Sirach 43:1–51:30

43 HB 1 bThe beauty of the (heavenly) height is the pure firmamentb,

cAnd the firm heavenc dpoureth out lightd.

HB 2 eThe sun when he goeth forth maketh heat to shinee—

fHow awe-inspiring is the work of Jahvehf!

3 gAt noontideg he bringeth the world to boiling heat,

And before hhis scorching (ray)h who can maintain himself?

4 i(Like) a glowing furnace which keepeth the casting hot,

(So) the sun’s dart setteth the mountains ablazei:

jA tongue of flame consumeth the inhabited (world)j,

kAnd with its fire the eye is scorchedk.

5 lForl great is Jahveh that made him,

mAnd His word maketh His mighty (servant) brilliantm.

6 nMoreover, the moon He made for its due seasonn,

oTo rule over periodso and for an everlasting sign:

HB 7 pBy her (are determined) the feasts and times prescribedp,

qA light-giver waning with her courseq:

8 rMonth by month she reneweth herselfr—

How wonderful is she in her changing!

sThe army-signal of the cloud-vessels on highs,

tShe paveth the firmament with her shiningt.

9 uThe beauty of heaven, and the glory, are the starsu,

vAnd a gleaming ornamentv win the heightsw of God.

10 xAt the word of the Holy Onex ythey take their prescribed placey,

zAnd they sleep notz at their watches.

11 Behold the rainbow and bless its Maker,

aFora bit is majestic exceedingly in majestyb:

12 cIt encompasseth the (heavenly) vault with its gloryc,

And the hand of God hath spread it out din prided.

13 eHis mighte fmarketh out the lightningf,

gAnd maketh brilliantg hthe flashes of His judgementh.

HB 14 iOn that accounti jHe hath created a treasure-housej,

kAnd He maketh the clouds fly like birdsk.

G 15 lBy His mighty power He maketh strong the clouds,

And the hailstones are brokenl.

HB 17 a mHis thunder’s voice maketh His earth to be in anguishm,

16a nAnd by His strengthn oHe shaketh mountainso.

16b pThe terror of Him stirreth up the south windp,

17b qThe whirlwind of the northq, rhurricane, and tempestr;

sLike flocks of birdss He sheddeth abroad tHis snowt,

uAnd like settling locustsu vis the fall thereofv.

HB 18 wThe beauty of the whitenessw x[dazzleth] the eyesx,

And the heart y[marvelleth]y at the raining thereof.

19 The hoar-frost also zHe poureth outz like salt,

a[And maketh the crystals sparkle] like sapphirea.

20 bThe icy blast of the north wind He causeth to blowb,

cAnd hardeneth the pond like a bottlec.

Over every basin of water dHe spreadeth a crustd,

And the pond putteth on as it were a breastplate.

21 eIt burneth up the produce of the mountains as a droughte,

fAnd the sprouting pasturef as a flame.

22 gA healing for all such is the distillation of the cloudsg.

hEven the dew, alighting to bring refreshment after heath.

23 iBy His counseli jHe hath stilled the deepj,

kAnd hath plantedk lthe islandsl in the ocean.

HB 24 They that go down to the sea tell of mits extentm,

nAndn when our ears hear it we are astonished.

25 Therein are marvels, the most wondrous of His works,

oAll kinds of living thingso, pand the monsters of Rahabp.

26 By reason of Him q[business] prosperethq,

And at His word rwhat He wills is doner.

(c) 43:27–33. Conclusion

(= 3 + 2 + 2 + 1 distichs).

27 sMore like this we will not adds,

And tthe conclusion of the mattert is: He is all.

28 uWe will sing praises, because we cannot fathomu;

vFor greater is Hev than all His works.

29 Terrible is Jahveh wexceedinglyw,

xAnd wonderful are His mighty actsx.

30 yYe that magnify Jahveh, zlift up your voicez,

As much as ye cana, bfor there is still moreb!

cYe that exalt Himc, drenew your strengthd,

And weary not, efor ye cannot fathom (Him)e!

G 31 Who hath seen Him, that he may tell thereof?

And who shall magnify Him as he is?

HB 32 fThe number of things mysterious is greater (even) than thesef,

gAnd I have seen (but) fewg of His works.

33 hEverythingh hath Jahveh made,

iAnd to the pious hath He given wisdomi.

jPraise of the fathers of oldj.

(a) 44:1–15. General introduction

(= 2 + 7 + 3 + 3 + 3 distichs).

44 1 kLet me now hymn the praisesk lof men of pietyl,

mOf our fathersm in their generations.

2 nNo little gloryn did the Most High oalloto them,

pAnd they were greatp qfrom the days of oldq:

HB 3 r(Men) who wielded dominionr over the earth sin their royaltys,

And men of renown in ttheirt might;

uCounsellorsu in their discernment,

vAnd all-seeing in their prophetic (power)v;

4 wPrinces of nationsw xin their statesmanshipx,

yAnd (trusted) leaders in their penetrationy;

zClever of speechz ain their (scribal) instructiona,

band speakers of wise sayings in their traditionb;

HB 5 cDevisers of psalms according to rulec,

dAnd authors of proverbs in booksd;

6 eMen of resourcee fand supported with strengthf,

gAnd living at ease in their dwelling-placesg:

7 All these hwere honouredh iin their generationi,

jAnd in their daysj khad gloryk.

8 Some of them there are who have left a name,

lThat men might tell of their praisel:

9 And some of them there are who have no memorial,

mSo that there was an end of them when they came to their endm;

nThey were as though they had not been,

And their children after themn.

