Sirach 36

¹O God of all, take pity on us, and look with favor on us, and show us the light of your compassion.

²And send your fear upon the Gentiles, who have not sought you, so that they may acknowledge that there is no God except you, and so that they may declare your great deeds.

³Lift up your hand over unbelieving nations, so that they may see your power.

⁴For just as, in their sight, you have been sanctified in us, so also, in our sight, you will be magnified in them.

⁵So may they know you, as we also have known you. For there is no God apart from you, O Lord.

⁶Renew your signs, and work new wonders.

⁷Glorify your hand and your right arm.

⁸Stir up your fury, and pour out your wrath.

⁹Take away our adversary, and afflict our enemy.

¹⁰Hasten the time, and remember the end, so that they may declare your miracles.

¹¹Let those who escape be devoured by the wrath of fire. And let those who harass your people find perdition.

¹²Crush the head of the leaders of the enemies, for they say: “There is no other beside us.”

¹³Gather together all the tribes of Jacob, so that they may acknowledge that there is no God except you, and so that they may declare your great deeds. And you will inherit them, as from the beginning.

¹⁴Take pity on your people, over whom your name has been invoked, and on Israel, whom you have treated as your firstborn.

¹⁵Take pity on Jerusalem, the city of your sanctification, the city of your rest.

¹⁶Fill Zion with your ineffable words, and fill your people with your glory.

¹⁷Give testimony to those who have been your creations from the beginning, and lift up the prophecies which the former prophets spoke in your name.

¹⁸Give a reward to those who endure for you, so that your prophets may be found to be faithful. And heed the prayers of your servants,

¹⁹in accord with the blessing of Aaron over your people. And direct us in the way of justice, and let all who inhabit the earth know that you are God, the Beholder of all ages.

²⁰The belly can devour any food, yet one meal is better than another.

²¹The palate tests the meat of wild animals, and the understanding heart tests false words.

²²A corrupt heart will cause grief, and a man of experience will resist it.

²³A woman can receive any male, yet one daughter is better than another.

²⁴The beauty of a wife cheers the face of her husband, and rises above his desire, above all the desires of man.

²⁵If she offers healing words, then she both comforts and shows mercy; and so her husband is not like other men.

²⁶He who holds to a good wife establishes a possession. She is a helper in agreement with him, and she is a pillar of rest.

²⁷Where there is no hedge, a possession will be trampled. And where there is no wife, he will mourn her absence.

²⁸Who will trust one who has no nest, and who conceals himself wherever his course may take him, like a well-equipped robber passing from city to city?

Sirach 36

¹Have mercy upon us, O God of all, and behold us, and shew us the light of thy mercies:

²And send thy fear upon the nations, that have not sought after thee: that they may know that there is no God beside thee, and that they may shew forth thy wonders.

³Lift up thy hand over the strange nations, that they may see thy power.

⁴For as thou hast been sanctified in us in their sight, so thou shalt be magnified among them in our presence,

⁵That they may know thee, as we also have known thee, that there is no God beside thee, O Lord.

⁶Renew thy signs, and work new miracles.

⁷Glorify thy hand, and thy right arm.

⁸Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath.

⁹Take away the adversary, and crush the enemy.

¹⁰Hasten the time, and remember the end, that they may declare thy wonderful works.

¹¹Let him that escapeth be consumed by the rage of the fire: and let them perish that oppress thy people.

¹²Crush the head of the princes of the enemies that say: There is no other beside us.

¹³Gather together all the tribes of Jacob: that they may know that there no God besides thee, and may declare thy great works: and thou shalt inherit them as from the beginning.

¹⁴Have mercy on thy people, upon whom thy name is invoked: and upon Israel, whom thou hast raised up to be thy firstborn.

¹⁵Have mercy on Jerusalem, the city which thou hast sanctified, the city of thy rest.

¹⁶Fill Sion with thy unspeakable words, and thy people with thy glory.

¹⁷Give testimony to them that are thy creatures from the beginning, and raise up the prophecies which the former prophets spoke in thy name.

¹⁸Reward them that patiently wait for thee, that thy prophets may be found faithful: and hear the prayers of thy servants,

¹⁹According to the blessing of Aaron over thy people, and direct us into the way of justice, and let all know that dwell upon the earth, that thou art God the beholder of all ages.

²⁰The belly will devour all meat, yet one is better than another.

²¹The palate tasteth venison and the wise heart false speeches.

²²A perverse heart will cause grief, and a man of experience will resist it.

²³A woman will receive every man: yet one daughter is better than another.

²⁴The beauty of a woman cheereth the countenance of her husband, and a man desireth nothing more.

²⁵If she have a tongue that can cure, and likewise mitigate and shew mercy: her husband is not like other men.

²⁶He that possesseth a good wife, beginneth a possession: she is a help like to himself, and a pillar of rest.

²⁷Where there is no hedge, the possession shall be spoiled: and where there is no wife, he mourneth that is in want.

²⁸Who will trust him that hath no rest, and that lodgeth wheresoever the night taketh him, as a robber well appointed, that skippeth from city to city.