Wisdom of Ben Sira 44:1-50:21

New Catholic Bible

¹ Let us now praise illustrious men,
    our ancestors in their successive generations.
² The Most High apportioned to them an abundance of glory
    and displayed his greatness from of old.
³ Some ruled over kingdoms
    and were renowned for their valor.
Others were prudent counselors
    and spoke with prophetic power.
⁴ Some guided the people by their counsel,
    by their knowledge of the popular mind,
    and by the wise words of their instruction.
⁵ Some were composers of music
    or authors of poetry.
⁶ Others were rich and powerful,
    living peacefully in their homes.
⁷ All these were honored in their own generation
    and were illustrious in their day.
⁸ Some of them have left behind a name,
    so that their praiseworthy deeds are recounted.
⁹ But of others no memory remains;
    they have perished as though they had never existed.
They have become as though they had never been born,
    they and their children after them.
¹⁰ Yet these also were godly men
    whose virtuous deeds have not been forgotten.
¹¹ Their wealth has been handed on to their descendants,
    and their inheritance to future generations.
¹² Their descendants have remained faithful to the covenants,
    and, so have their children for their sake.
¹³ Their offspring will endure for all time,
    and their glory will never fade.
¹⁴ Their bodies are buried in peace,
    but their name lives on for all generations.
¹⁵ The peoples proclaim their wisdom,
    and the assembly sings their praise.

¹⁶ Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up
    as an example of repentance for future generations.

¹⁷ Noah was found to be perfect and righteous,
    and in the time of God’s wrath he kept the race alive.
Because of him a remnant survived on the earth,
    and with a pledge to him the flood came to an end.
¹⁸ Everlasting covenants were established with him,
    that never again would all life be blotted out by a flood.

¹⁹ Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations;
    no one has been found to be his equal in glory.
²⁰ He observed the law of the Most High
    and entered into a covenant with him.
He confirmed the covenant in his flesh,^[d]
    and when he was tested he proved faithful.
²¹ Therefore, God assured him with an oath
    that the nations would be blessed through his descendants,
that he would make his offspring as numerous as the dust of the earth,
    and that they would be exalted like the stars,
and that he would give them an inheritance extending from sea to sea,
    and from the river to the ends of the earth.^[e]

²² To Isaac also, God gave the same assurance
    for the sake of Abraham his father.
²³ He caused the blessing of all people and the covenant
    to rest on the head of Jacob.
He acknowledged him with his blessings
    and gave him the land as his inheritance.
He divided the land into portions
    and distributed them to the twelve tribes.

¹ From Jacob’s stock God raised up a devout man
    who found favor in the eyes of all,
beloved by God and the people,
    Moses, of blessed memory.
² God made him equal in glory to the holy ones,^[h]
    and strengthened him, to the frightened consternation of his enemies.
³ At his word God caused signs^[i] to cease
    and raised him high in the regard of kings.
He gave him commandments for his people
    and revealed to him a portion of his glory.
⁴ As a result of his loyalty and meekness, God consecrated him,
    choosing him from all humankind.
⁵ He permitted him to hear his voice
    and led him into the dark cloud,
where, face to face,^[j] he gave him the commandments,
    the law of life and knowledge,
so that he might teach his covenant to Jacob,
    and to Israel, his decrees.

