1 The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities. 2 Gr. parables of riddles. In that there was given him a diadem of glory. 7 For he destroyed the enemies on every side, And brought to nought the Philistines his adversaries, Brake their horn in pieces unto this day. 8 In every work of his he gave thanks to the Holy One Most High with words of glory; With his whole heart he sang praise, 9 Also he set singers before the altar, And to make sweet melody by their music.1 10 He gave comeliness to the feasts, And set in order the seasons to perfection, While they praised his holy name, And the sanctuary sounded from early morning. 11 The Lord took away his sins, And exalted his horn for ever; 12 After him rose up a son, a man of understanding; And for his sake he dwelt at large. 13 Solomon reigned in days of peace; And to him God gave rest round about, That he might set up a house for his name, And prepare a sanctuary for ever. 14 How wise wast thou made in thy youth, And filled as a river with understanding! 15 Thy soul covered the earth, And thou filledst it with 2 dark parables. 16 Thy name reached unto the isles afar off; And for thy peace thou wast beloved. 17 For thy songs and proverbs and parables, And for thine interpretations, the 18 By the name of the Lord God, 19 Thou didst bow thy loins unto women, And in thy body thou wast brought into subjection. 20 Thou didst blemish thine honour, And profane thy seed, To bring wrath upon thy children; And I was grieved for thy folly : 21 So that the sovereignty was divided, And out of Ephraim ruled a disobedient kingdom. 22 But the Lord will never forsake his mercy; And he will not destroy any of his works, And he gave a remnant unto Jacob, And unto David a root out of him. 23 And so rested Solomon with his fathers; And of his seed he left behind him Even the foolishness of the people, and one that lacked understanding, Who made the people to revolt by his counsel. Also Jeroboam the son of Nebat, And gave unto Ephraim a way of sin. 24 And their sins were multiplied exceedingly, To remove them from their land. 25 For they sought out all manner of wickedness, Till vengeance should come upon them. 48 Also there arose Elijah the prophet as fire, And his word burned like a torch: 2 Who brought a famine upon them, And by his zeal made them few in number. 3 By the word of the Lord he shut up the heaven: Thrice did he thus bring down fire. 4 How wast thou glorified, O Elijah, in thy wondrous deeds! And who shall glory like unto thee? 5 Who did raise up a dead man from death, And from the place of the dead, by the word of the Most High: 6 Who brought down kings to destruction, And honourable men from their bed: 7 Who heard rebuke in Sinai, And judgements of vengeance in 8 Who anointed kings for retribution, 10 Who was recorded for reproofs in their seasons, To pacify anger, before it brake forth into wrath; To turn the heart of the father unto 3 Gr. Hades. 4 Or, No Nor blot out the posterity of his elect; And the seed of him that loved him he will not take away; man's word over came him 1 Some ancient authori ties, apparently by a con fusion, read Gog. 14 As in his life he did wonders, So in death were his works marvel- 15 For all this the people repented not, And were scattered through all the And the people was left very few in And a ruler was left in the house of 16 Some of them did that which was And some multiplied sins. 17 Hezekiah fortified his city, And brought in 1 water into the midst He digged the sheer rock with iron, And sent Rabshakeh, and departed; And boasted great things in his arro- 19 Then were their hearts and their And they were in pain, as women in 20 And they called upon the Lord which Spreading forth their hands unto And took away the abominations of 3 He set his heart right toward the In the days of wicked men he made 4 Except David and Hezekiah and All committed trespass: For they forsook the law of the Most The kings of Judah failed. 5 For they gave their power unto And their glory to a strange nation. And made her streets desolate, as it 7 For they entreated him evil; To root out, and to afflict, and to And in like manner to build and to 8 It was Ezekiel who saw the vision of Which God shewed him upon the 9 For verily he remembered the ene- And to do good to them that directed 4 And the Holy One heard them speed- 10 Also of the twelve prophets * And delivered them by the hand of 21 He smote the camp of the Assyrians, And his angel utterly destroyed them. And was strong in the ways of David Which Isaiah the prophet command- Who was great and faithful in his 23 In his days the sun went backward; 24 He saw by an excellent spirit what 25 He shewed the things that should be 2 Gr. horn. 3 Gr. rain. 4 The remain May the bones flourish again out of derof their place. And he comforted Jacob, this line is omitted by And delivered them by confidence of the best 11 How shall we magnify Zerubbabel? 12 So was Jesus the son of Josedek: Prepared for everlasting glory. authorities. 5 Some ancient authori ties read 13 Also of Nehemiah the memorial is temple. Who raised up for us the walls that And set up the gates and bars, And raised up our homes again. And the hidden things or ever they 14 No man was created upon the earth came. such as was Enoch; For he was taken up from the earth. 49 The memorial of Josiah is like the 15 Neither was there a man born like composition of incense Prepared by the work of the apothe- It shall be sweet as honey in every And as music at a banquet of wine. 2 He behaved himself uprightly in the unto Joseph, A governor of his brethren, a stay of Yea, his bones were visited. 