Sirach 38–39

Chapter 38

Honour the physician for the need thou hast of him: for the most High hath created him.

²For all healing is from God, and he shall receive gifts of the king.

³The skill of the physician shall lift up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be praised.

⁴The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.

⁵Was not bitter water made sweet with wood?

⁶The virtue of these things is come to the knowledge of men, and the most High hath given knowledge to men, that he may be honoured in his wonders.

⁷By these he shall cure and shall allay their pains, and of these the apothecary shall make sweet confections, and shall make up ointments of health, and of his works there shall be no end.

⁸For the peace of God is over all the face of the earth.

⁹My son, in thy sickness neglect not thyself, but pray to the Lord, and he shall heal thee.

¹⁰Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence.

¹¹Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering, and then give place to the physician.

¹²For the Lord created him: and let him not depart from thee, for his works are necessary.

¹³For there is a time when thou must fall into their hands:

¹⁴And they shall beseech the Lord, that he would prosper what they give for ease and remedy, for their conversation.

¹⁵He that sinneth in the sight of his Maker, shall fall into the hands of the physician.

¹⁶My son, shed tears over the dead, and begin to lament as if thou hadst suffered some great harm, and according to judgment cover his body, and neglect not his burial.

¹⁷And for fear of being ill spoken of weep bitterly for a day, and then comfort thyself in thy sadness.

¹⁸And make mourning for him according to his merit for a day, or two, for fear of detraction.

¹⁹For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.

²⁰In withdrawing aside sorrow remaineth: and the substance of the poor is according to his heart.

²¹Give not up thy heart to sadness, but drive it from thee: and remember the latter end.

²²Forget it not: for there is no returning, and thou shalt do him no good, and shalt hurt thyself.

²³Remember my judgment: for thine also shall be so: yesterday for me, and to day for thee.

²⁴When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest, and comfort him in the departing of his spirit.

²⁵The wisdom of a scribe cometh by his time of leisure: and he that is less in action, shall receive wisdom.

²⁶With what wisdom shall he be furnished that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth the oxen therewith, and is occupied in their labours, and his whole talk is about the offspring of bulls?

²⁷He shall give his mind to turn up furrows, and his care is to give the kine fodder.

²⁸So every craftsman and workmaster that laboureth night and day, he who maketh graven seals, and by his continual diligence varieth the figure: he shall give his mind to the resemblance of the picture, and by his watching shall finish the work.

²⁹So doth the smith sitting by the anvil and considering the iron work. The vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace.

³⁰The noise of the hammer is always in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the vessel he maketh.

³¹He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them to perfection.

³²So doth the potter sitting at his work, turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always carefully set to his work, and maketh all his work by number:

³³He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet:

³⁴He shall give his mind to finish the glazing, and his watching to make clean the furnace.

³⁵All these trust to their hands, and every one is wise in his own art.

³⁶Without these a city is not built.

³⁷And they shall not dwell, nor walk about therein, and they shall not go up into the assembly.

³⁸Upon the judges’ seat they shall not sit, and the ordinance of judgment they shall not understand, neither shall they declare discipline and judgment, and they shall not be found where parables are spoken:

³⁹But they shall strengthen the state of the world, and their prayer shall be in the work of their craft, applying their soul, and searching in the law of the most High.

Chapter 39

The wise man will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients, and will be occupied in the prophets.

²He will keep the sayings of renowned men, and will enter withal into the subtilties of parables.

³He will search out the hidden meanings of proverbs, and will be conversant in the secrets of parables.

⁴He shall serve among great men, and appear before the governor.

⁵He shall pass into strange countries: for he shall try good and evil among men.

⁶He will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him, and he will pray in the sight of the most High.

⁷He will open his mouth in prayer, and will make supplication for his sins.

⁸For if it shall please the great Lord, he will fill him with the spirit of understanding:

⁹And he will pour forth the words of his wisdom as showers, and in his prayer he will confess to the Lord.

¹⁰And he shall direct his counsel, and his knowledge, and in his secrets shall he meditate.

¹¹He shall shew forth the discipline he hath learned, and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord.

¹²Many shall praise his wisdom, and it shall never be forgotten.

¹³The memory of him shall not depart away, and his name shall be in request from generation to generation.

¹⁴Nations shall declare his wisdom, and the church shall shew forth his praise.

¹⁵If he continue, he shall leave a name above a thousand: and if he rest, it shall be to his advantage.

¹⁶I will yet meditate that I may declare: for I am filled as with a holy transport.

¹⁷By a voice he saith: Hear me, ye divine offspring, and bud forth as the rose planted by the brooks of waters.

¹⁸Give ye a sweet odour as frankincense.

¹⁹Send forth flowers, as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in his works.

²⁰Magnify his name, and give glory to him with the voice of your lips, and with the canticles of your mouths, and with harps, and in praising him, you shall say in this manner:

²¹All the works of the Lord are exceeding good.

²²At his word the waters stood as a heap: and at the words of his mouth the receptacles of waters:

²³For at his commandment favour is shewn, and there is no diminishing of his salvation.

²⁴The works of all flesh are before him, and there is nothing hid from his eyes.

²⁵He seeth from eternity to eternity, and there is nothing wonderful before him.

²⁶There is no saying: What is this, or what is that? for all things shall be sought in their time.

²⁷His blessing hath overflowed like a river.

²⁸And as a flood hath watered the earth; so shall his wrath inherit the nations, that have not sought after him.

²⁹Even as he turned the waters into a dry land, and the earth was made dry: and his ways were made plain for their journey: so to sinners they are stumblingblocks in his wrath.

³⁰Good things were created for the good from the beginning, so for the wicked, good and evil things.

³¹The principal things necessary for the life of men, are water, fire, and iron, salt, milk, and bread of flour, and honey, and the cluster of the grape, and oil, and clothing.

³²All these things shall be for good to the holy, so to the sinners and the ungodly they shall be turned into evil.

³³There are spirits that are created for vengeance, and in their fury they lay on grievous torments.

³⁴In the time of destruction they shall pour out their force: and they shall appease the wrath of him that made them.

³⁵Fire, hail, famine, and death, all these were created for vengeance.

³⁶The teeth of beasts, and scorpions, and serpents, and the sword taking vengeance upon the ungodly unto destruction.

³⁷In his commandments they shall feast, and they shall be ready upon earth when need is, and when their time is come they shall not transgress his word.

³⁸Therefore from the beginning I was resolved, and I have meditated, and thought on these things and left them in writing,

³⁹All the works of the Lord are good, and he will furnish every work in due time.

⁴⁰It is not to be said: This is worse than that: for all shall be well approved in their time.

⁴¹Now therefore with the whole heart and mouth praise ye him, and bless the name of the Lord.