1But do not let yourself be led astray by any of the things that follow. 2Do not be ashamed
of the law of the Most High and his covenant,
of judging even the wicked fairly,
3of keeping accounts with a traveling companion,
and of sharing your inheritance with friends,
4of checking weights and scales, 5of making a profit whether small or great,
of bargaining with traders, and of being strict with children,
of severe corporal punishment for a servant who deserves it.
6With a prying wife or when many people are around, it is wise to make use of seal and lock! 7For deposits it is essential to reckon by number and weight and keep a written record of what you give and receive. 8Do not be ashamed of correcting some one who is foolish or stupid or an old man who has become childish.
Doing that, you prove that you are a well-educated person and you will be generally respected.
9 ① A daughter causes her father hidden worries; anxiety on her account keeps him awake:
Is she young? She may not marry. Is she married? She may be disliked;
10Is she a virgin? She may be seduced and become pregnant in her father’s house!
Is she married? She may be unfaithful or unable to have children!
11Your daughter is unruly? Watch her well, or she may make you a laughingstock to your enemies, the talk of the town and a public disgrace.
12Do not be taken by human beauty and do not sit down in the company of women;
13for just as a moth comes out of a garment, woman’s wickedness comes out of a woman.
14Better a man’s wickedness than a woman’s kindness; women bring shame and disgrace.
Second Part: God’s Wisdom in History
Wonders of nature
15 ② Now I shall remind you of the works of the Lord and relate what I have seen.
The Lord’s works depend on his word, and creation obeys his will.
16The sun shines on everything and the work of the Lord is filled with his glory.
17Not even to his holy ones has the Lord given full knowledge of all his marvelous works.
The Lord, Master of the universe, has ordained that all should stand firm in his glory.
18He penetrates both the depth of the abyss and the human heart and knows their secrets.
For the Most High has full knowledge and ordains the signs of the heavens.
19He knows the past and foretells the future and reveals the traces of the world’s mysteries.
20No thought escapes him, no word is hidden from him.
21He has ordered the marvelous works of his wisdom, from ever and for ever. Nothing can be added, nothing can be taken away and he has no need of counsel.
22All his works are beautiful, even to the smallest spark of light.
23All this lives and endures forever: all is useful and obedient to his will.
24All things are in pairs, one opposite the other, and nothing he makes is in any way deficient.
25One thing emphasizes the excellence of the other; who could ever weary of admiring his glory?
- Sir 42,9 Sirach's original text, written in Hebrew, was much longer in verse 9 and said: Her room should have no windows and she should not be able to see the entrances to the house. Such advice is one more proof of the male domination in Hebrew culture which the Greek translator did not dare show his readers who were more liberal-minded. However inspired the authors of the Bible were, God did not miraculously free them from the limitations of their culture. Sir 42,15 Modern civilization separates people from nature. In their work, many people see fluorescent lights more often than they see the sun. Many do not know either the silence or the sounds of nature, because noise has invaded everything. However, as soon as we know something about science, we think we know the mysteries of the universe. In our cities, it is increasingly more difficult for us to experience the mystery and the beauty of the universe. God speaks to us through his creation as authentically as he does in the words of Christ. The languages are different, in the same sense that music tells us something in a way that is different from words. Those who know how to see God in the universe are also able to discover him in great human achievements: dams, electronic computers, buildings, new materials, etc. What emerges from human hands also belongs to God's creation.
- Sir 42,9 Sirach's original text, written in Hebrew, was much longer in verse 9 and said: Her room should have no windows and she should not be able to see the entrances to the house. Such advice is one more proof of the male domination in Hebrew culture which the Greek translator did not dare show his readers who were more liberal-minded. However inspired the authors of the Bible were, God did not miraculously free them from the limitations of their culture. Sir 42,15 Modern civilization separates people from nature. In their work, many people see fluorescent lights more often than they see the sun. Many do not know either the silence or the sounds of nature, because noise has invaded everything. However, as soon as we know something about science, we think we know the mysteries of the universe. In our cities, it is increasingly more difficult for us to experience the mystery and the beauty of the universe. God speaks to us through his creation as authentically as he does in the words of Christ. The languages are different, in the same sense that music tells us something in a way that is different from words. Those who know how to see God in the universe are also able to discover him in great human achievements: dams, electronic computers, buildings, new materials, etc. What emerges from human hands also belongs to God's creation.
