Sirach 47
47
The Prophet Nathan
1 #
2 S 7.2,3; 12.1. The next prophet was Nathan,
and while David was king,
Nathan spoke God's message.
King David
2 #
1 S 17.34—18.7; 2 S 5.7-9; 8.1; 12.13,14. The Lord set David apart
from Israel, his people,
just as the fat
is taken from sacrifices
and is given to the Lord.
3David played with lions and bears
as if they were young goats
or lambs from his flock.
4When David was a boy,
he put a stone in his sling
and swung it around.
Then he let the stone fly,
and it brought down Goliath,
the giant whose boasting
had put Israel to shame.
5David had prayed
to the Lord Most High,
and the Lord gave David strength
to defeat this mighty soldier
and give victory to Israel.
6Israel praised David
for killing enemies
by the thousands
and for being blessed
by the Lord.
And when he became king,
7he conquered his enemies
on every side,
especially the Philistines,
who have never recovered.
8Whenever David won a victory,
he thanked the Holy God
and sang songs of praise
with all his heart,
expressing love for his Creator,
the Lord Most High.
9David also commanded singers
to stand in front of the altar
and sing beautiful songs.
10And so, all day long,
at every festival,
Israel hears songs of praise
in the temple courtyard.
11The Lord forgave David's sins
and made him a glorious king,
and he also promised
that the kings of Israel
would be David's descendants
for all time.
King Solomon
* 12Solomon, the wise son of David,
became the next king,
and for David's sake,
13 #
1 K 4.21-32. the Lord kept enemies
from attacking Israel.
And so, Solomon ruled
in a time of peace,
because he had been chosen
to build the Lord a temple
that would last forever.
14When Solomon was young,
his wisdom overflowed
like a river
15and spread across the land,
filling it with proverbs
and riddles.
16He was famous in faraway islands;
he brought peace,
and so he was loved.
17His songs, proverbs, stories,
and answers
amazed many nations.
18 #
1 K 10.21,27. Solomon ruled in the name
of the Lord God of Israel
and gathered silver and gold
as if they were tin or lead.
19 #
1 K 11.1,2. But he married lots of wives,
and they used his desire for sex
to gain control over him.
20Solomon ruined his reputation
and that of his descendants.
The Lord punished them
for Solomon's sins,
and they mourned,
21 #
1 K 12.15-20. because the northern kingdom#47.21 the northern kingdom: Greek “Ephraim,” the name of the most powerful tribe in the northern kingdom.
broke away, dividing Israel.
22 #
2 S 7.15. But the Lord will continue
to have mercy;
he will never abandon
those he has chosen
and who love him.
And so, the Lord has kept alive
a few of David's descendants
for the sake of Israel.#47.22 Israel: See the note at 36.13.
King Rehoboam and King Jeroboam
23 #
1 K 11.43; 12.10-30; 2 K 17.6,18. Solomon died, and the next king
was his son Rehoboam,
the nation's worst fool,
and his senseless decisions
caused the people to rebel.
Then Jeroboam#47.23 Jeroboam: Jeroboam I, the first king of the northern kingdom, ruled 931–910 b.c. son of Nebat
led the northern kingdom
into sin.
* 24Israel sinned so much
and in so many ways,
that the Lord
finally punished them,
25and they were led as prisoners
from their land.
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Sirach 47: CEVDCI
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© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.