Sirach 17

The Lord ^acreated man of the earth,

And ^bturned him into it again.

^2cHe gave them ^dfew days, and a short time,

And power also over the things therein.

³He endued them with strength by themselves,

And ^emade them according to his image,

⁴And ^fput the fear of man upon all flesh,

And ^ggave him dominion over beasts and fowls.

⁵They received the use of the five ^hoperations of the Lord,

And in the sixth place he imparted them understanding,

And in the seventh, speech, an interpreter of the ^hcogitations thereof.

⁶Counsel, and a tongue, and eyes,

Ears, and a heart, gave he them to understand.

⁷Withal he filled them with the knowledge of understanding,

And shewed them good and evil.

⁸He set his eye upon their hearts,

That he might shew them ⁱthe greatness of his works.

⁹He gave them to glory in his marvellous acts for ever,

That they might declare his works with understanding.

¹⁰And ^kthe elect shall praise his holy name.

¹¹Beside this he gave them knowledge,

And the law of life for an heritage.

¹²He made an everlasting covenant with them,

And shewed them his judgments.

¹³Their eyes saw ⁱthe majesty of his glory,

And their ears heard his glorious voice.

¹⁴And he said unto them, Beware of all unrighteousness;

And ^lhe gave every man commandment concerning his neighbour.

^15mTheir ways are ever before him,

And shall not be hid from his eyes.

¹⁶ⁿEvery man from his youth is given to evil;

Neither could they make to themselves ^ofleshy hearts for stony.

¹⁷For ^pin the division of the nations of the whole earth

^qHe set a ruler over every people;

But ^rIsrael is the Lord’s portion:

¹⁸Whom, ^sbeing his firstborn, he nourisheth with discipline,

And giving him the light of his love doth not forsake him.

¹⁹Therefore all their works are as the sun before him,

And ^mhis eyes are continually upon their ways.

²⁰None of their unrighteous deeds are hid from him,

But all their sins are before the Lord

²¹But the Lord being gracious, and knowing his workmanship,

^tNeither left nor forsook them, but spared them.

^22uThe alms of a man is as ^xa signet with him,

And he will keep the good deeds of man as ^ythe apple of the eye,

And give repentance to his sons and daughters.

^23zAfterward he will rise up and reward them,

And ^arender their recompence upon their heads.

²⁴But ^bunto them that repent, he granted them return,

And comforted those that fail in patience.

^25cReturn unto the Lord, and forsake thy sins,

Make thy prayer before his face, and ^eoffend less.

²⁶Turn again to the most High, and turn away from iniquity:

For he will lead thee out of darkness into the light of health,

And hate thou abomination vehemently.

^27fWho shall praise the most High in the grave,

Instead of them which live and give thanks?

²⁸Thanksgiving perisheth from the dead, as from one that is not:

^gThe living and sound in heart shall praise the Lord.

²⁹How great is the lovingkindness of the Lord our God,

And his compassion unto such as turn unto him in holiness!

³⁰For all things cannot be in men,

Because the son of man is not immortal.

^31hWhat is brighter than the sun? yet the light thereof faileth:

And flesh and blood will imagine evil.

³²He vieweth the power of the height of heaven;

And all men are but ⁱearth and ashes.

XVIII.