Sirach · Catholic Public Domain Version
Sirach 33 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.
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- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 No evils will befall one who fears the Lord. Instead, God will preserve him during temptation and will free him from evils.
1 No evil will happen to him who fears the Lord, but in trials once and again he will deliver him.
2 A wise man does not hate the commandments and the justices, and so he will not be thrown about violently, like a ship in a storm.
2 A wise man will not hate the law, but he who is a hypocrite about it is like a boat in a storm.
3 A man of understanding puts his faith in the law of God, and so the law is faithful to him.
3 A man of understanding will put his trust in the law. And the law is faithful to him, as when one asks a divine oracle.
4 Whoever would resolve a dispute will prepare a word, and so, having prayed, he will be heard. And he will observe discipline, and then he will respond.
4 Prepare your speech, and so you will be heard. Bind up instruction, and make your answer.
5 The heart of a fool is like the wheel of a cart. And his thoughts are like a turning axel.
5 The heart of a fool is like a cartwheel. His thoughts are like a rolling axle.
6 A friend who is a whisperer is like an untamed horse: he neighs under anyone who sits upon him.
6 A stallion horse is like a mocking friend. He neighs under every one who sits upon him.
7 Why does day follow after day, and light follow after light, and year follow after year, in accord with the sun?
7 Why does one day excel another, when all the light of every day in the year is from the sun?
8 By the knowledge of the Lord, they were arranged, after the sun was made, in keeping with his command.
8 They were distinguished by the Lord’s knowledge, and he varied seasons and feasts.
9 And so, the seasons changed, with their feast days. And according to them, they celebrated the feast days, in their hour.
9 Some of them he exalted and hallowed, and some of them he has made ordinary days.
10 Some of them, God exalted and magnified. And some of them, he set amid the ordinary days. And all men are from the ground, and from the earth, from which Adam was created.
10 And all men are from the ground. Adam was created from dust.
11 With a multitude of disciplines, the Lord has distinguished them and diversified their ways.
11 In the abundance of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them, and made their ways different.
12 Some of them, he has blessed and exalted. And some of them he has sanctified and placed close to himself. And some of them, he has cursed and brought low, and he has turned them from their station.
12 Some of them he blessed and exalted, and some of them he made holy and brought near to himself. Some of them he cursed and brought low, and overthrew them from their place.
13 Just as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so as to form and to shape it,
13 As the clay of the potter in his hand, all his ways are according to his good pleasure, so men are in the hand of him who made them, to give to them according to his judgment.
14 so are all his ways in accord with his dispensation, and so is man in the hand of the One who made him. And he will repay him according to his judgment.
14 Good is the opposite of evil, and life is the opposite of death; so the sinner is the opposite of the godly.
15 Good is against evil, and life is against death; so also is a sinner against a just man. And so should you consider all the works of the Most High: two and two, and one against another.
15 Look upon all the works of the Most High like this, they come in pairs, one against another.
16 And I awakened at the very end, and I was like one who gathers grapes after the grape-gatherers.
16 I was the last on watch, like one who gleans after the grape gatherers.
17 I, too, have hoped in the blessing of God. And I have filled the winepress like one who gathers grapes.
17 By the Lord’s blessing I arrived before them, and filled my winepress like one who gathers grapes.
18 Consider how I have not labored for myself alone, but for all who are seeking discipline.
18 Consider that I labored not for myself alone, but for all those who seek instruction.
19 Listen to me, you great ones, with all the peoples. And incline your ears, you rulers of the Church.
19 Hear me, you great men of the people, and listen with your ears, you rulers of the congregation.
20 You should not give authority over yourself to a son or wife, to a brother or friend, in your life. And you should not give your estate to another, lest perhaps you may regret it, and then you would be begging for the same.
20 To son and wife, to brother and friend, don’t give power over yourself while you live, and don’t give your goods to another, lest you regret it and must ask for them.
21 While you are still living and breathing, let no one among all flesh change you.
21 While you still live and breath is in you, don’t give yourself over to anybody.
22 For it is better if your children petition you, than if you look toward the hands of your children.
22 For it is better that your children should ask from you than that you should look to the hand of your children.
23 In all your works, be pre-eminent.
23 Excel in all your works. Don’t bring a stain on your honor.
24 You should not allow a blemish upon your glory. On the day of the consummation of the days of your life, at the time of your passing, distribute your inheritance.
24 In the day that you end the days of your life, in the time of death, distribute your inheritance.
25 Fodder and a rod and a burden are for a donkey; bread and discipline and work are for a servant.
25 Fodder, a stick, and burdens are for a donkey. Bread, discipline, and work are for a servant.
26 He works under discipline, and he seeks rest. Allow his hands to be idle, and he seeks liberty.
26 Set your slave to work, and you will find rest. Leave his hands idle, and he will seek liberty.
27 The yoke and the strap bend a stiff neck, and continual labors bend a servant.
27 Yoke and whip will bow the neck. For an evil slave there are racks and tortures.
28 Torture and chains are for a malevolent servant; send him to work, so that he may not be idle.
28 Send him to labor, that he not be idle, for idleness teaches much mischief.
29 For idleness has taught much evil.
29 Set him to work, as is fit for him. If he doesn’t obey, make his fetters heavy.
30 Appoint him to a task. For this is fitting for him. And if he will not be obedient, bend him with chains. But you should do no more than any flesh can bear. Truly, you should do nothing grievous without judgment.
30 Don’t be excessive toward any. Do nothing unjust.
31 If you have a faithful servant, let him be to you like your own soul. Treat him like a brother. For you have obtained him by the blood of your soul.
31 If you have a slave, treat him like yourself, because you have bought him with blood.
32 If you harm him unjustly, he will turn away and flee.
32 If you have a slave, treat him like yourself. For like your own soul, you will need him. If you treat him ill, and he departs and runs away,
33 And then, when he lifts himself up and departs, you will not know whom to ask, or in what way to seek him.
33 which way will you go to seek him?
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).
So look upon all the works of the Most High, and these are two and two, one against another."
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)