Sirach · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Sirach 35 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.
1 Ἡγούμενων σε κατέστησαν; μὴ ἐπαίρου, γίνου ἐν αὐτοῖς ὡς εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν· φρόντισον αὐτῶν, καὶ οὕτω κάθισον,
1 He who keeps the law multiplies offerings. He who heeds the commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
2 καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν χρείαν σου ποιήσας ἀνάπεσε, ἵνα εὐφρανθῇς διʼ αὐτοὺς, καὶ εὐκοσμίας χάριν λάβῃς στέφανον.
2 He who returns a kindness offers fine flour. He who gives alms sacrifices a thank offering.
3 Λάλησον πρεσβύτερε, πρέπει γάρ σοι, ἐν ἀκριβεῖ ἐπιστήμῃ, καὶ μὴ ἐμποδίσῃς μουσικά.
3 To depart from wickedness pleases the Lord. To depart from unrighteousness is an atoning sacrifice.
4 Ὅπου ἀκρόαμα, μὴ ἐκχέῃς λαλιὰν, καὶ ἀκαίρως μὴ σοφίζου.
4 See that you don’t appear in the presence of the Lord empty.
5 Σφραγὶς ἄνθρακος ἐπὶ κόσμῳ χρυσῷ, σύγκριμα μουσικῶν ἐν συμποσίῳ οἴνου.
5 For all these things are done because of the commandment.
6 Ἐν κατασκευάσματι χρυσῷ σφραγὶς σμαράγδου μέλος μουσικῶν ἐφʼ ἡδεῖ οἴνῳ.
6 The offering of the righteous enriches the altar. The sweet fragrance of it is before the Most High.
7 Λάλησον νεανίσκε εἰ χρεία σου, μόλις δὶς ἐὰν ἐπερωτηθῇς.
7 The sacrifice of a righteous man is acceptable. It won’t be forgotten.
8 Κεφαλαίωσον λόγον, ἐν ὀλίγοις πολλὰ, γίνου ὡς γινώσκων καὶ ἅμα σιωπῶν.
8 Glorify the Lord with generosity. Don’t reduce the first fruits of your hands.
9 Ἐν μέσῳ μεγιστάνων μὴ ἐξισάζου, καὶ ἑτέρου λέγοντος μὴ πολλὰ ἀδολέσχει.
9 In every gift show a cheerful countenance, And dedicate your tithe with gladness.
10 Πρὸ βροντῆς κατασπεύδει ἀστραπὴ, καὶ πρὸ αἰσχυντηροῦ προελεύσεται χάρις.
10 Give to the Most High according as he has given. As your hand has found, give generously.
11 Ἐν ὥρᾳ ἐξεγείρου καὶ μὴ οὐράγει, ἀπότρεχε εἰς οἶκον καὶ μὴ ῥαθύμει.
11 For the Lord repays, and he will repay you sevenfold.
12 Ἐκεῖ παῖζε καὶ ποίει τὰ ἐνθυμήματά σου, καὶ μὴ ἁμάρτῃς λόγῳ ὑπερηφάνῳ.
12 Don’t plan to bribe him with gifts, for he will not receive them. Don’t set your mind on an unrighteous sacrifice, For the Lord is the judge, and with him is no respect of persons.
13 Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις εὐλόγησον τὸν ποιήσαντά σε, καὶ μεθύσκοντά σε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν αὐτοῦ.
13 He won’t accept any person against a poor man. He will listen to the prayer of him who is wronged.
14 Ὁ φοβούμενος Κύριον ἐκδέξεται παιδείαν, καὶ οἱ ὀρθρίζοντες εὑρήσουσιν εὐδοκίαν.
14 He will in no way despise the supplication of the fatherless or the widow, when she pours out her tale.
15 Ὁ ζητῶν νόμον ἐμπλησθήσεται αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ ὑποκρινόμενος σκανδαλισθήσεται ἐν αὐτῷ.
15 Don’t the tears of the widow run down her cheek? Isn’t her cry against him who has caused them to fall?
16 Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον εὑρήσουσι κρίμα, καὶ δικαιώματα ὡς φῶς ἐξάψουσιν.
16 He who serves God according to his good pleasure will be accepted. His supplication will reach to the clouds.
17 Ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλὸς ἐκκλίνει ἐλεγμὸν, καὶ κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσει σύγκριμα.
17 The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds. until it comes near, he will not be comforted. He won’t depart until the Most High visits and he judges righteously and executes judgment.
18 Ἀνὴρ βουλῆς οὐ μὴ παρίδῃ διανόημα, ἀλλότριος καὶ ὑπερήφανος οὐ καταπτήξει φόβον, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ποιῆσαι μετʼ αὐτοῦ ἄνευ βουλῆς.
18 And the Lord will not be slack, neither will he be patient toward them, until he has crushed the loins of the unmerciful. He will repay vengeance to the heathen until he has taken away the multitude of the arrogant and broken in pieces the sceptres of the unrighteous,
19 Ἄνευ βουλῆς μηθὲν ποιήσῃς, καὶ ἐν τῷ ποιῆσαί σε μὴ μεταμελοῦ.
19 until he has rendered to every man according to his deeds, and repaid the works of men according to their plans, until he has judged the cause of his people, and he will make them rejoice in his mercy.
20 Ἐν ὁδῷ ἀντιπτώματος μὴ πορεύου, καὶ μὴ προσκόψῃς ἐν λιθώδεσι.
20 Mercy is as welcome in the time of his affliction, as clouds of rain in the time of drought.
21 Μὴ πιστεύσῃς ἐν ὁδῷ ἀπροσκόπῳ,
21 Not in this translation
22 καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων σου φύλαξαι.
22 Not in this translation
23 Ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ πίστευε τῇ ψυχῇ σου, καὶ γὰρ τοῦτό ἐστι τήρησις ἐντολῶν.
23 Not in this translation
24 Ὁ πιστεύων νόμῳ προσέχει ἐντολαῖς, καὶ ὁ πεποιθὼς Κυρίῳ οὐκ ἐλαττωθήσεται.
24 Not in this translation
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).
Concerning this sweetness of the mercy of God see ye what in another place the Scripture saith: "Like rain in drought, so beautiful is the mercy of God in trouble." That which there he saith to be "beautiful," the same he saith here to be "sweet." Not even bread would be sweet, unless hunger had preceded.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)