐπληρώθην

13 εἰσακούσατέ μου υἱοὶ ὅσιοι καὶ βλαστήσατε ὡς ῥόδον φυόμενον ἐπὶ ῥεύματος ὑγροῦ

14 καὶ ὡς λίβανος εὐωδιάσατε ὀσμὴν καὶ ἀνθήσατε ἄνθος ὡς κρίνον διάδοτε ὀσμὴν καὶ αἰνέσατε ᾆσμα εὐλογήσατε κύριον ἐπὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔργοις

15 δότε τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ μεγαλωσύνην καὶ ἐξομολογήσασθε ἐν αἰνέσει αὐτοῦ ἐν ᾠδαῖς χειλέων καὶ ἐν κινύραις καὶ οὕτως ἐρεῖτε ἐν ἐξομολογήσει

16 τὰ ἔργα κυρίου πάντα ὅτι καλὰ σφόδρα καὶ πᾶν πρόσταγμα ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ ἔσται οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν τί τοῦτο εἰς τί τοῦτο πάντα γὰρ ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ ζητηθήσεται

17 ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ ἔστη ὡς θιμωνιὰ ὕδωρ καὶ ἐν ῥήματι στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀποδοχεῖα ὑδάτων

18 ἐν προστάγματι αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ εὐδοκία καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἐλαττώσει τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ

19 ἔργα πάσης σαρκὸς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν κρυβῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ

20 ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐπέβλεψεν καὶ οὐθέν ἐστιν θαυμάσιον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ

21 οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν τί τοῦτο εἰς τί τοῦτο πάντα γὰρ εἰς χρείας αὐτῶν ἔκτισται

22 ἡ εὐλογία αὐτοῦ ὡς ποταμὸς ἐπεκάλυψεν καὶ ὡς κατακλυσμὸς ξηρὰν ἐμέθυσεν

23 οὕτως ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθνη κληρονομήσει ὡς μετέστρεψεν ὕδατα εἰς ἅλμην

24 αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ τοῖς ὁσίοις εὐθεῖαι οὕτως τοῖς ἀνόμοις προσκόμματα

25 ἀγαθὰ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἔκτισται ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς οὕτως τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς κακά

26 ἀρχὴ πάσης χρείας εἰς ζωὴν ἀνθρώπου ὕδωρ καὶ πῦρ καὶ σίδηρος καὶ ἅλας καὶ σεμίδαλις πυροῦ καὶ γάλα καὶ μέλι αἷμα σταφυλῆς καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ ἱμάτιον

27 ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς εὐσεβέσιν εἰς ἀγαθά οὕτως τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς τραπήσεται εἰς κακά

28 ἔστιν πνεύματα ἃ εἰς ἐκδίκησιν ἔκτισται καὶ ἐν θυμῷ αὐτοῦ ἐστερέωσεν μάστιγας αὐτῶν ἐν καιρῷ συντελείας ἰσχὺν ἐκχεοῦσιν καὶ τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ ποιήσαντος αὐτοὺς κοπάσουσιν

29 πῦρ καὶ χάλαζα καὶ λιμὸς καὶ θάνατος πάντα ταῦτα εἰς ἐκδίκησιν ἔκτισται

30 θηρίων ὀδόντες καὶ σκορπίοι καὶ ἔχεις καὶ ῥομφαία ἐκδικοῦσα εἰς ὄλεθρον ἀσεβεῖς

31 ἐν τῇ ἐντολῇ αὐτοῦ εὐφρανθήσονται καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἰς χρείας ἑτοιμασθήσονται καὶ ἐν καιροῖς αὐτῶν οὐ παραβήσονται λόγον

32 διὰ τοῦτο ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐστηρίχθην καὶ διενοήθην καὶ ἐν γραφῇ ἀφῆκα

33 τὰ ἔργα κυρίου πάντα ἀγαθὰ καὶ πᾶσαν χρείαν ἐν ὥρᾳ αὐτῆς χορηγήσει

34 καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν τοῦτο τούτου πονηρότερον πάντα γὰρ ἐν καιρῷ εὐδοκιμηθήσεται

35 καὶ νῦν ἐν πάσῃ καρδίᾳ καὶ στόματι ὑμνήσατε καὶ εὐλογήσατε τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου

Vul

1 [Sapientiam omnium antiquorum exquiret sapiens,
et in prophetis vacabit.