⁶ He also raised up Aaron, a holy man like Moses,
    who was his brother, of the tribe of Levi.
⁷ He made an everlasting covenant with him
    and conferred on him the priesthood^[l] of his people.
He adorned him with splendid vestments
    and gave him a robe of glory.
⁸ He clothed him in magnificent apparel
    and invested him with rich ornaments:
    the linen undergarments, the long robe, and the ephod.
⁹ To encircle the hem of his robe he gave him pomegranates,
    with many golden bells all around,
to sound melodiously as he walked,
    ringing aloud throughout the temple
    as a reminder to his people;
¹⁰ with the sacred vestment of gold and violet,
    and purple, the work of an embroiderer;
with the oracle of judgment, the sacred lots;
¹¹     with scarlet thread, the product of an artisan;
with precious stones engraved like seals,
    mounted in gold, the work of a jeweler,
    to commemorate with inscriptions
    each of the tribes of Israel;
¹² with a gold diadem upon his turban,
    inscribed with the seal of consecration,
majestic ornamentation, stupendous work,
    a delight of rich adornment to the eyes.
¹³ Before him such beautiful things had never existed,
    nor has anyone ever worn them
except for his sons
    and his descendants throughout the ages.
¹⁴ Twice every day, without exception,
    they present his sacrifice, to be wholly consumed.
¹⁵ Moses ordained him
    and anointed him with the holy oil.
This was an everlasting covenant for him
    and for his descendants, as long as the heavens endure,
that he should be God’s minister by means of his priesthood
    and bless his people in his name.
¹⁶ God chose him out of all the living
    to offer sacrifices to him,
incense and sweet-smelling oblations for a memorial,
    to make expiation for his people.
¹⁷ He entrusted him with his commandments
    and gave him the authority to enact laws and make judgments,
to teach Jacob his decrees
    and to enlighten Israel in regard to his law.
¹⁸ Others became envious of Aaron
    and conspired against him in the wilderness:
Dathan and Abiram and their followers,
    and the band of Korah in defiant wrath.
¹⁹ The Lord saw this and was angered;
    in his burning wrath he destroyed them.
He worked miracles against them,
    as they were consumed in his blazing fire.
²⁰ Then he increased the glory of Aaron
    and gave him a heritage;
he allotted to him the choicest offerings of the firstfruits,
    thus ensuring that they would have bread in abundance.
²¹ For they eat the sacrifices of the Lord
    that he gave to Aaron and his descendants.
²² However, he has no inheritance in the land of the people;
    he has no portion among them;
for the Lord himself is his portion and inheritance
    in the midst of the Israelites.

²³ Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, ranks third in glory
    because of his zeal in the fear of the Lord,
and for standing firm with noble courage of soul
    when the people refused to obey;
    and by so doing he made expiation for Israel.
²⁴ Therefore, a covenant of friendship was established with him,
    conferring on him the right to be in charge of the sanctuary and of the people,
so that he and his descendants should have
    the dignity of the high priesthood forever.
²⁵ Just as a covenant was established with David,
    the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah,
that the royal succession was always to pass from father to son,
    so the priestly succession was to pass from Aaron to his descendants.
²⁶ And now bless the Lord
    who has crowned you with glory.
May God grant you^[n] a mind endowed with wisdom
    to rule his people with justice,
so that the virtues of your ancestors may never vanish
    and their glory may be passed on to all their descendants.

¹ Joshua, son of Nun, was a valiant warrior
    and the successor of Moses in the prophetic office,
destined to become, as his name implies,^[p]
    the great savior of God’s chosen people,
to wreak vengeance on the enemies who attacked them
    and thus bring Israel into its inheritance.
² How glorious he was when with uplifted hands
    he brandished his sword against cities!
³ Who could withstand him
    when he fought the battles of the Lord?
⁴ Was it not through him that the sun stood still
    so that one day was lengthened into two?
⁵ He called upon the Most High God
    when his enemies pressed him on every side,
and the great Lord answered him
    with hailstones of mighty power.
⁶ He overwhelmed that hostile nation in battle
    and destroyed his assailants as they fled down the slope,
so that all the nations might know his power
    and that he was fighting before the Lord.
For he was a devoted follower of God,
⁷     in the lifetime of Moses proving his loyalty.
Joshua and Caleb, son of Jephunneh,
    stood their ground against the rebellious assembly,
restrained the people from sin,^[q]
    and silenced their wicked grumbling.
⁸ As a result, out of the six hundred thousand infantry,
    these two alone were spared
to lead the people into their inheritance,
    a land flowing with milk and honey.
⁹ And the strength that the Lord gave to Caleb
    remained with him even in his old age;
thus, he was able to invade the hill country
    and win possession of it for an inheritance,
¹⁰ so that every Israelite might see
    how good it is to follow the Lord.