10 oNeverthelesso these were men of piety,

pAnd their good fortune shall not come to an endp;

11 With their seed qtheir prosperityq remaineth sure,

rAnd their inheritance to their children’s childrenr.

G 12 sIn their covenant their seed abideth,

And their children’s children for their sakess;

HB 13 tTheir memoryt abideth for ever,

uAnd their righteousness shall not be forgottenu;

14 vTheir bodies were buried in peacev,

wBut their name liveth unto all generationsw.

15 xThe assembly recounteth their wisdom,

And the congregation declareth their praisex.

(b) 44:16–18. Enoch and Noah.

16 y zEnoch walked with Jahveh [and was taken]z,

aA miracle of knowledge to all generationsa.

HB 17 Noah the righteous was found blameless;

bIn the season of destructionb he became cthe continuatorc;

dFor his sake there was a remnantd,

cAnd by reason of the covenant with him the Flood ceasede.

18 fBy an eternal signf g(God) concluded itg with him,

Not to destroy (again) all fleshh.

(c) 44:19–23. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (3 + 3 + 1 + 3 distichs).

19 Abraham, ‘the fatheri of a multitude of nations’,

jTarnished not his gloryj;

20 Who kept the commandment of the Most High,

And entered into a covenant with Him:

kIn his fleshk He engraved him an ordinance,

And in trial he was found faithful.

21 Therefore with an oath lHe promised himl

m‘To blessm nthe nationsn in his seed’,

G(S) oTo multiply him ‘pas the dust of the earthp’o,

And to exalt his seed ‘as the stars’;

HB qTo cause them to inherit ‘from sea to sea,

And from the River to the ends of the earth’.

HB 22 And to Isaac also rHe promised itr slikewises,

For his father Abraham’s sake;

tAnd the blessing of all predecessors

23 Rested upon the head of Israelt;

uAnd He titled him with the dignity of firstbornu,

And gave him vhis inheritancev;

wAnd He set him in tribes,

So as to be divided into twelvew.

(d) 44:23–45:5. Moses

(= 2 + 2 + 2 + 3 distichs).

xAnd He caused to issuex yfrom himy za manz

aWho found favoura in the sight bof all livingb.

45 1 cBeloved of God and menc

Was Moses dof happy memoryd.

HB 2 eAnd 〈He made him glorious as〉 Gode,

And mighty fin awe-inspiring deedsf.

3 gBy his wordsg hhe broughti 〈signs〉i swiftly to passh,

jAnd He emboldened himj in the presence kof the kingk.

And He gave him a charge l〈unto his people〉l,

And showed him m〈His glory〉m.

4 For his faithfulness and meeknessn

He chose him out of all o〈flesh〉o.

5 pAndp qHe caused him to hear His voiceq,

And let him draw nigh rinto the dark cloudr.

sAnd He placeds tin his handt uthe commandmentu,

Even the Law of life vand discernmentv;

That he might teach wHis statutesw xunto Jacobx,

yAnd His testimonies and judgementsy zunto Israelz.

(e) 45:6–22. Aaron (3 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 3 + 2 distichs).

6 And He exalted a holy one a〈like unto him〉a,

Even Aaron of the tribe of Levi.

7 bAnd He made him an eternal ordinanceb,

And bestowed cupon him His majestyc:

HB dAnd He blessed himd ewith His glorye,

And girded him fwith beauteous magnificencef g:

8 And He clothed him hwith the perfection of adornmenth,

iAnd adorned himi jwith splendid vestmentsj k—

lThe breechesl, mthe tunic and robem n—

9 And encompassed him owith pomegranates,

And with resounding bellso round about,

pThat he might make musicp with his steps,

So as to cause, the sound of him to be audible qin the inmost shrineq,

For a memorial for the children of his people:

10 r(With) the holy garments of gold and violet

And purpler, the work of the designer;

(With) the breastplate of judgement, s(with) the ephod and waistcloths,

11 tAnd (with) scarlett, the work of the weaver;

(With) precious stones useal-engravenu

vIn settingsv, w〈the work of the stone-engraver〉w x;

HB For a memorial in graven writing,

According to the number of the tribes of Israel.

12 (With) the crown of pure gold y〈(resting) upon〉 the mitrey,

zThe diadem engraven, ‘Holy to Jahveh’ z—

aMajesty most glorious, praise most puissanta,

bThe desire of the eyes, and the perfection of beautyb!

13 cBefore him there was nothing like themc,

dAnd no stranger shall He clothe therewith for everd:

eSo 〈He trusted him and〉 his sonse,

fAnd 〈his sons’ sons〉f gthroughout their generationsg.

14 His (Aaron’s) meal-offering is wholly consumed

hTwice every day as a continual sacrificeh.

15 iMoses consecrated himi,

And anointed him with the holy oil;

And it became for him jan eternal covenantj,

kAnd for his seedk, las long as the heavens endurel;

mTo minister (to God) and for Him to execute the priest’s officem,

And to bless His people nin His namen.

16 He chose him out of all living,

To bring near othe burnt-offering and fat pieceso,

HB pAnd to burn a sweet savour and a memorialp,

And make atonement qfor the children of Israelq.

17 rAnd He gave him His commandmentsr,

sAnd invested him with authority over statute and judgements,

tThat he might teach His people statutes,

And judgements unto the children of Israelt.

18 uBut strangers were incensed against himu,

And became jealous of him in the wilderness;

The men of Dathan and Abiram,

And the congregation of Korah vin their violent angerv.

19 And Jahveh saw it wand was angeredw,

x yAnd consumed themy in His fierce wrathx:

zAnd He brought a sign to passz upon them

x a…