Chapter 51
I will thank Thee, O Lord and King, and praise Thee, O God my Savior: I do give praise unto Thy name: 2 For Thou are my defender and helper, and have preserved my body from destruction, and from the snare of the slanderous tongue, and from the lips that forge lies, and have been mine helper against mine adversaries: 3 And have delivered me, according to the multitude of they mercies and greatness of thy name, from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me, and out of the hands of such as sought after my life, and from the manifold afflictions which I had; 4 From the choking of fire on every side, and from the midst of the fire which I kindled not; 5 From the depth of the belly of hell, from an unclean tongue, and from lying words. 6 By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue my soul drew near even unto death, my life was near to the hell beneath. 7 They compassed me on every side, and there was no man to help me: I looked for the succor of men, but there was none. 8 Then thought I upon Thy mercy, O Lord, and upon Thy acts of old, how you deliver such as wait for Thee, and save them out of the hands of the enemies. 9 Then lifted I up my supplications from the earth, and prayed for deliverance from death. 10 I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, that He would not leave me in the days of my trouble, and in the time of the proud, when there was no help. 11 I will praise Thy name continually, and will sing praises with thanksgiving; and so my prayer was heard: 12 For Thou saved me from destruction, and delivered me from the evil time: therefore will I give thanks, and praise Thee, and bless Thy name, O Lord.
13 When I was yet young, or ever I went abroad, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer. 14 I prayed for her before the temple, and will seek her out even to the end. 15 Even from the flower till the grape was ripe has my heart delighted in her: my foot went the right way, from my youth up sought I after her. 16 I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, and got much learning. 17 I profited therein, therefore will I ascribe glory unto Him that gives me wisdom. 18 For I purposed to do after her, and earnestly I followed that which is good; so shall I not be confounded. 19 My soul has wrestled with her, and in my doings I was exact: I stretched forth my hands to the heaven above, and bewailed my ignorances of her. 20 I directed my soul unto her, and I found her in pureness: I have had my heart joined with her from the beginning, therefore shall I not be forsaken. 21 My heart was troubled in seeking her: therefore have I gotten a good possession. 22 The Lord has given me a tongue for my reward, and I will praise Him therewith.
23 Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of learning. 24 Wherefore are ye slow, and what say ye to these things, seeing your souls are very thirsty? 25 I opened my mouth, and said, Buy her for yourselves without money. 26 Put your neck under the yoke, and let your soul receive instruction: she is hard at hand to find. 27 Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labor, and have gotten unto me much rest. 28 Get learning with a great sum of money, and get much gold by her. 29 Let your soul rejoice in His mercy, and be not ashamed of His praise. 30 Work your work betimes, and in His time He will give you your reward.
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Chapter 52
This Jesus was the son of Sirach, and grandchild to Jesus of the same name with him: this man therefore lived in the latter times, after the people had been led away captive, and called home a again, and almost after all the prophets.
2 Now his grandfather Jesus, as he himself witnesses, was a man of great diligence and wisdom among the Hebrews, who did not only gather the grave and short sentences of wise men, that had been before him, but himself also uttered some of his own, full of much understanding and wisdom.
3 When as therefore the first Jesus died, leaving this book almost perfected, Sirach his son receiving it after him left it to his own son Jesus, who, having gotten it into his hands, compiled it all orderly into one volume, and called it Wisdom, intituling it both by his own name, his father’s name, and his grandfather’s; alluring the hearer by the very name of Wisdom to have a greater love to the study of this book. 4 It contains therefore wise sayings, dark sentences, and parables, and certain particular ancient godly stories of men that pleased God; also his prayer and song; moreover, what benefits God had vouchsafed his people, and what plagues he had heaped upon their enemies.
5 This Jesus did imitate Solomon, and was no less famous for wisdom and learning, both being indeed a man of great learning, and so reputed also.
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Chapter 53
Whereas many and great things have been delivered unto us by the law and the prophets, and by others that have followed their steps, for the which things Israel ought to be commended for learning and wisdom; 2 and whereof not only the readers must needs become skillful themselves, but also they that desire to learn be able to profit them which are without, both by speaking and writing: 3 my grandfather Jesus, when he had much given himself to the reading of the law, and the prophets, and other books of our fathers, and had gotten therein good judgment, was drawn on also himself to write something pertaining to learning and wisdom; 4 to the intent that those which are desirous to learn, and are addicted to these things, might profit much more in living according to the law.
5 Wherefore let me entreat you to read it with favor and attention, and to pardon us, wherein we may seem to come short of some words, which we have labored to interpret. 6 For the same things uttered in Hebrew, and translated into another tongue, have not the same force in them: and not only these things, but the law itself, and the prophets, and the rest of the books, have no small difference, when they are spoken in their own language.
7 For in the eight and thirtieth year coming into Egypt, when Euergetes was king, and continuing there some time, I found a book of no small learning: therefore I thought it most necessary for me to bestow some diligence and travail to interpret it; 8 using great watchfulness and skill in that space to bring the book to an end, and set it forth for them also, which in a strange country are willing to learn, being prepared before in manners to live after the law.
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