16 Shem and Seth were glorified among men; And above every living thing in the 1 Or, high 2 The text here seems to be corrupt. 3 Gr. to besiege: that is, as to besieging it. 4 Gr. house of the veil. 5 Gr. cup of libation. 50 It was Simon, the son of Onias, the 1 great priest, Who in his life repaired the house, And in his days strengthened the temple: 2 And by him was built from the foundation the height of the double wall, The lofty underworks of the inclosure of the temple: 3 In his days the cistern of waters was 2 diminished, The brasen vessel in compass as the sea. 4 It was he that took thought for his people that they should not fall, And fortified the city against be sieging: 5 How glorious was he when the people gathered round him At his coming forth out of the 4 sanctuary! 6 As the morning star in the midst of a cloud, As the moon at the full: 7 As the sun shining forth upon the temple of the Most High, And as the rainbow giving light in clouds of glory: 8 As the flower of roses in the days of new fruits, As lilies at the waterspring, As the shoot of the frankincense tree in the time of summer: 9 As fire and incense in the censer, As a vessel all of beaten gold Adorned with all manner of precious stones: 10 As an olive tree budding forth fruits, And as a cypress growing high among the clouds. 11 When he took up the robe of glory, And put on the perfection of exultation, In the ascent of the holy altar, A sweet-smelling savour unto the 16 Then shouted the sons of Aaron, They sounded the trumpets of beaten They made a great noise to be heard, 17 Then all the people together hasted, And fell down upon the earth on their faces To worship their Lord, the Almighty, 18 The singers also praised him with their voices; In the whole house was there made sweet melody. 19 And the people besought the Lord Most High, In prayer before him that is merciful, 22 And now bless ye the God of all, Which everywhere doeth great things, Which exalteth our days from the womb, And dealeth with us according to his mercy. 23 May he grant us joyfulness of heart, And that peace may be in our days in Israel for the days of eternity: He made glorious the precinct of the 24 To intrust his mercy with us; sanctuary. 12 And when he received the portions out of the priests' hands, Himself also standing by the hearth of the altar, His brethren as a garland round about him, He was as a young cedar in Libanus; And as stems of palm trees compassed they him round about, 13 And all the sons of Aaron in their glory, And the Lord's offering in their hands, before all the congregation of Israel. 14 And finishing the service at the altars, That he might adorn the offering of the Most High, the Almighty, 15 He stretched out his hand to the 5 cup, And poured of the blood of the grape; And let him deliver us in his time! 25 With two nations is my soul vexed, And the third is no nation: 6 Gr. adornment. 7 Ac 26 They that sit upon the mountain of 7 Samaria, and the Philistines, And that foolish people that dwelleth cording in Sichem. to some ancient versions, Seir. 8 Gr. 27 I have 8 written in this book the instruction of understanding and graven. knowledge, I Jesus, the son of Sirach Eleazar, of Who out of his heart poured forth 9 Gr. 1.0 The remain 28 Blessed is he that shall be exercised footstep. in these things; And he that layeth them up in his der of heart shall become wise. 29 For if he do them, he shall be strong to all things: For the light of the Lord is his 2 guide.10 this verse is omitted by the best au thorities. 1 Gr. Hades. A Prayer of Jesus the son of Sirach. 51 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, And will praise thee, God my Saviour: And didst deliver my body out of And out of the snare of a slanderous From lips that forge lies, And wast my helper before them that 3 And didst deliver me, according to From the gnashings of teeth ready to Out of the hand of such as sought my Out of the manifold afflictions which Therefore will I give thanks and praise unto thee, And bless the name of the Lord. 13 When I was yet young, Or ever I went abroad, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer. 14 Before the temple I asked for her, And I will seek her out even to the end. 15 From her flower as from the ripening grape my heart delighted in her : My foot trod in uprightness, From my youth I tracked her out. 16 I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, And found for myself much instruction. 17 I profited in her : Unto him that giveth me wisdom I will give glory. 18 For I purposed to practise her, And I was zealous for that which is good; And I shall never be put to shame. 4 From the choking of a fire on every 19 My soul hath wrestled in her, And out of the midst of fire which I 5 Out of the depth of the belly of 1the And from an unclean tongue, And from lying words, 6 The slander of an unrighteous tongue My soul drew near even unto death, 7 They compassed me on every side, I was looking for the succour of men, 8 And I remembered thy mercy, O And thy working which hath been How thou deliverest them that wait And in my doing I was exact: I spread forth my hands to the heaven above, And bewailed my ignorances of her. 20 I set my soul aright unto her, And in pureness I found her. I gat me a heart joined with her from the beginning: Therefore shall I not be forsaken. 21 My inward part also was troubled to seek her: Therefore have I gotten a good possession. 22 The Lord gave me a tongue for my reward; And I will praise him therewith. 23 Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, And lodge in the house of instruction. 