1 [Qui timet Deum faciet bona, et qui continens est justitiæ apprehendet illam: 2 et obviabit illi quasi mater honorificata, et quasi mulier a virginitate suscipiet illum. 3 Cibabit illum pane vitæ et intellectus, et aqua sapientiæ salutaris potabit illum: et firmabitur in illo, et non flectetur: 4 et continebit illum, et non confundetur: et exaltabit illum apud proximos suos, 5 et in medio ecclesiæ aperiet os ejus, et adimplebit illum spiritu sapientiæ et intellectus, et stola gloriæ vestiet illum. 6 Jucunditatem et exsultationem thesaurizabit super illum, et nomine æterno hæreditabit illum. 7 Homines stulti non apprehendent illam, et homines sensati obviabunt illi. Homines stulti non videbunt eam: longe enim abest a superbia et dolo. 8 Viri mendaces non erunt illius memores: et viri veraces invenientur in illa, et successum habebunt usque ad inspectionem Dei. 9 Non est speciosa laus in ore peccatoris, 10 quoniam a Deo profecta est sapientia. Sapientiæ enim Dei astabit laus, et in ore fideli abundabit, et Dominator dabit eam illi.] 11 [Non dixeris: Per Deum abest: quæ enim odit ne feceris. 12 Non dicas: Ille me implanavit: non enim necessarii sunt ei homines impii. 13 Omne execramentum erroris odit Dominus, et non erit amabile timentibus eum. 14 Deus ab initio constituit hominem, et reliquit illum in manu consilii sui: 15 adjecit mandata et præcepta sua. 16 Si volueris mandata servare, conservabunt te, et in perpetuum fidem placitam facere. 17 Apposuit tibi aquam et ignem, ad quod volueris porrige manum tuam. 18 Ante hominem vita et mors, bonum et malum: quod placuerit ei dabitur illi: 19 quoniam multa sapientia Dei, et fortis in potentia, videns omnes sine intermissione. 20 Oculi Domini ad timentes eum, et ipse agnoscit omnem operam hominis. 21 Nemini mandavit impie agere, et nemini dedit spatium peccandi: 22 non enim concupiscit multitudinem filiorum infidelium et inutilium.]
Sirach 15 Clementine Vulgate
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 the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shall die the death." Now, as the law was more plainly given afterward, and the apostle says, "Where no law is, there is no prevarication," on what supposition is what is said in the psalm true, "I accounted all the sinners of the earth prevaricators," except that all who are held liable …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
In another place it is said, "Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner." If then in the mouth of a sinner praise is not seemly, neither is it pleasant, for that only is pleasant which is seemly....For praise may be pleasant to a man, when he heareth one praising with neat and clever sentiments, and with a …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)