Sirach 16

¹You should not rejoice in impious children, if they are successful; nor should you take delight in them, if the fear of God is not in them.

²You should not approve of their life, nor should you look with favor on their labors.

³For one child who fears God is better than one thousand impious children.

⁴And it is better to die without children, than to leave behind impious children.

⁵By means of one person with understanding, a country will be inhabited. The tribe of the impious will become desolate.

⁶Many such things my eyes have seen, and greater things than these my ear has heard.

⁷In the synagogue of sinners, a fire will blaze forth; and amid an unbelieving people, wrath will flare up.

⁸The giants of antiquity did not obtain pardon for their sins; they were destroyed by trusting in their own abilities.

⁹And he did not spare the place of Lot’s sojourn, and he abhorred them because of the arrogance of their words.

¹⁰He did not take pity on them, destroying an entire people, who even extolled themselves concerning their sins.

¹¹And this was so with six hundred thousand men, who were gathered together in the hardness of their hearts. And if even a single obstinate person had escaped unpunished, it would be a wonder.

¹²For mercy and wrath are with him. He is powerful in forgiveness, and he pours forth wrath.

¹³As is his mercy, so also is his correction; he judges a man according to his works.

¹⁴The sinner, in his violations, will not escape; but the patience of the One who shows mercy will not be diminished.

¹⁵Every mercy will make a place for each man, according to the merit of his works, and according to the understanding of his sojourn.

¹⁶You should not say: “I am hidden from God,” or, “Who, from on high, will take note of me?”

¹⁷or, “Among a great number of people, I will not be noticed. For what is my soul amid such an immense creation?”

¹⁸Behold: the heavens, and the heaven of the heavens, the abyss, and the entire earth, and the things that are within these, will be shaken by his gaze,

¹⁹together with mountains and hills, and the foundations of the earth. When God casts his gaze upon them, they will be struck with trembling.

²⁰And concerning all these things, the heart is without understanding; but every heart is understood by him.

²¹And who will understand his ways, or the tempest, which no eye of man will see?

²²For many of his works are concealed. But who will announce the works of his justice? Or who will endure them? For the testament is far from some persons, and the examination of each thing is in its end.

²³Whoever diminishes the heart, thinks empty thoughts. For the imprudent and erring man thinks up foolishness.

²⁴Listen to me, son, and learn the discipline of understanding, and attend to my words in your heart.

²⁵And I will speak with equity about discipline, and I will strive to announce wisdom. So attend to my words in your heart, and I will speak with equity of spirit, about the virtues that God has set within his works from the beginning, and I will announce his knowledge in truth.

²⁶With the judgment of God, his works have been done from the beginning; and from their institution, he himself distinguished their parts and set their beginnings, in their kinds.

²⁷He has beautified their works unto eternity. They have neither hungered, nor labored, and they have not ceased from their works.

²⁸Neither will any one of them cause anguish to his neighbor, forever.

²⁹You should not be incredulous at his word.

³⁰Afterward, God looked with favor upon the earth, and he filled it with his goodness.

³¹The soul of every living thing brought word from before his face, and their return again is to him.

Sirach 16

¹Rejoice not in ungodly children, if they be multiplied: neither be delighted in them, if the fear of God be not with them.

²Trust not to their life, and respect not their labours.

³For better is one that feareth God, than a thousand ungodly children.

⁴And it is better to die without children, than to leave ungodly children.

⁵By one that is wise a country shall be inhabited, the tribe of the ungodly shall become desolate.

⁶Many such things hath my eyes seen, and greater things than these my ear hath heard.

⁷In the congregation of sinners a fire shall be kindled, and in an unbelieving nation wrath shall flame out.

⁸The ancient giants did not obtain pardon for their sins, who were destroyed trusting to their own strength:

⁹And he spared not the place where Lot sojourned, but abhorred them for the pride of their word.

¹⁰He had not pity on them, destroying the whole nation that extolled themselves in their sins.

¹¹So did he with the six hundred thousand footmen, who were gathered together in the hardness of their heart: and if one had been stiffnecked, it is a wonder if he had escaped unpunished:

¹²For mercy and wrath are with him. He is mighty to forgive, and to pour out indignation:

¹³According as his mercy is, so his correction judgeth a man according to his works.

¹⁴The sinner shall not escape in his rapines, and the patience of him that sheweth mercy shall not be put off.

¹⁵All mercy shall make a place for every man according to the merit of his works, and according to the wisdom of his sojournment.

¹⁶Say not: I shall be hidden from God, and who shall remember me from on high?

¹⁷In such a multitude I shall not be known: for what is my soul in such an immense creation?

¹⁸Behold the heaven, and the heavens of heavens, the deep, and all the earth, and the things that are in them, shall be moved in his sight,

¹⁹The mountains also, and the hills, and the foundations of the earth: when God shall look upon them, they shall be shaken with trembling.

²⁰And in all these things the heart is senseless: and every heart is understood by him.

²¹And his ways who shall understand, and the storm, which no eye of man shall see?

²²For many of his works are hidden, but the works of his justice who shall declare? or who shall endure? for the testament is far from some, and the examination of all is in the end.

²³He that wanteth understanding thinketh vain things, and the foolish, and erring man, thinketh foolish things.

²⁴Hearken to me, my son, and learn the discipline of understanding, and attend to my words in thy heart.

²⁵And I will shew forth good doctrine in equity, and will seek to declare wisdom: and attend to my words in thy heart, whilst with equity of spirit I tell thee the virtues that God hath put upon his works from the beginning, and I shew forth in truth his knowledge.

²⁶The works of God are done in judgment from the beginning, and from the making of them he distinguished their parts, and their beginnings in their generations.

²⁷He beautified their works for ever, they have neither hungered, nor laboured, and they have not ceased from their works.

²⁸Nor shall any of them straiten his neighbour at any time.

²⁹Be not thou incredulous to his word.

³⁰After this God looked upon the earth, and filled it with his goods.

³¹The soul of every living thing hath shewn forth before the face thereof, and into it they return again.