top Wisdom of Sirach ch 51

Chapter 51

1 Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, κύριε βασιλεῦ, καὶ αἰνέσω σὲ θεὸν τὸν σωτῆρά μου, ἐξομολογοῦμαι τῷ ὀνόματί σου, 1 I will thank thee, O Lord and King, and praise thee, O God my Saviour: I do give praise unto thy name:
2 ὅτι σκεπαστὴς καὶ βοηθὸς ἐγένου μοι καὶ ἐλυτρώσω τὸ σῶμά μου ἐξ ἀπωλείας καὶ ἐκ παγίδος διαβολῆς γλώσσης, ἀπὸ χειλέων ἐργαζομένων ψεῦδος καὶ ἔναντι τῶν παρεστηκότων ἐγένου βοηθὸς καὶ ἐλυτρώσω με 2 For thou art my defender and helper, and has preserved my body from destruction, and from the snare of the slanderous tongue, and from the lips that forge lies, and has been mine helper against mine adversaries:
3 κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος ἐλέους καὶ ὀνόματός σου ἐκ βρυγμῶν ἕτοιμον εἰς βρῶμα, ἐκ χειρὸς ζητούντων τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἐκ πλειόνων θλίψεων, ὧν ἔσχον, 3 And hast delivered me, according to the multitude of they mercies and greatness of thy name, from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me, and out of the hands of such as sought after my life, and from the manifold afflictions which I had;
4 ἀπὸ πνιγμοῦ πυρᾶς κυκλόθεν καὶ ἐκ μέσου πυρός, οὗ οὐκ ἐξέκαυσα, 4 From the choking of fire on every side, and from the midst of the fire which I kindled not;
5 ἐκ βάθους κοιλίας ᾅδου καὶ ἀπὸ γλώσσης ἀκαθάρτου καὶ λόγου ψευδοῦς. 5 From the depth of the belly of hell, from an unclean tongue, and from lying words.
6 βασιλεῖ διαβολὴ γλώσσης ἀδίκου. ἤγγισεν ἕως θανάτου ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἡ ζωή μου ἦν σύνεγγυς ᾅδου κάτω. 6 By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue my soul drew near even unto death, my life was near to the hell beneath.
7 περιέσχον με πάντοθεν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ βοηθῶν ἐνέβλεπον εἰς ἀντίλημψιν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ οὐκ ἦν. 7 They compassed me on every side, and there was no man to help me: I looked for the succour of men, but there was none.
8 καὶ ἐμνήσθην τοῦ ἐλέους σου, κύριε, καὶ τῆς ἐργασίας σου τῆς ἀπ' αἰῶνος, ὅτι ἐξαίρῃ τοὺς ὑπομένοντάς σὲ καὶ σῴζεις αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν 8 Then thought I upon thy mercy, O Lord, and upon thy acts of old, how thou deliverest such as wait for thee, and savest them out of the hands of the enemies.
9 καὶ ἀνύψωσα ἀπὸ γῆς ἱκετείαν μου καὶ ὑπὲρ θανάτου ῥύσεως ἐδεήθην· 9 Then lifted I up my supplications from the earth, and prayed for deliverance from death.
10 ἐπεκαλεσάμην κύριον πατέρα κυρίου μου μή με ἐγκαταλιπεῖν ἐν ἡμέραις θλίψεως, ἐν καιρῷ ὑπερηφανιῶν ἀβοηθησίας· αἰνέσω τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐνδελεχῶς καὶ ὑμνήσω ἐν ἐξομολογήσει. 10 I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, that he would not leave me in the days of my trouble, and in the time of the proud, when there was no help.
11 καὶ εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησίς μου· ἔσωσας γάρ με ἐξ ἀπωλείας καὶ ἐξείλου με ἐκ καιροῦ πονηροῦ. 11 I will praise thy name continually, and will sing praises with thanksgiving; and so my prayer was heard:
12 διὰ τοῦτο ἐξομολογήσομαί σοὶ καὶ αἰνέσω σὲ καὶ εὐλογήσω τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου. 12 For thou savedst me from destruction, and deliveredst me from the evil time: therefore will I give thanks, and praise thee, and bless they name, O Lord.
13 ἔτι ὢν νεώτερος πρὶν ἢ πλανηθῆναί με ἐζήτησα σοφίαν προφανῶς ἐν προσευχῇ μου. 13 When I was yet young, or ever I went abroad, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer.
