Sirach 46
46
1Joshua the son of Nun was mighty in war,
and was the successor of Moses in prophesying.
He became, in accordance with his name,
a great savior of God's#46.1 Gk his elect,
to take vengeance on the enemies that rose against them,
so that he might give Israel its inheritance.
2How glorious he was when he lifted his hands
and stretched out his sword against the cities!
3Who before him ever stood so firm?
For he waged the wars of the Lord.
4Was not the sun held back by his hand?
And did not one day become as long as two?
5He called upon the Most High, the Mighty One,
when enemies pressed him on every side,
6and the great Lord answered him
with hailstones of mighty power.
He hurled down war upon that nation,
and at the descent of Bethhoron#46.6 Compare Joshua 10.11: Greek lacks of Bethhoron he destroyed those who resisted,
so that the nations might know his armament,
that he was fighting in the sight of the Lord;
for he wholly followed the Mighty One.
7And in the days of Moses he did a loyal deed,
he and Caleb the son of Jephunneh:
they withstood the congregation,#46.7 Other authorities read the enemy
restrained the people from sin,
and stilled their wicked murmuring.
8And these two alone were preserved
out of six hundred thousand people on foot,
to bring them into their inheritance,
into a land flowing with milk and honey.
9And the Lord gave Caleb strength,
which remained with him to old age,
so that he went up to the hill country,
and his children obtained it for an inheritance;
10so that all the sons of Israel might see
that it is good to follow the Lord.
11The judges also, with their respective names,
those whose hearts did not fall into idolatry
and who did not turn away from the Lord—
may their memory be blessed!
12May their bones revive from where they lie,
and may the name of those who have been honored
live again in their sons!
13Samuel, beloved by his Lord,
a prophet of the Lord, established the kingdom
and anointed rulers over his people.
14By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation,
and the Lord watched over Jacob.
15By his faithfulness he was proved to be a prophet,
and by his words he became known as a trustworthy seer.
16He called upon the Lord, the Mighty One,
when his enemies pressed him on every side,
and he offered in sacrifice a sucking lamb.
17Then the Lord thundered from heaven,
and made his voice heard with a mighty sound;
18and he wiped out the leaders of the people of Tyre
and all the rulers of the Philistines.
19Before the time of his eternal sleep,
Samuel#46.19 Gk he called men to witness before the Lord and his anointed:
“I have not taken any one's property,
not so much as a pair of shoes.”
And no man accused him.
20Even after he had fallen asleep he prophesied
and revealed to the king his death,
and lifted up his voice out of the earth in prophecy,
to blot out the wickedness of the people.
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Sirach 46: RSV-C
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America