Sirach 50

Simon the high priest, the son of Onias,

Who in his life repaired the house again,

And in his days fortified the temple:

²And by him was built from the foundation the double height,

The high fortress of the wall about the temple:

³In his days the ^acistern to receive water, being in compass as the sea, was covered with plates of brass:

⁴He took care of the temple that it should not fall,

And fortified the city against besieging:

^5bHow was he honoured in the midst of the people

In his coming out of the sanctuary!

⁶He was as ^cthe morning star in the midst of a cloud,

And as the moon at the full:

^7dAs the sun shining upon the temple of the most High,

And as the ^erainbow giving light in the bright clouds:

⁸And as the flower of ^froses in the spring of the year,

As ^glilies by the rivers of waters,

And as the branches of the ^hfrankincense tree in the time of summer:

⁹As ⁱfire and ^hincense in the censer,

And as a vessel of beaten gold

Set with all manner of precious stones:

¹⁰And as a fair ^kolive tree budding forth fruit,

And as a ^kcypress tree which groweth up to the clouds.

^11lWhen he put on the robe of honour,

And was clothed with the perfection of glory,

^mWhen he went up to the holy altar,

^lHe made the garment of holiness honourable.

¹²When he took the portions out of the priests’ hands,

He himself stood by the hearth of the altar,

Compassed with his brethren round about,

As a young ⁿcedar in Libanus;

And as ^opalm trees compassed they him round about.

¹³So were all the sons of Aaron in their glory,

And the oblations of the Lord in their hands,

Before all the congregation of Israel.

¹⁴And finishing the service at the altar,

That he might adorn the offering of the most high ^pAlmighty,

¹⁵He stretched out his hand to the cup,

And poured of ^qthe blood of the grape,

^rHe poured out at the foot of the altar

^rsA sweetsmelling savour unto the most high King of all.

¹⁶Then shouted the sons of Aaron,

And ^tsounded the silver trumpets,

And ^umade a great noise to be heard,

^tFor a remembrance before the most High.

¹⁷Then all the people together hasted,

And fell down to the earth upon their faces

To worship their Lord God ^pAlmighty, the most High.

¹⁸The singers also sang praises with their voices,

With great variety of sounds was there made sweet melody.

¹⁹And the people besought the Lord, the most High,

By prayer before him that is merciful,

Till the solemnity of the Lord was ended,

And they had finished his service.

²⁰Then he went down, and lifted up his hands over the whole congregation of the children of Israel,

^vTo give the blessing of the Lord with his lips,

And to rejoice in his name.

²¹And they bowed themselves down to worship the second time,

That they might receive a blessing from the most High.

²²Now therefore ^wbless ye the God of all,

Which only doeth wondrous things every where,

^xWhich exalteth our days from the womb,

And dealeth with us according to his mercy.

²³He grant us joyfulness of heart,

And that peace may be in our days in Israel for ever:

²⁴That he would confirm his mercy with us,

And deliver us at his time.

²⁵There be ^ytwo manner of nations which my heart abhorreth,

And the third is no nation:

^26zThey that sit upon the mountain of Samaria,

And ^athey that dwell amongst the Philistines,

And ^bthat foolish people that dwell in ^cSichem.

²⁷Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem hath written in this book the instruction of understanding and knowledge, who out of his heart ^dpoured forth wisdom.

^28eBlessed is he that shall be exercised in these things;

And he that layeth them up in his heart shall become wise.

²⁹For if he do them, he shall be strong to all things:

^fFor the light of the Lord leadeth him,

Who giveth wisdom to the godly.

^wBlessed be the Lord for ever. Amen, Amen.

LI.