Sirach · Revised Version with Apocrypha
Sirach 36 Revised Version with Apocrypha
1 Have mercy upon us, O Lord the God of all, and behold;
1 Have mercy upon us, O Lord the God of all, and look at us with favor;
2 And send thy fear upon all the nations:
2 and send your fear upon all the nations.
3 Lift up thy hand against the strange nations; And let them see thy mighty power.
3 Lift up your hand against the foreign nations and let them see your mighty power.
4 As thou wast sanctified in us before them, So be thou magnified in them before us.
4 As you showed your holiness in us before them, so be magnified in them before us.
5 And let them know thee, as we also have known thee, That there is no God but only thou, O God.
5 Let them know you, as we also have known you, that there is no God but only you, O God.
6 Shew new signs, and work divers wonders; Glorify thy hand and thy right arm.
6 Show new signs, and work various wonders. Glorify your hand and your right arm.
7 Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath; Take away the adversary, and destroy the enemy.
7 Raise up indignation and pour out wrath. Take away the adversary and destroy the enemy.
8 Hasten the time, and remember the oath; And let them declare thy mighty works.
8 Hasten the time and remember your oath. Let them declare your mighty works.
9 Let him that escapeth be devoured by the rage of fire; And may they that harm thy people find destruction.
9 Let him who escapes be devoured by raging fire. May those who harm your people find destruction.
10 Crush the heads of the rulers of the enemies, That say, There is none but we.
10 Crush the heads of the rulers of the enemies who say, “There is no one but ourselves.”
11 Gather all the tribes of Jacob together, And take them for thine inheritance, as from the beginning.
11 Gather all the tribes of Jacob together, and take them for your inheritance, as from the beginning.
12 O Lord, have mercy upon the people that is called by thy name, And upon Israel, whom thou didst liken unto a firstborn.
12 O Lord, have mercy upon the people that is called by your name, and upon Israel, whom you likened to a firstborn.
13 Have compassion upon the city of thy sanctuary, Jerusalem, the place of thy rest.
13 Have compassion upon the city of your sanctuary, Jerusalem, the place of your rest.
14 Fill Sion; exalt thine oracles, And [fill ] thy people with thy glory.
14 Fill Zion. Exalt your oracles and fill your people with your glory.
15 Give testimony unto those that were thy creatures in the beginning, And raise up the prophecies that have been in thy name.
15 Give testimony to those who were your creatures in the beginning, and fulfill the prophecies that have been spoken in your name.
16 Give reward unto them that wait for thee: And men shall put their trust in thy prophets.
16 Reward those who wait for you, and men will put their trust in your prophets.
17 Hearken, O Lord, to the prayer of thy suppliants, According to the blessing of Aaron concerning thy people; And all they that are on the earth shall know That thou art the Lord, the eternal God.
17 Listen, O Lord, to the prayer of your servants, according to the blessing of Aaron concerning your people; and all those who are on the earth will know that you are the Lord, the eternal God.
18 The belly will eat any meat; Yet is one meat better than another.
18 The belly will eat any food, but one food is better than another.
19 The mouth tasteth meats taken in hunting: So doth an understanding heart false speeches.
19 The mouth tastes meats taken in hunting, so does an understanding heart detect false speech.
20 A froward heart will cause heaviness: And a man of experience will recompense him.
20 A contrary heart will cause heaviness. A man of experience will pay him back.
21 A woman will receive any man; But one daughter is better than another.
21 A woman will receive any man, but one daughter is better than another.
22 The beauty of a woman cheereth the countenance; And a man desireth nothing so much.
22 The beauty of a woman cheers the countenance. A man desires nothing more.
23 If there is on her tongue mercy and meekness, Her husband is not like the sons of men.
23 If kindness and humility are on her tongue, her husband is not like other sons of men.
24 He that getteth a wife entereth upon a possession: A help meet for him, and a pillar of rest.
24 He who gets a wife gets his richest treasure, a help meet for him and a pillar of support.
25 Where no hedge is, the possession will be laid waste: And he that hath no wife will mourn as he wandereth up and down.
25 Where no hedge is, the property will be plundered. He who has no wife will mourn as he wanders.
26 For who will trust a nimble robber, that skippeth from city to city? Even so [who shall trust ] a man that hath no nest, and lodgeth wheresoever he findeth himself at nightfall?
26 For who would trust a nimble robber who skips from city to city? Even so, who would trust a man who has no nest, and lodges wherever he finds himself at nightfall?
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).
As Thou wast sanctified in us before them, so be Thou sanctified in them before us, and let them acknowledge Thee, according as we also have acknowledged Thee; for there is not a God beside Thee, O Lord." We see this prophecy in the form of a wish and prayer fulfilled through Jesus Christ.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)