Sirach 44
Good News Translation
The Glory of God in History
44 So let us now give praise to godly[a] men,
our ancestors of generations past,
2 those whom the Lord honored with great glory,
in whom his greatness has been seen
from the beginning of time.
3 There were some who ruled kingdoms,
and some who were known for their strength.
Some were wise advisers,
and some spoke prophecies.
4 There were statesmen whose policies governed the people,
rulers who issued decrees,[b]
scholars who spoke wise words,[c]
and those who used pointed proverbs,[d]
5 poets, and composers of music,
6 rich and powerful men living peacefully at home.
7 All of these were famous in their own times,
honored by the people of their day.
8 Some of them left a reputation,
and people still praise them today.
9 There are others who are not remembered,
as if they had never lived,
who died and were forgotten,
they, and their children after them.
10 But we will praise these godly men,
whose righteous deeds have never been forgotten.
11 Their reputations will be passed on to their descendants,
and this will be their inheritance.[e]
12 Their descendants continue to keep the covenant
and always will, because of what their ancestors did.
13 Their family line will go on forever,
and their fame will never fade.
14 Their bodies were laid to rest,
but their reputations will live forever.
15 Nations will tell about their wisdom,
and God's people will praise them.
Enoch
16 (A)Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up into heaven. He became an inspiration for repentance for all time to come.
Noah
17 (B)Noah was a perfectly righteous man. After destruction came, he gave the human race a new start.[f] Because of him there were people left on earth when the flood was over. 18 The Lord made an eternal covenant with him, promising that life would never again be destroyed by a flood.
Abraham
19 (C)Abraham was the great ancestor of many nations; his reputation was faultless.[g] 20 He kept the Law of the Most High and made a covenant with him, a covenant marked on his body. When he was put to the test, he was found faithful. 21 And so the Lord made him a solemn promise that his descendants would be a blessing to the world; that their number would be countless, like the dust of the earth; that they would be honored more than any other people on earth; and that their land would extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
Isaac and Jacob
22-23 (D)The Lord renewed that covenant with Isaac, and then again with Jacob, repeating the promise that Abraham's descendants would be a blessing to the whole human race. The Lord assured Jacob that he would bless him; he gave him the land that would be his, dividing it into twelve parts, one for each of the tribes.
Footnotes
- Sirach 44:1 Hebrew godly; Greek famous.
- Sirach 44:4 Probable Hebrew text rulers who issued decrees; Greek unclear.
- Sirach 44:4 Hebrew scholars...words; Greek unclear.
- Sirach 44:4 Hebrew and those...proverbs; Greek does not have these words.
- Sirach 44:11 Verse 11 in Greek is unclear.
- Sirach 44:17 Hebrew gave...start; Greek was taken in exchange for the human race.
- Sirach 44:19 Hebrew his reputation was faultless; Greek there was no one like him in reputation.
Sirach 44
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Hymn in Honor of Our Ancestors[a]
44 Let us now sing the praises of famous men,
our ancestors in their generations.
2 The Lord apportioned to them[b] great glory,
his majesty from the beginning.
3 There were those who ruled in their kingdoms
and made a name for themselves by their strength;
those who gave counsel because they were intelligent;
those who spoke in prophetic oracles;(A)
4 those who led the people by their counsels
and by their knowledge of the people’s lore;
they were wise in their words of instruction;
5 those who composed musical tunes
or put verses in writing;(B)
6 rich men endowed with resources,
living peacefully in their homes—
7 all these were honored in their generations
and were the pride of their times.
8 Some of them have left behind a name,
so that others declare their praise.
9 But of others there is no memory;
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.(C)
10 But these also were men of compassion
whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;
11 their wealth will remain with their descendants
and their inheritance with their children’s children.[c](D)
12 Their descendants stand by the covenants;
their children also, for their sake.
13 Their offspring will continue forever,
and their glory will never be blotted out.(E)
14 Their bodies are buried in peace,
but their name lives on generation after generation.(F)
15 The assembly declares[d] their wisdom,
and the congregation proclaims their praise.(G)
Enoch
16 Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up,
an example of repentance to all generations.(H)
Noah
17 Noah was found perfect and righteous;
in the time of wrath he kept humanity alive;[e]
because of him[f] a remnant was left on the earth
when the flood came.(I)
18 Everlasting covenants were made with him
that all flesh should never again be blotted out by a flood.(J)
Abraham
19 Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations,
and no one has been found like him in glory.(K)
20 He kept the law of the Most High
and entered into a covenant with him;
he certified the covenant in his flesh,
and when he was tested he proved faithful.(L)
21 Therefore the Lord[g] assured him with an oath
that the nations would be blessed through his offspring,
that he would make him as numerous as the dust of the earth
and exalt his offspring like the stars
and give them an inheritance from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates[h] to the ends of the earth.(M)
Isaac and Jacob
22 To Isaac also he gave the same assurance
for the sake of his father Abraham.
The blessing of all people and a covenant(N)
23 he made to rest on the head of Jacob;
he acknowledged him with his blessings
and gave him his inheritance;
he divided his portions
and distributed them among twelve tribes.
