Sirach 39
39
1In their search for wisdom,
they study the old writings,
especially those
of the prophets.#38.34—39.1 Law … writings … prophets: May refer to the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible, which were called by these names.
2These teachers learn the sayings
of famous people
and understand the meaning
of stories, 3even those parts
that are difficult.
And they look for the meaning
hidden in a proverb.
4They give advice to leaders,
and they travel
in other countries
to see the good and the bad
done there.
5These teachers get up early
to pray to the Lord Most High,
their Creator—
they tell him what they need
and ask that their sins
be forgiven.
6The great Lord may choose
to give special understanding
to a teacher's mind.
Such teachers will pray
and thank the Lord
for the wise advice
that they now can give.
7They will study those things
the Lord has kept secret.
He will help them learn
and tell them what to say,
8and they will teach
what they have learned.
They will be proud
of the Lord's Law
and agreement with Israel.
9Their understanding
will be praised by many,
and their names remembered
for all time.
10Israel will honor them,
and other nations will admire
their wisdom.
11If they live to old age,
they will be famous,
and if not, they will be content
to be at rest.#39.11 if not … rest: One possible meaning for the difficult text.
A Song of Praise
12I have hardly begun to tell you
all the things I want to say.
13You, my students,
are faithful to God,
so listen, and you will blossom
like rose bushes
planted beside a stream.
14You will grow faster than lilies,
and your songs praising the Lord
for what he has done
will be a pleasant smell,
spreading like incense.
15So play your harps
and sing praises to the Lord.
Give honor to him
with this song:
16“Everything the Lord does
is very good,
and his commands
will be obeyed
at the right moment.
17 #
Ex 14.22; 15.8. For now, we must not question
what God has done,
but he has set a time
to explain everything.
He created places
for all the water,
and when he commanded the sea,
it piled up like a wall.
18When he gives an order,
it is obeyed,
and no one can stop him
when he decides to rescue.
19“We can't hide from God;
he has watched everything
that each human has done.
20He sees the past and the future;
there is nothing
he cannot do.
21So don't question
what God has done;
he had a purpose in mind
for each thing he created.
22“God will bless us greatly,
like a river that overflows
and soaks the dry ground.
23But the Gentiles
will feel his anger,
as he makes their fresh water
too salty to drink.
24God lets his people walk
on a straight pathway,
but those who reject his laws
will find that their path
is lined with hidden traps.
25From the very beginning
God prepared good things
for good people,
and horrible things for sinners.
26“What do we need for daily life?
Iron tools, water, and fire;
flour, milk, and honey,
wine, olive oil, and salt;
and, of course, clothing.
27All of these are good
for God's loyal people
but become evil in the hands
of sinners.
28“The Lord created furious winds
to take revenge for him.
And on the day of judgment,
they will punish his enemies,
then his anger will be calmed.
* 29God also created other things
to take revenge for him—
fire and hail, along with famine
and deadly diseases,
30wild animals and scorpions,
and poisonous snakes,
not to mention war.
31They are ready to serve him,
and at his command,
they gladly and quickly obey.”
32I have believed all these things
since my childhood,
but I thought deeply about them
before I wrote them down
in that song.
33The Lord made only good things,
and at the right time
he will give us what we need.
34Everything he created
has its own purpose,
and so, you cannot say,
“This is better than that.”
35Sing praises to the Lord
with all your heart,
and give him thanks!
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Sirach 39: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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