Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 51

¹ I will give thanks to you, Lord and King, and praise you, God my saviour, I give thanks to your name;

² for you have been protector and support to me, and redeemed my body from destruction, from the snare of the lying tongue, from lips that fabricate falsehood; and in the presence of those around me you have been my support, you have redeemed me,

³ true to the greatness of your mercy and of your name, from the fangs of those who would devour me, from the hands of those seeking my life, from the many ordeals which I have endured,

⁴ from the stifling heat which hemmed me in, from the heart of a fire which I had not kindled,

⁵ from deep in the belly of Sheol, from the unclean tongue and the lying word-

⁶ the perjured tongue slandering me to the king. My soul has been close to death, my life had gone down to the brink of Sheol.

⁷ They were surrounding me on every side, there was no one to support me; I looked for someone to help-in vain.

⁸ Then I remembered your mercy, Lord, and your deeds from earliest times, how you deliver those who wait for you patiently, and save them from the clutches of their enemies.

⁹ And I sent up my plea from the earth, I begged to be delivered from death,

¹⁰ I called on the Lord, the father of my Lord, ‘Do not desert me in the days of ordeal, in the time of my helplessness against the proud. I will praise your name unceasingly, and gratefully sing its praises.’

¹¹ And my plea was heard, for you saved me from destruction, you delivered me from that time of evil.

¹² And therefore I will thank you and praise you, and bless the name of the Lord.

¹³ When I was still a youth, before I went travelling, in my prayers I asked outright for wisdom.

¹⁴ Outside the sanctuary I would pray for her, and to the last I will continue to seek her.

¹⁵ From her blossoming to the ripening of her grape my heart has taken its delight in her. My foot has pursued a straight path, I have been following her steps ever since my youth.

¹⁶ By bowing my ear a little I have received her, and have found much instruction.

¹⁷ Thanks to her I have advanced; the glory be to him who has given me wisdom!

¹⁸ For I am determined to put her into practice, I have earnestly pursued what is good, I will not be put to shame.

¹⁹ My soul has fought to possess her, I have been scrupulous in keeping the Law; I have stretched out my hands to heaven and bewailed my ignorance of her;

²⁰ I have directed my soul towards her, and in purity have found her; having my heart fixed on her from the outset, I shall never be deserted;

²¹ my very core having yearned to discover her, I have now acquired a good possession.

²² In reward the Lord has given me a tongue with which I shall sing his praises.

²³ Come close to me, you uninstructed, take your place in my school.

²⁴ Why complain about lacking these things when your souls are so thirsty for them?

²⁵ I have opened my mouth and spoken: ‘Buy her without money,

²⁶ put your necks under her yoke, and let your souls receive instruction; she is not far to seek.

²⁷ See for yourselves: how slight my efforts have been to win so much peace.

²⁸ Buy instruction with a large sum of silver, thanks to her you will gain much gold.

²⁹ May your souls rejoice in the mercy of the Lord, may you never be ashamed of praising him.

³⁰ Do your work before the appointed time and he in his time will give you your reward.’