1 [Occupatio magna creata est omnibus hominibus, et jugum grave super filios Adam, a die exitus de ventre matris eorum usque in diem sepulturæ in matrem omnium. 2 Cogitationes eorum, et timores cordis, adinventio exspectationis, et dies finitionis, 3 a residente super sedem gloriosam, usque ad humiliatum in terra et cinere: 4 ab eo qui utitur hyacintho et portat coronam, usque ad eum qui operitur lino crudo: furor, zelus, tumultus, fluctuatio, et timor mortis, iracundia perseverans, et contentio: 5 et in tempore refectionis in cubili, somnus noctis immutat scientiam ejus. 6 Modicum tamquam nihil in requie, et ab eo in somnis, quasi in die respectus. 7 Conturbatus est in visu cordis sui, tamquam qui evaserit in die belli: in tempore salutis suæ exsurrexit, et admirans ad nullum timorem: 8 cum omni carne, ab homine usque ad pecus, et super peccatores septuplum. 9 Ad hæc mors, sanguis, contentio, et rhomphæa, oppressiones, fames, et contritio, et flagella: 10 super iniquos creata sunt hæc omnia: et propter illos factus est cataclysmus.] 11 [Omnia quæ de terra sunt in terram convertentur, et omnes aquæ in mare revertentur. 12 Omne munus et iniquitas delebitur, et fides in sæculum stabit. 13 Substantiæ injustorum sicut fluvius siccabuntur, et sicut tonitruum magnum in pluvia personabunt. 14 In aperiendo manus suas lætabitur: sic prævaricatores in consummatione tabescent. 15 Nepotes impiorum non multiplicabunt ramos: et radices immundæ super cacumen petræ sonant. 16 Super omnem aquam viriditas, et ad oram fluminis ante omne fœnum evelletur.] 17 [Gratia sicut paradisus in benedictionibus, et misericordia in sæculum permanet. 18 Vita sibi sufficientis operarii condulcabitur, et in ea invenies thesaurum. 19 Filii et ædificatio civitatis confirmabit nomen: et super hæc mulier immaculata computabitur. 20 Vinum et musica lætificant cor: et super utraque dilectio sapientiæ. 21 Tibiæ et psalterium suavem faciunt melodiam: et super utraque lingua suavis. 22 Gratiam et speciem desiderabit oculus tuus: et super hæc virides sationes. 23 Amicus et sodalis in tempore convenientes, et super utrosque mulier cum viro. 24 Fratres in adjutorium in tempore tribulationis: et super eos misericordia liberabit. 25 Aurum et argentum est constitutio pedum: et super utrumque consilium beneplacitum. 26 Facultates et virtutes exaltant cor, et super hæc timor Domini. 27 Non est in timore Domini minoratio: et non est in eo inquirere adjutorium. 28 Timor Domini sicut paradisus benedictionis, et super omnem gloriam operuerunt illum.] 29 [Fili, in tempore vitæ tuæ ne indigeas: melius est enim mori quam indigere. 30 Vir respiciens in mensam alienam, non est vita ejus in cogitatione victus: alit enim animam suam cibis alienis: 31 vir autem disciplinatus et eruditus custodiet se. 32 In ore imprudentis condulcabitur inopia, et in ventre ejus ignis ardebit.]
Sirach 40 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).
In short, the words of Scripture, "An heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam, from the day that they go out of their mother's womb till the day that they return to the mother of all things," --these words so infallibly find fulfillment, that even the little ones, who by the layer of regeneration have been freed from the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… be not every man who could say this, but one to whom an everlasting country hath been promised in heaven: this I know, "that the life of man on earth is a temptation;" and that "there is a heavy yoke upon the sons of Adam." But it pleaseth me more to discuss the question in accordance with this construction, that …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)