Sirach 17

¹⁷The Lord created humans out of earth

and makes them return to it again.^*

²He gave them a fixed number of days

but granted them authority over everything on the earth.^d*

³He endowed them with strength like his own^e

and made them in his own image.^*

⁴He put the fear of them^f in all living beings

and gave them dominion over beasts and birds.^g*

⁶Discretion and tongue and eyes,

ears and a mind for thinking he gave them.

⁷He filled them with knowledge and understanding

and showed them good and evil.^*

⁸He put the fear of him into^h their hearts

to show them the majesty of his works.ⁱ

¹⁰And they will praise his holy name,^*

⁹to proclaim the grandeur of his works.

¹¹He bestowed knowledge upon them

and allotted to them the law of life.^j*

¹²He established with them an eternal covenant

and revealed to them his decrees.^*

¹³Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,

and their ears heard the glory of his voice.^*

¹⁴He said to them, “Beware of all iniquity.”

And he gave commandment to each of them concerning the neighbor.^*

¹⁵Their ways are always before him;

they will not be hidden from his eyes.^k*

¹⁷He appointed a ruler for every nation,

but Israel is the Lord’s own portion.^l*

¹⁹All their works are as the sun before him,

and his eyes are ever upon their ways.^*

²⁰Their iniquities are not hidden from him,

and all their sins are before the Lord.^m

²²One’s almsgiving is like a signet ring with the Lord,ⁿ

and he will keep a person’s kindness like the apple of his eye.^o*

²³Afterward he will rise up and repay them,

and he will bring their recompense on their heads.^*

²⁴Yet to those who repent he grants a return,

and he encourages those who are losing hope.^*

A Call to Repentance

²⁵Turn back to the Lord and forsake your sins;

pray in his presence and lessen your offense.^*

²⁶Return to the Most High and turn away from iniquity^p

and hate intensely what is abhorrent.

²⁷Who will sing praises to the Most High in Hades

in place of the living who give thanks?^*

²⁸From the dead, as from one who does not exist, thanksgiving has ceased;

those who are alive and well sing the Lord’s praises.^*

²⁹How great is the mercy of the Lord

and his forgiveness for those who return to him!^*

³⁰For not everything is within human capability,

since human beings are not immortal.

³¹What is brighter than the sun? Yet it can be eclipsed.

So flesh and blood devise evil.

³²He marshals the host of the height of heaven,

but all humans are dust and ashes.^*