14 ἔναντι ναοῦ ἠξίουν περὶ αὐτῆς καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτων ἐκζητήσω αὐτήν. 14 I prayed for her before the temple, and will seek her out even to the end.
15 ἐξ ἄνθους ὡς περκαζούσης σταφυλῆς εὐφράνθη ἡ καρδία μου ἐν αὐτῇ. ἐπέβη ὁ πούς μου ἐν εὐθύτητι, ἐκ νεότητός μου ἴχνευον αὐτήν. 15 Even from the flower till the grape was ripe hath my heart delighted in her: my foot went the right way, from my youth up sought I after her.
16 ἔκλινα ὀλίγον τὸ οὖς μου καὶ ἐδεξάμην καὶ πολλὴν εὗρον ἐμαυτῷ παιδείαν. 16 I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, and gat much learning.
17 προκοπὴ ἐγένετό μοι ἐν αὐτῇ· τῷ διδόντι μοι σοφίαν δώσω δόξαν. 17 I profited therein, therefore will I ascribe glory unto him that giveth me wisdom.
18 διενοήθην γὰρ τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτὴν καὶ ἐζήλωσα τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ οὐ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶ. 18 For I purposed to do after her, and earnestly I followed that which is good; so shall I not be confounded.
19 διαμεμάχισται ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἐν ποιήσει νόμου διηκριβασάμην. τὰς χεῖράς μου ἐξεπέτασα πρὸς ὕψος καὶ τὰ ἀγνοήματα αὐτῆς ἐπένθησα. 19 My soul hath wrestled with her, and in my doings I was exact: I stretched forth my hands to the heaven above, and bewailed my ignorances of her.
20 τὴν ψυχήν μου κατεύθυνα εἰς αὐτὴν καὶ ἐν καθαρισμῷ εὗρον αὐτήν. καρδίαν ἐκτησάμην μετ' αὐτῆς ἀπ' ἀρχῆς· διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μὴ ἐγκαταλειφθῶ. 20 I directed my soul unto her, and I found her in pureness: I have had my heart joined with her from the beginning, therefore shall I not be forsaken.
21 καὶ ἡ κοιλία μου ἐταράχθη τοῦ ἐκζητῆσαι αὐτήν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκτησάμην ἀγαθὸν κτῆμα. 21 My heart was troubled in seeking her: therefore have I gotten a good possession.
22 ἔδωκεν κύριος γλῶσσάν μοι, μισθόν μου καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ αἰνέσω αὐτόν. 22 The Lord hath given me a tongue for my reward, and I will praise him therewith.
23 ἐγγίσατε πρός με ἀπαίδευτοι, καὶ αὐλίσθητε ἐν οἴκῳ παιδείας. 23 Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of learning.
24 τί ὅτι ὑστερεῖσθαι λέγετε ἐν τούτοις καὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ ὑμῶν διψῶσι σφόδρα; 24 Wherefore are ye slow, and what say ye to these things, seeing your souls are very thirsty?
25 ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου καὶ ἐλάλησα κτήσασθε ἑαυτοῖς ἄνευ ἀργυρίου. 25 I opened my mouth, and said, Buy her for yourselves without money.
26 τὸν τράχηλον ὑμῶν ὑπόθετε ὑπὸ ζυγόν, καὶ ἐπιδεξάσθω ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν παιδείαν. ἐγγύς ἐστιν εὑρεῖν αὐτήν. 26 Put your neck under the yoke, and let your soul receive instruction: she is hard at hand to find.
27 ἴδετε ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμῶν ὅτι ὀλίγον ἐκοπίασα καὶ εὗρον ἐμαυτῷ πολλὴν ἀνάπαυσιν. 27 Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labour, and have gotten unto me much rest.
28 μετάσχετε παιδείας ἐν πολλῷ ἀριθμῷ ἀργυρίου καὶ πολὺν χρυσὸν κτήσασθε ἐν αὐτῇ. 28 Get learning with a great sum of money, and get much gold by her.
29 εὐφρανθείη ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν ἐν τῷ ἐλέει αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθείητε ἐν αἰνέσει αὐτοῦ. 29 Let your soul rejoice in his mercy, and be not ashamed of his praise.
30 ἐργάζεσθε τὸ ἔργον ὑμῶν πρὸ καιροῦ, καὶ δώσει τὸν μισθὸν ὑμῶν ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ. 30 Work your work betimes, and in his time he will give you your reward.