1 Whoever fears God will do good. And whoever holds to justice will obtain it. 2 And like an honorable mother, she will meet him, and like a virgin bride, she will receive him. 3 She will feed him with the bread of life and understanding. And she will give him to drink from the water of salvific wisdom. And she will be confirmed in him, and he will not waver. 4 And she will hold to him, and he will not be confounded. And she will exalt him, along with those closest to him. 5 And in the midst of the Church, she will open his mouth, and she will fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and she will clothe him with a robe of glory. 6 She will store up in him a treasure of rejoicing and exultation, and she will cause him to inherit an everlasting name. 7 But foolish men will not take hold of her. And though understanding men will meet her, foolish men will not catch sight of her. For she is far from arrogance and deceit. 8 Lying men will be wary of her. But men who speak the truth will be found with her, and they will have success, even when examined by God. 9 Praise is not beautiful in the mouth of a sinner. 10 For wisdom was sent from God. And praise will stand before the wisdom of God, and praise will abound in the mouths of the faithful, and the sovereign Lord will give praise to wisdom. 11 You should not say: “It is because of God that wisdom is absent.” For you should not do what he detests. 12 You should not say: “He has led me astray.” For the impious are of no use to him. 13 The Lord hates all abominable error, and those who fear him will not love such things. 14 God established man from the beginning, and he left him in the hand of his own counsel. 15 He added his commandments and precepts. 16 If you choose to keep the commandments, and if, having chosen them, you fulfill them with perpetual fidelity, they will preserve you. 17 He has set water and fire before you. Extend your hand to whichever one you would choose. 18 Before man is life and death, good and evil. Whichever one he chooses will be given to him. 19 For the wisdom of God is manifold. And he is strong in power, seeing all things without ceasing. 20 The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, and he knows each one of the works of man. 21 He has commanded no one to act impiously, and he has given no one permission to sin. 22 For he does not desire a multitude of unfaithful and useless sons.
Sirach · Catholic Public Domain Version
Sirach 15 Catholic Public Domain Version
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shall die the death." Now, as the law was more plainly given afterward, and the apostle says, "Where no law is, there is no prevarication," on what supposition is what is said in the psalm true, "I accounted all the sinners of the earth prevaricators," except that all who are held liable …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
In another place it is said, "Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner." If then in the mouth of a sinner praise is not seemly, neither is it pleasant, for that only is pleasant which is seemly....For praise may be pleasant to a man, when he heareth one praising with neat and clever sentiments, and with a …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)