Sirach · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Sirach 1 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
1 All wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with him for ever.
1 All wisdom comes from the Lord, and is with him forever.
2 Who can number the sand of the sea, and the drops of rain, and the days of eternity?
2 Who can count the sand of the seas, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity?
3 Who can find out the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the deep, and wisdom?
3 Who will search out the height of the sky, the breadth of the earth, the deep, and wisdom?
4 Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting.
4 Wisdom has been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting.
5 The word of God most high is the fountain of wisdom; and her ways are everlasting commandments.
5 Not in this translation
6 To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed? or who hath known her wise counsels?
6 To whom has the root of wisdom been revealed? Who has known her shrewd counsels?
7 [Unto whom hath the knowledge of wisdom been made manifest? and who hath understood her great experience?]
7 Not in this translation
8 There is one wise and greatly to be feared, the Lord sitting upon his throne.
8 There is one wise, greatly to be feared, sitting upon his throne: the Lord.
9 He created her, and saw her, and numbered her, and poured her out upon all his works.
9 He created her. He saw and measured her. He poured her out upon all his works.
10 She is with all flesh according to his gift, and he hath given her to them that love him.
10 She is with all flesh according to his gift. He gave her freely to those who love him.
11 The fear of the Lord is honour, and glory, and gladness, and a crown of rejoicing.
11 The fear of the Lord is glory, exultation, gladness, and a crown of rejoicing.
12 The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart, and giveth joy, and gladness, and a long life.
12 The fear of the Lord will delight the heart, and will give gladness, joy, and length of days.
13 Whoso feareth the Lord, it shall go well with him at the last, and he shall find favour in the day of his death.
13 Whoever fears the Lord, it will go well with him at the last. He will be blessed in the day of his death.
14 To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and it was created with the faithful in the womb.
14 To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It was created together with the faithful in the womb.
15 She hath built an everlasting foundation with men, and she shall continue with their seed.
15 She laid an eternal foundation with men. She will be trusted among their offspring.
16 To fear the Lord is fulness of wisdom, and filleth men with her fruits.
16 To fear the Lord is the fullness of wisdom. She inebriates men with her fruits.
17 She filleth all their house with things desirable, and the garners with her increase.
17 She will fill all her house with desirable things, and her storehouses with her produce.
18 The fear of the Lord is a crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish; both which are the gifts of God: and it enlargeth their rejoicing that love him.
18 The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish.
19 Wisdom raineth down skill and knowledge of understanding standing, and exalteth them to honour that hold her fast.
19 He both saw and measured her. He rained down skill and knowledge of understanding, and exalted the honor of those who hold her fast.
20 The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and the branches thereof are long life.
20 To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom. Her branches are length of days.
21 The fear of the Lord driveth away sins: and where it is present, it turneth away wrath.
21 Not in this translation
22 A furious man cannot be justified; for the sway of his fury shall be his destruction.
22 Unjust wrath can never be justified, for his wrath tips the scale to his downfall.
23 A patient man will tear for a time, and afterward joy shall spring up unto him.
23 A man that is patient will resist for a season, and afterward gladness will spring up to him.
24 He will hide his words for a time, and the lips of many shall declare his wisdom.
24 He will hide his words until the right moment, and the lips of many will tell of his understanding.
25 The parables of knowledge are in the treasures of wisdom: but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.
25 A wise saying is in the treasures of wisdom; but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.
26 If thou desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord shall give her unto thee.
26 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments and the Lord will give her to you freely;
27 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction: and faith and meekness are his delight.
27 for the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction. Faith and humility are his good pleasure.
28 Distrust not the fear of the Lord when thou art poor: and come not unto him with a double heart.
28 Don’t disobey the fear of the Lord. Don’t come to him with a double heart.
29 Be not an hypocrite in the sight of men, and take good heed what thou speakest.
29 Don’t be a hypocrite in men’s sight. Keep watch over your lips.
30 Exalt not thyself, lest thou fall, and bring dishonour upon thy soul, and so God discover thy secrets, and cast thee down in the midst of the congregation, because thou camest not in truth to the fear of the Lord, but thy heart is full of deceit.
30 Don’t exalt yourself, lest you fall and bring dishonor upon your soul. The Lord will reveal your secrets and will cast you down in the midst of the congregation, because you didn’t come to the fear of the Lord and your heart was full of deceit.
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 although we find no time before it, for wisdom was created before all things, --not certainly that Wisdom manifestly co-eternal and equal unto Thee, our God, His Father, and by Whom all things were created, and in Whom, as the Beginning, Thou createdst heaven and earth; but truly that wisdom which has been created, namely, the intellectual nature, which, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Wherefore also one said, "The sway of his fury shall be his fall;" by this most of all showing its tyranny, that in a short time it works great ills, and needs not to continue long with us, so that if in addition to its strength it were apt to last, it would indeed be hard to strive against.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… things, --not certainly that Wisdom manifestly co-eternal and equal unto Thee, our God, His Father, and by Whom all things were created, and in Whom, as the Beginning, Thou createdst heaven and earth; but truly that wisdom which has been created, namely, the intellectual nature, which, in the contemplation of light, is light.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Now "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." As then the things above belong to the perfect, so what he is now going to say belongs to beginners.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)