1 Τεκνὸν εἰ προσέρχῃ δουλεύειν Κυρίῳ Θεῷ, ἑτοίμασον τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς πειρασμόν. 2 Εὔθυνον τὴν καρδίαν σου καὶ καρτέρησον, καὶ μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν καιρῷ ἐπαγωγῆς. 3 Κολλήθητι αὐτῷ καὶ μὴ ἀποστῇς, ἵνα αὐξηθῇς ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων σου. 4 Πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν ἐπαχθῇ σοι, δέξαι, καὶ ἐν ἀλλάγμασι ταπεινώσεώς σου μακροθύμησον. 5 Ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ δοκιμάζεται χρυσὸς, καὶ ἄνθρωποι δεκτοὶ ἐν καμίνῳ ταπεινώσεως. 6 Πίστευσον αὐτῷ καὶ ἀντιλήψεταί σου, εὔθυνον τὰς ὁδούς σου καὶ ἔλπισον ἐπʼ αὐτόν. 7 Οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον, ἀναμείνατε τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἐκκλίνητε ἵνα μὴ πέσητε. 8 Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον πιστεύσατε αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐ μὴ πταίσῃ ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν. 9 Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον ἐλπίσατε εἰς ἀγαθὰ, καὶ εἰς εὐφροσύνην αἰῶνος καὶ ἐλέους. 10 Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς ἀρχαίας γενεὰς καὶ ἴδετε, τίς ἐνεπίστευσε Κυρίῳ καὶ κατῃσχύνθη; ἢ τίς ἐνέμεινε τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγκατελείφθη; ἢ τίς ἐπεκαλέσατο αὐτὸν, καὶ ὑπερεῖδεν αὐτόν; 11 Διότι οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἀφίησιν ἁμαρτίας, καὶ σώζει ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως. 12 Οὐαὶ καρδίαις δειλαῖς, καὶ χερσὶ παρειμέναις, καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ ἐπιβαίνοντι ἐπὶ δύο τρίβους. 13 Οὐαὶ καρδίᾳ παρειμένῃ, ὅτι οὐ πιστεύει, διὰ τοῦτο οὐ σκεπασθήσεται. 14 Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἀπολωλεκόσι τὴν ὑπομονὴν, καὶ τί ποιήσετε ὅταν ἐπισκέπτηται ὁ Κύριος; 15 Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον οὐκ ἀπειθήσουσι ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἀγαπῶντες αὐτὸν συντηπήσουσι τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ. 16 Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον ζητήσουσιν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἀγαπῶντες αὐτὸν ἐμπλησθήσονται τοῦ νόμου. 17 Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον ἐτοιμάσουσι καρδίας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ παπεινώσουσι τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν. 18 Ἐμπεσούμεθα εἰς χεῖρας Κυρίου, καὶ οὐκ εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων· ὡς γὰρ ἡ μεγαλωσύνη αὐτοῦ, οὕτως καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ.
Sirach · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Sirach 2 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
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).
… rise again but what falls, whence they conclude that resurrection pertains to bodies only, and not to souls, because bodies fall, why do they make nothing of the words, "Ye that fear the Lord, wait for His mercy; and go not aside lest ye fall;" and "To his own Master he stands or falls;" and "He that thinketh he standeth, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Where then is that, "Who hath called upon God, and hath been forsaken by Him?" where again is that, "Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord, shall be delivered." Immediately reaching forth the help of His right hand, He lifted him up as he was sinking, and rebuked his distrust; "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
In such manner evidently Thou wilt be angry, because it hath been written, "My son, drawing near unto the service of God, stand thou in righteousness and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation." Think not that now the wrath of God hath passed away, because thou hast been converted.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)