Sirach 48
48
Elijah
1Then Elijah the prophet
rose up like fire,
and his word burned like a torch.
2He brought a famine upon them,
and he reduced their number by his zeal.
3By the Lord’s word he shut up the sky,
and in the same way
he brought down fire three times.
4How glorious you were, Elijah,
in your amazing deeds!
Who will boast like you can?
5You raised a corpse from death,
from the grave#48.5 LXX Hades; Heb Sheol by a word
of the Most High.
6You brought kings down to destruction
and dragged the famous
from their beds.
7You heard a rebuke at Sinai
and decrees of punishment at Horeb.
8You anointed kings to bring retribution
and prophets to succeed you.
9You were taken up in a whirlwind of fire
and in a chariot of fiery horses.
10It is recorded that you are ready
for the designated times,
to calm anger before it turns to wrath,
to turn the heart of a father to his son,
and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11Happy are those who saw you
and who have fallen asleep#48.11 Heb died
in your love,
for we will surely live as well.
Elisha
12Elijah was covered by the whirlwind,
and Elisha was filled with his spirit.#48.12 Heb (with help of Syr) adds He performed twice as many signs and marvels with every word from his mouth.
In his time, he didn’t tremble
before any ruler,
and no one oppressed him.
13Nothing was too great for him,
and in death his body prophesied.#48.13 Heb he did wonders
14During his life,
he performed wonders,
and in death his accomplishments
were marvelous.
15In spite of these things,
the people didn’t change
their hearts and lives,
and they didn’t turn from their sins
until they were torn away
from their land and scattered over the whole earth.
The people who remained
were few in number,
but they had a ruler
from the house of David.
16Some of them did what pleased God,
but others sinned even more.
Hezekiah and Isaiah
17Hezekiah strengthened
the city’s defenses,
and he provided a water supply.
He tunneled through rock
with iron tools,
and he constructed storage tanks
for water.
18During his rule,
Sennacherib moved on Jerusalem,#48.18 Gk came up
commissioned the field commander,
and departed.
The field commander attacked Zion,
and made great boasts
in his arrogance.
19Then the people’s hearts and hands
were shaken,
and they were in agony
like a woman who is in labor.
20They called upon the Lord
who is merciful,
reaching out their hands to him.
The holy one at once heard them
from heaven,
and he rescued them through Isaiah.
21The Lord struck down
the camp of the Assyrians,
and his messenger destroyed them.
22Hezekiah did what was pleasing
to the Lord,
and he kept to the ways of David
his ancestor,
as Isaiah the prophet, who was great
and whose visions were reliable,
had commanded.
23In Isaiah’s time, the sun moved backward,
and he extended the king’s life.
24By his great spirit,
he saw what was to come,
and he comforted those
who mourned in Zion.
25He revealed forever what would be
and hidden things even before
they happened.
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Sirach 48: CEB
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