The Book of Jesus Sirach

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

God’s servants must look for temptations: and must arm themselves with patience and confidence in God.

Son, when you apply yourself to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare your soul for temptation.

Humble your heart, and persevere. Incline your ear, and accept words of understanding. And you should not hurry away in the time of distress.

Endure steadfastly for God. Join yourself to God, and persevere, so that your life may increase in the very end.

Accept everything that will happen to you, and persevere in your sorrow, and have patience in your humiliation.

For gold and silver are tested in fire, yet truly, acceptable men are tested in the furnace of humiliation.

Believe God, and he will restore you to health. And straighten your way, and hope in him. Observe his fear, and grow old in it.

You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy. And do not turn away from him, lest you fall.

You who fear the Lord, believe in him. And your reward will not be taken away.

You who fear the Lord, hope in him. And mercy will approach you, to your delight.

You who fear the Lord, love him. And your hearts will be illuminated.

My sons, consider the nations of men, and know that not one of them hoped in the Lord and was confounded.

For who has remained in his commandment and been abandoned? Or who has called upon him, and yet he despised him?

For God is upright and merciful, and he will forgive sins in the day of tribulation. And he is the Protector to all those who seek him in truth.

Woe to the duplicitous heart, and to the wicked lips, and to the hands that do evil, and to the sinner who walks the earth by two ways!

Woe to the dissolute in heart, who do not trust God! For, as a result, they will not be protected by him.(a)

Woe to those who have lost endurance, and who have abandoned upright ways, and who have turned aside to depraved ways!

And what will they do when the Lord begins to examine them?

Those who fear the Lord will not be unbelieving toward his Word. And those who love him will keep to his way.

Those who fear the Lord will seek the things that are well-pleasing to him. And those who love him will be filled with his law.

Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and they will sanctify their souls in his sight.

Those who fear the Lord keep his commandments, and they will have patience even until his examination,

saying: “If we do not do penance, then we will fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men.”

For according to his greatness, so also is his mercy with him.

Footnotes

(a)2:15 Both are viable translations: ‘who do not believe in God’ and ‘who do not believe God.’ Both meanings are correct.(Conte)

God’s servants must look for temptations: and must arm themselves with patience and confidence in God.

My son, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation.

Set your heart aright, constantly endure, and don’t make haste in time of calamity.

Cling to him, and don’t depart, that you may be increased at your latter end.

Accept whatever is brought upon you, and be patient when you suffer humiliation.

For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.

Put your trust in him, and he will help you. Make your ways straight, and set your hope on him.

All you who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy. Don’t turn aside, lest you fall.

All you who fear the Lord, put your trust in him, and your reward will not fail.

All you who fear the Lord, hope for good things, and for eternal gladness and mercy.

Look at the generations of old, and see: Who ever put his trust in the Lord, and was ashamed? Or who remained in his fear, and was forsaken? Or who called upon him, and he neglected him?

For the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. He forgives sins and saves in time of affliction.

Woe to fearful hearts, to faint hands, and to the sinner who goes two ways!

Woe to the faint heart! For it doesn’t believe. Therefore it won’t be defended.

Woe to you who have lost your patience! And what will you all do when the Lord visits you?

Those who fear the Lord will not disobey his words. Those who love him will keep his ways.

Those who fear the Lord will seek his good pleasure. Those who love him will be filled with the law.

Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and will humble their souls in his sight.

We will fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men; for as his majesty is, so also is his mercy.