Moses
Ben Sira 44
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 44
Praise of Israel’s Great Ancestors[a]
1 I will now praise the godly,
our ancestors, in their own time,[b]
2 The abounding glory of the Most High’s portion,
his own part, since the days of old.(A)
3 Subduers of the land in kingly fashion,
renowned for their might,
Counselors in their prudence,
seers of all things in prophecy,(B)
4 Resolute princes of the flock,
lawgivers and their rules,
Sages skilled in composition,
authors of sharp proverbs,
5 Composers of melodious psalms,
writers of lyric poems;
6 Stalwart, solidly established,
at peace in their own estates—
7 All these were glorious in their time,
illustrious in their day.
8 Some of them left behind a name
so that people recount their praises.
9 Of others no memory remains,
for when they perished, they perished,
As if they had never lived,
they and their children after them.
10 Yet these also were godly;
their virtues have not been forgotten.
11 Their wealth remains in their families,
their heritage with their descendants.
12 Through God’s covenant their family endures,
and their offspring for their sake.
13 And for all time their progeny will endure,
their glory will never be blotted out;
14 Their bodies are buried in peace,
but their name lives on and on.(C)
15 At gatherings their wisdom is retold,
and the assembly proclaims their praises.
The Early Ancestors
16 [Enoch[c] walked with the Lord and was taken,(D)
that succeeding generations might learn by his example.]
17 Noah, found just and perfect,
renewed the race in the time of devastation.(E)
Because of his worth there were survivors,
and with a sign to him the deluge ended.
18 A lasting covenant was made with him,
that never again would all flesh be destroyed.
19 Abraham, father of many peoples,
kept his glory without stain:(F)
20 He observed the Most High’s command,
and entered into a covenant with him;
In his own flesh he incised the ordinance,[d]
and when tested was found loyal.(G)
21 For this reason, God promised him with an oath
to bless the nations through his descendants,
To make him numerous as grains of dust,
and to exalt his posterity like the stars,
Giving them an inheritance from sea to sea,
and from the River[e] to the ends of the earth.
22 For Isaac, too, he renewed the same promise
because of Abraham, his father.
The covenant with all his forebears was confirmed,
23 and the blessing rested upon the head of Israel.(H)
God acknowledged him as the firstborn,
and gave him his inheritance.
He fixed the boundaries for his tribes
and their division into twelve.
Footnotes
- 44:1–50:24 As in the previous section God’s glory shone forth in the works of nature, so in these chapters it is revealed through the history of God’s people as seen in the lives of their ancestors, prophets, priests, and rulers. The example of these great people, whose virtues are recalled here, constitutes a high point of Ben Sira’s teaching.
- 44:1–15 The reader is here introduced to those people of Israel, later mentioned by name, who through various achievements and beneficial social activities have acquired great renown (vv. 1–8, 14–15); and also to those who, though forgotten, endure through the fruit of their virtues and through their families because of God’s covenant with them (vv. 9–15).
- 44:16 Enoch: because of his friendship with God and his unusual disappearance from the earth, this prophet’s renown was great among the chosen people, particularly in the two centuries just before the coming of Christ; cf. Gn 5:21–24; Hb 11:5. The present verse is an expansion of the original text; cf. 49:14.
- 44:20 In his own flesh…ordinance: the covenant of circumcision; cf. Gn 17:10–14. And when tested…loyal: Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac at the Lord’s command; cf. Gn 22:1–12.
- 44:21 The River: the Euphrates; cf. Gn 2:14.
Sirach 44
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
44 Let us now praise men of renown, and our fathers in their generation.
2 The Lord hath wrought great glory through his magnificence from the beginning.
3 Such as have borne rule in their dominions, men of great power, and endued with their wisdom, shewing forth in the prophets the dignity of prophets,
4 And ruling over the present people, and by the strength of wisdom instructing the people in most holy words.
5 Such as by their skill sought out musical tunes, and published canticles of the scriptures.
6 Rich men in virtue, studying beautifulness: living at peace in their houses.
7 All these have gained glory in their generations, and were praised in their days.
8 They that were born of them have left a name behind them, that their praises might be related:
9 And there are some, of whom there is no memorial: who are perished, as if they had never been: and are become as if they had never been born, and their children with them.
10 But these were men of mercy, whose godly deeds have not failed:
11 Good things continue with their seed,
12 Their posterity are a holy inheritance, and their seed hath stood in the covenants.
13 And their children for their sakes remain for ever: their seed and their glory shall not be forsaken.
14 Their bodies are buried in peace, and their name liveth unto generation and generation.
15 Let the people shew forth their wisdom, and the church declare their praise.
16 Henoch pleased God, and was translated into paradise, that he may give repentance to the nations.
17 Noe was found perfect, just, and in the time of wrath he was made a reconciliation.
18 Therefore was there a remnant left to the earth, when the flood came.
19 The covenants of the world were made with him, that all flesh should no more be destroyed with the flood.
20 Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations, and there was not found the like to him in glory, who kept the law of the most High, and was in covenant with him.
21 In his flesh he established the covenant, and in temptation he was found faithful.
22 Therefore by an oath he gave him glory in his posterity, that he should increase as the dust of the earth,
23 And that he would exalt his seed as the stars, and they should inherit from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.
24 And he did in like manner with Isaac for the sake of Abraham his father.
25 The Lord gave him the blessing of all nations, and confirmed his covenant upon the head of Jacob.
26 He acknowledged him in his blessings, and gave him an inheritance, and divided him his portion in twelve tribes.
27 And he preserved for him men of mercy, that found grace in the eyes of all flesh.
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