2 Narrationem virorum nominatorum conservabit,
et in versutias parabolarum simul introibit.

3 Occulta proverbiorum exquiret,
et in absconditis parabolarum conversabitur.

4 In medio magnatorum ministrabit,
et in conspectu præsidis apparebit.

5 In terram alienigenarum gentium pertransiet:
bona enim et mala in hominibus tentabit.

6 Cor suum tradet ad vigilandum diluculo ad Dominum, qui fecit illum,
et in conspectu Altissimi deprecabitur.

7 Aperiet os suum in oratione,
et pro delictis suis deprecabitur.

8 Si enim Dominus magnus voluerit,
spiritu intelligentiæ replebit illum:

9 et ipse tamquam imbres mittet eloquia sapientiæ suæ,
et in oratione confitebitur Domino:

10 et ipse diriget consilium ejus, et disciplinam,
et in absconditis suis consiliabitur.

11 Ipse palam faciet disciplinam doctrinæ suæ,
et in lege testamenti Domini gloriabitur.

12 Collaudabunt multi sapientiam ejus,
et usque in sæculum non delebitur.

13 Non recedet memoria ejus,
et nomen ejus requiretur a generatione in generationem.

14 Sapientiam ejus enarrabunt gentes,
et laudem ejus enuntiabit ecclesia.

15 Si permanserit, nomen derelinquet plus quam mille:
et si requieverit, proderit illi.]

16 [Adhuc consiliabor ut enarrem:
ut furore enim repletus sum.

17 In voce dicit: Obaudite me, divini fructus,
et quasi rosa plantata super rivos aquarum fructificate.

18 Quasi Libanus odorem suavitatis habete.

19 Florete flores quasi lilium:
et date odorem, et frondete in gratiam:
et collaudate canticum, et benedicite Dominum in operibus suis.

20 Date nomini ejus magnificentiam,
et confitemini illi in voce labiorum vestrorum,
et in canticis labiorum, et citharis:
et sic dicetis in confessione:

21 Opera Domini universa bona valde.

22 In verbo ejus stetit aqua sicut congeries:
et in sermone oris illius sicut exceptoria aquarum:

23 quoniam in præcepto ipsius placor fit,
et non est minoratio in salute ipsius.

24 Opera omnis carnis coram illo,
et non est quidquam absconditum ab oculis ejus.

25 A sæculo usque in sæculum respicit,
et nihil est mirabile in conspectu ejus.

26 Non est dicere: Quid est hoc, aut quid est istud?
omnia enim in tempore suo quærentur.

27 Benedictio illius quasi fluvius inundavit.

28 Quomodo cataclysmus aridam inebriavit,
sic ira ipsius gentes quæ non exquisierunt eum hæreditabit.

29 Quomodo convertit aquas in siccitatem, et siccata est terra,
et viæ illius viis illorum directæ sunt,
sic peccatoribus offensiones in ira ejus.

30 Bona bonis creata sunt ab initio:
sic nequissimis bona et mala.

31 Initium necessariæ rei vitæ hominum, aqua, ignis, et ferrum,
sal, lac, et panis similagineus, et mel,
et botrus uvæ, et oleum, et vestimentum.

32 Hæc omnia sanctis in bona,
sic et impiis et peccatoribus in mala convertentur.

33 Sunt spiritus qui ad vindictam creati sunt,
et in furore suo confirmaverunt tormenta sua.

34 In tempore consummationis effundent virtutem,
et furorem ejus qui fecit illos placabunt.

35 Ignis, grando, fames, et mors,
omnia hæc ad vindictam creata sunt:

36 bestiarum dentes, et scorpii, et serpentes,
et rhomphæa vindicans in exterminium impios.

37 In mandatis ejus epulabuntur:
et super terram in necessitatem præparabuntur,
et in temporibus suis non præterient verbum.

38 Propterea ab initio confirmatus sum, et consiliatus sum,
et cogitavi, et scripta dimisi.

39 Omnia opera Domini bona,
et omne opus hora sua subministrabit.

40 Non est dicere: Hoc illo nequius est:
omnia enim in tempore suo comprobabuntur.

41 Et nunc in omni corde et ore collaudate,
et benedicite nomen Domini.]