Sirach 51:2–12

²For thou art my defender and helper,

And hast preserved my body from destruction,

And ^bfrom the snare of the slanderous tongue,

And from the lips that ^cforge lies,

And hast been my helper against mine adversaries:

³And hast delivered me, according to the multitude of thy 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;

⁴From the choking of fire on every side,

And from the midst of the fire which I kindled not;

⁵From the depth of the belly of hell,

From an unclean tongue, and from lying words.

⁶By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue

My soul drew near even unto death,

My life was near to the hell beneath.

^7dThey compassed me on every side,

And there was no man to help me:

I looked for the succour of men, but there was none.

⁸Then thought I upon thy mercy, O Lord,

And upon thy acts of old,

How thou deliverest ^esuch as wait for thee,

And savest them out of the hands of the enemies.

⁹Then lifted I up my supplication from the earth,

And prayed for deliverance from death.

¹⁰I called upon the Lord, ^fthe Father of my Lord,

That he would not leave me in the days of my trouble,

And ^gin the time of the proud, when there was no help.

¹¹I will praise thy name continually,

And will sing praise with thanksgiving;

And so my prayer was heard:

¹²For thou savedst me from destruction,

And deliveredst me from the evil time:

Therefore will I give thanks, and praise thee,

And bless thy name, O Lord.