24 Say, wherefore are ye lacking in these things, And your souls are very thirsty? And savest them out of the hand of 25 I opened my mouth, and spake, the enemies. 9 And I lifted up my supplication from And prayed for deliverance from 10 I called upon the Lord, the Father of That he would not forsake me in the In the time when there was no help 11 I will praise thy name continually, And my supplication was heard: 12 For thou savedst me from destruction, 119 Get her for yourselves without money. 26 Put your neck under the yoke, And let your soul receive instruction: She is hard at hand to find. 27 Behold with your eyes, How that I laboured but a little, 28 Get you instruction with a great sum And gain much gold by her. 29 May your soul rejoice in his mercy, And may ye not be put to shame in praising him. 30 Work your work before the time cometh, And in his time he will give you your reward. BARUCH. 1 Another reading is, and vowed vows. 2 See Deut. xi. 21. 1 AND these are the words of the book, which Baruch the son of Nerias, the son of Maaseas, the son of Sedekias, the son of Asadias, the son of Helkias, 2 wrote in Babylon, in the fifth year, and in the seventh day of the month, what time as the Chaldeans took Je3 rusalem, and burnt it with fire. And Baruch did read the words of this book in the hearing of Jechonias the son of Joakim king of Judah, and in the hearing of all the people that came to hear the book, and in the hearing of the mighty men, and of the kings' sons, and in the hearing of the elders, and in the hearing of all the people, from the least unto the greatest, even of all them that dwelt at 5 Babylon by the river Sud. And they wept, and fasted, 1and prayed before 6 the Lord; they made also a collection of money according to every man's 7 power: and they sent it to Jerusalem unto Joakim the high priest, the son of Helkias, the son of Salom, and to the priests, and to all the people which were found with him at Jeru8 salem, at the same time when he took the vessels of the house of the Lord, that had been carried out of the temple, to return them into the land of Judah, the tenth day of the month Sivan, namely, silver vessels, which Sedekias the son of Josias king of Ju9 dah had made, after that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried away Jechonias, and the princes, and the captives, and the mighty men, and the people of the land, from Jerusa lem, and brought them unto Babylon. 10 And they said, Behold, we have sent you money; buy you therefore with the money burnt offerings, and sin offerings, and incense, and prepare an oblation, and offer upon the altar of 11 the Lord our God; and pray for the life of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and for the life of Baltasar his son, that their days may be as the 12 days of heaven above the earth: and the Lord will give us strength, and lighten our eyes, and we shall live under the shadow of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and under the shadow of Baltasar his son, and we shall serve them many days, and find fa13 vour in their sight. Pray for us also unto the Lord our God, for we have sinned against the Lord our God; and unto this day the wrath of the Lord and his indignation is not turned from 14 us. And ye shall read this book which we have sent unto you, to make confession in the house of the Lord, upon the day of the feast and on the days of the solemn assembly. 15 And ye shall say, To the Lord our God belongeth righteousness, but unto us confusion of face, as at this day, unto the men of Judah, and to the in16 habitants of Jerusalem, and to our kings, and to our princes, and to our priests, and to our prophets, and to 17 our fathers: for that we have sinned 18 before the Lord, and disobeyed him, and have not hearkened unto the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in the commandments of the Lord that 19 he hath set before us: since the day that the Lord brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt, unto this present day, we have been disobedient unto the Lord our God, and we have dealt unadvisedly in not hearkening 20 unto his voice. Wherefore the plagues clave unto us, and the curse, which the Lord commanded Moses his servant to pronounce in the day that he brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt, to give us a land that floweth with milk and honey, as at this day. 21 Nevertheless we hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord our God, according unto all the words of the prophets, 22 whom he sent unto us: but we walked every man in the imagination of his own wicked heart, to serve strange gods, and to do that which is evil in 2 the sight of the Lord our God. Therefore the Lord hath made good his word, which he pronounced against us, and against our judges that judged Israel, and against our kings, and against our princes, and against the 2 men of Israel and Judah, to bring upon us great plagues, such as never happened under the whole heaven, 3 as it came to pass in Jerusalem, according to the things that are writ3 ten in the law of Moses; that we should eat every man the flesh of his own son, and every man the flesh of his own done. 4 daughter. Moreover he hath given them to be in subjection to all the kingdoms that are round about us, to be a reproach and a desolation among all the people round about, where the 5 Lord hath scattered them. Thus were they cast down, and not exalted, because we sinned against the Lord our God, in not hearkening unto his voice. 6 To the Lord our God belongeth righteousness: but unto us and to our fathers confusion of face, as at this day. Another reading is, even as he hath |