¹¹ The Judges too, every one of them by name,
    whose hearts did not succumb to idolatry
and who did not turn their backs on the Lord—
    may their memory be blessed.
¹² May their bones send forth new life from the grave,
    and may the names of those illustrious men
    live again in their children.

¹³ Honored among his people and beloved by his Creator,
    pledged in a vow from his mother’s womb,
and consecrated to the Lord in the prophetic office
    was Samuel, the judge who offered sacrifice.
At God’s word, he established the monarchy
    and anointed rulers of his people.
¹⁴ He judged the community according to the law of the Lord,
    and the Lord watched over the people of Jacob.
¹⁵ By his faithfulness he was proved to be a prophet,
    and his words substantiated his trustworthy role as a seer.
¹⁶ When his enemies pressed him on every side,
    he called upon the Lord, the Mighty One,
    offering him a suckling lamb.
¹⁷ Then the Lord thundered from heaven,
    and made his voice heard with a mighty roar.
¹⁸ He routed the leaders of the enemy
    and all the rulers of the Philistines.
¹⁹ When the time drew near for his eternal sleep,
    Samuel bore witness to the Lord and his anointed:
“I have never taken from anyone any property,
    not even a pair of shoes.”
    And no one could contradict his statement.
²⁰ Even after he had fallen asleep, he prophesied once again,
    warning the king of his approaching death.
He raised his voice in prophecy from the depths of the earth
    to put an end to the wickedness of the people.

¹ After him arose Nathan
    to prophesy in the days of David.

² Just as the fat of the sacred offerings is set apart,
    so David was chosen out of all Israel.
³ He frolicked with lions as though they were young goats,
    and with bears as though they were lambs of the flock.
⁴ While still a young boy he killed a giant
    and eradicated the shame of his people.
By hurling a stone from his sling
    he put an end to the boastful arrogance of Goliath.
⁵ For he called on the Most High God,
    who gave strength to his right arm
to strike down that mighty warrior
    and demonstrate the power of his people.
⁶ Therefore, they exalted him as the conqueror of tens of thousands,
    praised him while they blessed the Lord,
    and offered him a crown of glory.
⁷ For he destroyed his enemies on every side,
    annihilating the hostile Philistines
    whose power remains crushed to the present day.
⁸ In everything he did he offered thanks to the Holy One,
    proclaiming the glory of the Most High.
He sang hymns of praise with all his heart
    to demonstrate his love for his Maker.
⁹ He assigned singers to stand before the altar
    and to provide sweet melody with their voices.
[And they sang his praise daily.]^[u]
10 He invested the festivals with splendor
    and designated their times throughout the year,
when the Lord’s holy name is praised
    and the sanctuary resounds from the moment of dawn.
¹¹ The Lord took away his sins
    and endowed him forever with great power.
By a covenant he gave him the kingship
    and a glorious throne in Israel.

¹² He was succeeded by a wise son,
    who, thanks to him, ruled a vast domain.^[w]
13 Solomon reigned in an age of peace,
    for God gave tranquillity to all his borders,
so that he might build a house to his name
    and prepare an everlasting sanctuary.
¹⁴ How wise you were in your youth, Solomon,
    filled with intelligence like an overflowing river!^[x]
15 Your understanding covered the earth,
    and you filled it with difficult sayings.
¹⁶ Your reputation spread to far-distant islands,
    and you were loved for your peaceful reign.
¹⁷ Your songs, your proverbs, your sayings,
    and the answers you provided astounded the nations.
¹⁸ In the name of the Lord God
    who is called the God of Israel,^[y]
you amassed gold like so much tin
    and accumulated silver like lead.
¹⁹ However, you summoned women to be at your side
    and became subject to them as a result of your bodily appetites.
²⁰ You soiled your reputation
    and sullied your family line,
bringing wrath upon your children
    and grief at your folly,
²¹ because the empire was split in two,
    and in Ephraim a rebel kingdom arose.
²² But the Lord never ceases his mercy
    or allows any of his works to perish.
He will never wipe out the posterity of his chosen one
    or destroy the line of the one who loved him.
And so he gave a remnant to Jacob
    and let one root of David survive.

