Sirach 41–42

41Ah! Death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee

To himthat liveth at peace in his habitation;

To him that is at ease, and prospereth in all,

And that still hath strength to enjoy luxury.

Hail! Death, how welcome is thy decree

To the luckless man, and that lacketh strength,

That stumbleth and trippethat everything,

That is broken, and hath lost hope.

Fear not Death, ⁽it is⁽ thy destiny,

Remember that the former and the latter ⁽share it⁽ with thee.

This is the portion of all flesh from God,

And how canst thou withstand the decree of the Most High!

⁽Be it⁽ for a thousand years, for a hundred, or for ten ⁽that thou livest⁽,

In Sheol there are no reproaches concerning life.

An abominable offspring is the generation of sinners,

And a godless sprout is in the dwellings of the wicked.

From the son of the unrighteous man shall the dominion be wrenched away,

And want shall ever abide with his seed.

A godless father do the children curse,

For because of him do they suffer reproach.

Woe unto you, ungodly men,

Who have forsaken the Law of the Most High God!

If ye increase ⁽it will be⁽ for mischief,

And if ye bear children ⁽it will be⁽ for sighing;

If ye stumble ⁽it will be⁽ for everlasting joy,

And if ye die ⁽it will be⁽ for a curse.

All that is of naught returneth to naught,

So the godless man,—from nothingness to nothingness.

Vanity is man ⁽concerning⁽ his body,

But the name of the pious shall not be cut off.

Be in fear for thy name, for that abideth longer for thee

Than thousands of precious treasures.

Life’s goods last for limited days,

But the reward of a name for days without number.

^[Hidden wisdom and concealed treasure,

What is the use of either?

Better the man who hideth his folly,

Than the man who hideth his wisdom.^[

Hear, O children, instruction concerning shame,

And be abashed according to my judgement.

For not every kind of shame is meet to retain,

And not every kind of abashment is to be approved.

Be ashamed of a father and a mother of whoredom,

Of a prince and a ruler of lies,

Of a master and a mistress of deceit,

Of an assembly and a people of transgression,

Of a comrade and friend of treachery,

And of a place, where thou sojournest, of pride.

^[Be ashamed^[ to break an oath or a covenant,

To stretch out thine elbow at meat,

To withhold a gift that is asked for,

To turn away the face of thy friend,

To cause the dividing of portions to cease,

To be silent towards him that greeteth ⁽thee⁽,

To look upon a woman that is a whore,

To gaze on a woman that hath a husband,

To be busy with his maid,

And to violate her bed,

To ^[speak to^[ a friend with reproachful words;—

And after giving a gift contemn not,—

42To repeat the word thou hast heard,

And to lay bare any secret counsel:

So shalt thou be truly shamefast,

And find favour in the sight of all living.

But of these things be not ashamed,

And accept not persons unto sin:

Of the Law of the Most High, and the statute;

And of justice, to do right by the wicked;

Of reckoning with a comrade and ⁽fellow⁽ traveller,

And of the division of an inheritance and a property;

Of the small dust of the scales and balance,

And of testing measure and weight;

Of buying whether little or much,

And of profit from traffick with the merchant;

Of frequent correction of children,

And of smiting the side of an evil-disposed servant.

For an evil wife a seal,

And where many hands are, a key!

Upon what is deposited make a mark,

And let giving and receiving all be in writing.—

Of the correction of the simple and foolish ⁽be not ashamed⁽,

Or of the tottering grey-head occupied with whoredom:

So shalt thou be truly well-advised,

And a man ⁽truly⁽ modest before all living.

A daughter is to a father a treasure of sleeplessness,

And the care of her banisheth slumber:

In her youth, lest she pass the flower of her age,

And when she is married, lest she be hated;

In her virginity, lest she be seduced,

And in the house of her husband, lest she prove unfaithful;

In her father’s house, lest she become pregnant,

And in her husband’s house, lest she be barren.

Over thy daughter keep a strict watch,

Lest she make thee a name of evil odour—

A byword in the city and accursed of the people—

And shame theein the assembly of the gate.

In the place where she lodgeth let there be no lattice,

Or spot overlooking the entrance round about.

Let her not show her beauty to any male,

and among wives let her not converse.

For from the garment issueth the moth,

And from a woman a woman’s wickedness.

Better is the wickedness of a man than the goodness of a woman;

And a disgraceful daughter poureth forth disgrace.

I would fain remember God’s works,

And what I have seen I would recount.

By the word of God His works were formed,

And what was wrought by His good pleasure according to His decree.

The rising sun is revealed over all things,

And the glory of Jahveh is over all His works.

God’s holy ones have not the power

To recount His wondrous works of might;

⁽Though⁽ God hath given strength to His hosts

To endure in the presence of His glory.

He searcheth out the deep and ⁽man’s⁽ heart,

And all their secretsHe surveyeth:

For Jahveh possesseth all knowledge,

And seeth what cometh unto eternity.

He declareth what is past and what is future,

And revealeth the profoundest secrets.

No knowledge is lacking to Him,

And no matter escapeth Him.

The might of His wisdomis established,

From everlasting He is the same:

Nothing hath been added and nothing taken away ⁽therefrom⁽,

And He needeth none to give counsel.

All His works are truly lovely,

And are ^[like blossoms^[ to behold.

Everything liveth and abideth for ever,

And to every need all things respond.

They are all different, one from the other,

But He hath not made any one of them superfluous.

The one exchangeth what is good ⁽in it⁽ with the other,

And who can be satiated with beholding the beauty?