Sirach 38–39

38Cultivate the physician in accordance with the need of him,

For him also hath God ordained.

It is from God that the physician getteth wisdom,

And from the king he receiveth gifts.

The skill of the physician lifteth up his head,

And he may stand before nobles.

God hath created medicines out of the earth,

And let not a discerning man reject them.

Was not the water made sweet by the wood,

That He might make known to all men His power?

And He gave men discernment,

That they might glory in His mighty works.

By means of them the physician assuageth pain,

And likewise the apothecary prepareth a confection:

That His work may not cease,

Nor healthfrom the face of His earth.

My son, in sicknessbe not negligent;

Pray unto God, for He can heal.

^[Turn^[ from iniquity, and ^[purify thy hands^[;

And from all transgressions cleanse thy heart.

^[Give a meal-offering with^[ a memorial,

And offer a fat sacrificeto the utmost of thy means.

And to the physician also give a place;

Nor should he be far away, for of him there is need.

For there is a time when successful help is in his power;

For he also maketh supplication to God,

To make his diagnosis successful,

And the treatment, that it may promote recovery.

He that sinneth before his Maker

Shall be delivered into the hands of the physician.

My son, let tears fall over the dead;

Show thy grief and wail out thy lamentation.

In accordance with what is due to him bury his body,

And hide not thyselfwhen he expires.

Let thy weeping be bitter and thy wailing passionate;

And make mourning such as befits him:

A day or two on account of gossip—

And be consoled on account of ⁽thy^{( [}sorrow^[.

For out of sorrow proceedeth bane;

Even sosadness of heart^[prostrateth^[ vigour.

^[Worse than death is abiding sorrow^[,

And an unfortunate life is cursed by the heart.

And let him no more occupy thy thoughts:

Dismiss the remembrance of him, and remember the end.

Remember him not, for he hath no hope;

Thou canst not profit him, while thou harmest thyself.

Remember his doom, for it is the doom of thyself—

His yesterday, and thine to-day!

When the dead is at rest, let his memory rest;

And be consoled when his soul departeth.

The wisdom of the scribe increaseth wisdom,

And he that hath little business can become wise.

How can he become wise that holdeth the goad,

And glorieth in brandishing the lance?

Who leadeth cattleand turneth about oxen,

And whose discourse is with bullocks?

He is careful to harrow ^[the seed-strip^[,

And his anxiety is to complete the provender.

Likewise the maker of carving and cunning device,

Who by night as by day hath no rest;

Who engraveth signet-engravings,

And whose art it is to make variety of design;

He is careful to make the likeness true,

And his anxiety is to complete his work.

So also the smith that sitteth by the furnace,

And regardeth the weighty vessels:

The flame of the fire cracketh his flesh,

And with the heat of the furnace he gloweth;

To the sound of the hammer he inclineth his ear,

And to the pattern of the vessel directeth his eyes.

He is careful to complete his work,

And his anxiety is to measure it off exactly.

Likewise the potter who sitteth at his wheel,

And driveth the vessel with the soles of his feet;

Who is all the time in anxiety over his work,

And all his handiwork is by number;

His arms are cracked by the clay,

And ^[before old age^[ he is bent and bowed;

He is careful to complete the glazing,

And his anxiety is for the heating of the furnace.

All these are deft with their hands,

And each is wise in his handiwork.

Without them a city cannot be inhabited,

And wherever they dwell they hunger not.

But they shall not be inquired of for public counsel,

And in the assembly they enjoy no precedence.

On the seat of the judge they do not sit,

And law and justice they understand not.

They do not expoundthe instruction of wisdom,

Nor understand the proverbs of the wise;

But they understand the work ^[they have wrought^[,

And their thought is on the practice of their craft.

39Not so he that applieth himself to the fear of God,

And to set his mind upon the Law of the Most High;

Who searcheth out the wisdom of all the ancients,

And is occupiedwith the prophets of old;

Who heedeththe discourses of men of renown,

And enterethinto the deep things of parables;

Searcheth out the hidden meaning of proverbs,

And is conversantwith the dark sayings of parables;

Who serveth among great men,

And appeareth before princes;

Who travelleth through the lands of the peoples,

Testeth good and evil among men;

Who is careful to seekunto his Maker,

And before the Most High entreateth mercy;

Who openeth his mouth in prayer,

And maketh supplication for his sins.

Ifit seem good to God Most High,

He shall be filled with the spirit of understanding.

He himself poureth forth wise sayings in double measure,

And giveth thanks unto the Lord in prayer.

He himself directethcounsel and knowledge,

And setteth his mind on their secrets.

He himself declareth wise instruction,

And glorieth in the law of the Lord.

His understanding many do praise,

And never shall his name be blotted out:

His memory shall not cease,

And his name shall live from generation to generation.

His wisdom doth the congregation tell forth,

And his praise the assembly publisheth.

If he live long, he shall be accounted happy more than a thousand;

And when he cometh to an end, his name sufficeth.

Yet again will I fix my thoughts and ^[make my doctrine to shine forth^[,

As the full moon on the twelfth day.

Hearken unto me, ye pious, and your flesh shall grow,

Like the cedar that is planted by streams of water.

Your scent shall be sweet as Lebanon,

And ye shall put forth blossoms as the lily.

Lift up your voice and sing together,

Andbless the Lord for all His works.

O magnify His name,

And acknowledge Him with praise,

With songs of the harpand of stringed instruments;

And thus shall ye say, with a shout:

The works of God are all good,

And supply every need in its season.

None may say: This is worse than that;

For everything availeth in its season.

⁽By His word⁽ He ordereth ⁽the luminaries in the heavenly height⁽,

And by the utterance of His mouth in His treasury.

In His place ⁽?⁽ His good pleasure attaineth its end,

And there is no restraint to His deliverance.

The works of all flesh are before Him,

And there is nothing hid from before His eyes.

From everlasting to everlasting He beholdeth,

And there is nothing small or petty with Him;

Is there limit ⁽?⁽ to His deliverance?

There is nothing too wonderful or hard for Him.

None may say: Wherefore is this?

For everything is selected for its use.

His blessing overfloweth as the Nile,

And saturateth the world like the River.

Even so His wrath dispossesseth nations,

And He turneth a watered land into salt.

His pathsare plain for the blameless;

Even so they offer obstaclesto the presumptuous.

Good things for the good hath He allotted from the beginning;

Even so to the evil good and evil.

⁽The chief of all the necessaries⁽ of life for man

Are water and fire, and iron and salt,

The fat of wheat, milk and honey,

The blood of the grape, oil and clothing.

All these prove good to the good—

Even so for the evil they are turned to evil.

There are ⁽winds⁽ which are formed ⁽for punishment⁽,

⁽And in their fury⁽remove moun⁽tains⁽.

In the season of destruction they pour out their force,

And appease the spirit of their creator.

Fire and hail, ^[famine^[ and pestilence—

These also are formed for judgement.

Beasts of prey, scorpions and vipers,

And the avenging sword to exterminate the wicked—

All these are created for their uses,

And are in the treasure-house ⁽ready⁽ to be requisitioned in due time:

When He giveth them the command they rejoice,

And in their prescribed tasks disobey not His behest.

Therefore from the beginning I was assured,

And when I had considered it I set it down in writing:

The works of God are all good,

They supply every need in its season.

None may say: This is worse than that;

For everything availeth in its season.

And now ring out whole-heartedly

And praise the name of the Holy One!