²³ Solomon finally rested with his ancestors
    and left behind to succeed him one of his sons,
prone to folly and lacking in sense,
    Rehoboam, whose policies caused the people to revolt.
Then Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, led Israel into sin
    and provided Ephraim with its wicked course.
²⁴ Their sins increased more and more
    until they were driven into exile from their native land.
²⁵ For they attempted every kind of wickedness
    until punishment overtook them.

¹ Then arose like a fire the prophet Elijah,
    whose words were like a flaming torch.
² He brought a famine on the people,
    and by his zeal he decimated their number.
³ By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens
    and three times he called down fire from the skies.
⁴ How glorious you were, Elijah, in your miracles!
    Whose glory is equal to yours?
⁵ You raised a corpse from death
    and from the netherworld, by the word of the Most High.
⁶ You dragged down kings to their destruction,
    and also nobles from their sickbeds.
⁷ You heard a rebuke at Sinai
    and avenging judgments at Horeb.
⁸ You anointed kings to effect retribution
    and prophets to succeed you.
⁹ You were taken up to the heavens in a whirlwind of fire,
    in a chariot drawn by fiery horses.
¹⁰ It is written that you are destined at the appointed time
    to allay the wrath of God before it erupts in fury,
to turn the hearts of parents back to their children
    and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
¹¹ Blessed is he who will see you
    and those who have fallen asleep in love,
    for we also shall certainly live.^[ab]
12 After Elijah had been enveloped in a whirlwind,
    Elisha was filled with his spirit.
[He wrought twice as many signs,
    and marvels by the utterance of his mouth.]^[ac]
Throughout his lifetime no ruler ever caused him to tremble,
    nor was anyone able to intimidate him in the slightest.
¹³ No task was too difficult for him,
    and even after his death his body continued to prophesy from beyond the grave.
¹⁴ In his life he accomplished wonders,
    and in death also his deeds were marvelous.
¹⁵ Despite all this, the people did not repent,
    nor did they give up their sins
until they were carried off as captives from their land
    and scattered over all the earth.
¹⁶ The people who were left were few in number,
    under a ruler from the house of David.
Some of them did what was right,
    but others continued to sin, and to a far greater extent.

¹⁷ Hezekiah fortified his city
    and brought water into it;
with iron tools he cut through the rock
    and built cisterns to hold the water.
¹⁸ During his reign Sennacherib invaded the country
    and sent Rabshakeh,^[ae] his commander.
He shook his fist against Zion,
    and in his arrogance he boasted loudly.
¹⁹ As a result, the people’s hearts were unnerved and their hands trembled;
    they were in anguish, like that of women in labor.
²⁰ But they called upon the merciful Lord,
    stretching out their hands toward him.
In heaven the Holy One swiftly heard their cries,
    and he delivered them through Isaiah.
²¹ God struck the camp of the Assyrians,
    and his angel annihilated them.
²² For Hezekiah did what was pleasing to the Lord
    and held firmly steadfast to the ways of David, his ancestor,
as was commanded by the prophet Isaiah,
    whose visions were true and trustworthy.
²³ During his lifetime he caused the sun to go backward
    and he prolonged the life of the king.
²⁴ In the power of his spirit he saw the end of times,
    and he comforted the mourners in Zion.
²⁵ He revealed the future to the end of the ages
    and hidden things long before they occurred.

¹ The memory of Josiah is like blended incense
    made lasting by the skill of a perfumer.
It is as sweet as honey to every mouth
    or like music at a banquet.
² He followed the right course by reforming the people
    and eliminating loathsome and abominable practices.
³ He kept his heart fixed on God,
    and in lawless times he made godliness prevail.

^{4     [ag]}Except for David, Hezekiah, and Josiah,
    they were all great sinners,
for they abandoned the law of the Most High;
    so the kings of Judah came to an end.
⁵ They handed over their power to others
    and their glory to a foreign nation.
⁶ The chosen city, the city of the sanctuary, was set on fire,
    and its streets were left desolate,
⁷     as Jeremiah had predicted.
For they had mistreated him,
    even though while still in the womb he had been consecrated a prophet
to uproot, pull down, and destroy,
    but also to build and plant.

⁸ Ezekiel was privileged to behold a vision of glory,
    which God showed to him above the chariot of the cherubim.
⁹ He also referred to Job,
    who always persevered in the path of justice.
¹⁰ May the bones of the Twelve Prophets
    send forth new life from where they lie,
for they gave new strength to the people of Jacob
    and saved them with confident hope.

¹¹ How can we find suitable words to praise Zerubbabel,
    who was like a signet ring on the right hand?
¹² So too was Jeshua, the son of Jozadak;
    in their days they rebuilt the house
and raised a temple holy to the Lord,
    destined for everlasting glory.
¹³ Great too is the memory of Nehemiah,
    who reconstructed our fallen walls,
restored our defensive structures,
    and rebuilt our ruined houses.

¹⁴ No one has been^[aj] created on earth equal to Enoch,
    for he was taken up from the earth in bodily form.
¹⁵ Nor has anyone ever been born who was like Joseph,
    the ruler of his brothers and the foundation of his people;^[ak]
    even his bones were cared for.
¹⁶ Shem and Seth^[al] were the recipients of great honor,
    but above every other living creature was Adam.

¹ It was the high priest Simon, son of Onias,
    in whose lifetime the house was repaired
    and in whose days the temple was fortified.
² He also laid the foundations for the high double walls
    that enclosed the temple precincts.
³ In his time a water cistern was constructed,
    a pool with the vastness of the sea.
⁴ His concern was to ward off disaster from his people,
    and he fortified the city against siege.
⁵ How glorious he was, with the people thronging around him,
    as he emerged from behind the veil of the sanctuary.
⁶ He was like the morning star shining among the clouds,
    like the full moon at the festal season,
⁷ like the sun shining on the temple of the Most High,
    like the rainbow appearing in a cloudy sky,
⁸ like a rose in springtime,
    like a lily by a spring of water,
like a green shoot on Lebanon on a summer’s day,
⁹     like incense set afire in the censer,
like a vessel of beaten gold
    embellished with every kind of precious stone,
¹⁰ like an olive tree laden with fruit,
    like a cypress reaching to the clouds.
¹¹ When he put on his magnificent robes
    and clothed himself in his garments of splendor,
as he went up to the holy altar,
    he brought majestic glory to the court of the sanctuary.
¹² When he received the portions from the hands of the priests
    while he stood by the hearth of the altar,
with his brethren encircling him like a garland,
    he was like a young cedar of Lebanon
    surrounded by the trunks of palm trees.
¹³ All the sons of Aaron in their splendor
    held the Lord’s offerings in their hands
    as they stood in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel.
¹⁴ When he had completed the rites at the altar
    and arranged the sacrificial offerings to the Almighty, the Most High,
¹⁵ he stretched forth his hand for the cup
    and poured out a libation from the juice of the grape,
pouring it out at the foot of the altar,
    a sweet-smelling fragrance to the Most High, the king of all.
¹⁶ Then the sons of Aaron would shout
    and blow their trumpets of beaten metal,
sounding a mighty fanfare
    as a reminder before the Most High.
¹⁷ Then all together the people
    would quickly fall prostrate to the ground
in adoration of their Lord,
    the Almighty, God Most High.
¹⁸ Then the choir would chant hymns of praise
    that were sweet, melodious, and full-toned,
¹⁹ while the people were pleading with the Lord Most High
    and praying before the Merciful One,
until the service of the Lord was finished
    and the liturgical ceremony was completed.
²⁰ Then Simon would come down and raise his hands
    over the whole assembly of the Israelites
to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips
    and to glory in his name.
²¹ And once again the people would bow down in worship
    to receive the blessing of the Most High.