Sirach 38

¹Honor the physician because of necessity, and because the Most High created him.

²For all healing is from God, and so he will receive gifts from the King.

³The expertise of the physician will lift up his head, and in the sight of great men, he will be praised.

⁴The Most High has created medicines from the earth, and a prudent man will not abhor them.

⁵Was not bitter water made sweet with wood?

⁶The benefits of these things is recognized by men, and the Most High has given this knowledge to men, so that he may be honored in his wonders.

⁷By these things, he will cure or mitigate their suffering, and the pharmacist will make soothing ointments, and he will form healing medicines, and there will be no end to his works.

⁸For the peace of God is upon the surface of the earth.

⁹Son, in your infirmity, you should not neglect yourself, but pray to the Lord, and he will cure you.

¹⁰Turn away from sin, and direct your hands, and cleanse your heart from every offense.

¹¹Give a sweet offering, and a memorial of fine flour, and fatten your oblation, but also give a place to the physician.

¹²For the Lord created him. And so, do not let him depart from you, for his works are necessary.

¹³For there is a time when you may fall into their hands.

¹⁴Truly, they will beseech the Lord, so that he may direct their treatments and cures, for the sake of their way of life.

¹⁵He who sins in the sight of the One who made him will fall into the hands of the physician.

¹⁶Son, shed tears over the dead, and begin to weep, as if you had suffered dreadfully. And according to judgment, cover his body, and you should not neglect his burial.

¹⁷And though you will sink down into bitterness, bear his mourning for one day, and then be consoled in your sadness.

¹⁸And carry out his mourning, according to his merit, for one or two days because of this loss.

¹⁹Yet sadness hastens death and overwhelms strength, and the sorrow of the heart bows down the neck.

²⁰When one is taken away, sorrow remains. But the resources of a destitute man is found in his heart.

²¹You should not give your heart over to sadness, but push it away from you. And remember the very end.

²²Do not be willing to forget this; for there is no turning back. Otherwise, it will not benefit you, and you will cause great harm to yourself.

²³Call to mind my judgment. For so shall it be for you also. Yesterday is mine, and today is yours.

²⁴When the deceased is at rest, let his memory rest also. And console him at the departure of his spirit.

²⁵The wisdom of a scribe is found in his time of leisure. So whoever has less to do will gain wisdom.

²⁶With what wisdom will someone be filled who holds the plow, and who boasts of the cattle prod that drives the oxen forward, and who is occupied in these labors, and whose only conversation is about the offspring of bulls?

²⁷He will give his mind over to the plowing of furrows, and his vigilance to the fattening of the cows.

²⁸Similarly, every craftsman and artisan, who crafts in the night as well as in the day, who sculpts graven seals, and who, by his diligence, varies the image, will give his mind over to the likeness of the image. And he will complete the work by his vigilance.

²⁹The blacksmith, sitting by his anvil and considering a work of iron, is similar. The steam from the fire singes his flesh, and he struggles against the heat of the furnace.

³⁰The voice of the hammer is ever in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the ironwork.

³¹He gives his heart to the completion of his work, and his vigilance adorns it to perfection.

³²The potter, sitting at his work and turning the wheel with his feet, is similar. He has settled into a continual concern for his work, and there is a rhythm in all that he does.

³³He forms the clay with his arm, and he bends his strength over his feet.

³⁴He will give his heart over to the completion of the glazing, and his vigilance to the cleansing of the furnace.

³⁵All these persons trust in their own hands, and each one is wise in his own art.

³⁶Without these persons, a city is not built.

³⁷But they will neither inhabit nor walk around in the city. And they will not go across to the church.

³⁸They will not sit upon the seats of judges, and they will not understand a decree of judgment. And they will not make clear discipline and judgment, and they will not be found to understand parables.

³⁹But they will strengthen the state of the world, and their prayer will be in their artistic works, applying their soul, and searching the law of the Most High.

Sirach 38

¹Honour the physician for the need thou hast of him: for the most High hath created him.

²For all healing is from God, and he shall receive gifts of the king.

³The skill of the physician shall lift up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be praised.

⁴The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.

⁵Was not bitter water made sweet with wood?

⁶The virtue of these things is come to the knowledge of men, and the most High hath given knowledge to men, that he may be honoured in his wonders.

⁷By these he shall cure and shall allay their pains, and of these the apothecary shall make sweet confections, and shall make up ointments of health, and of his works there shall be no end.

⁸For the peace of God is over all the face of the earth.

⁹My son, in thy sickness neglect not thyself, but pray to the Lord, and he shall heal thee.

¹⁰Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence.

¹¹Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering, and then give place to the physician.

¹²For the Lord created him: and let him not depart from thee, for his works are necessary.

¹³For there is a time when thou must fall into their hands:

¹⁴And they shall beseech the Lord, that he would prosper what they give for ease and remedy, for their conversation.

¹⁵He that sinneth in the sight of his Maker, shall fall into the hands of the physician.

¹⁶My son, shed tears over the dead, and begin to lament as if thou hadst suffered some great harm, and according to judgment cover his body, and neglect not his burial.

¹⁷And for fear of being ill spoken of weep bitterly for a day, and then comfort thyself in thy sadness.

¹⁸And make mourning for him according to his merit for a day, or two, for fear of detraction.

¹⁹For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.

²⁰In withdrawing aside sorrow remaineth: and the substance of the poor is according to his heart.

²¹Give not up thy heart to sadness, but drive it from thee: and remember the latter end.

²²Forget it not: for there is no returning, and thou shalt do him no good, and shalt hurt thyself.

²³Remember my judgment: for thine also shall be so: yesterday for me, and to day for thee.

²⁴When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest, and comfort him in the departing of his spirit.

²⁵The wisdom of a scribe cometh by his time of leisure: and he that is less in action, shall receive wisdom.

²⁶With what wisdom shall he be furnished that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth the oxen therewith, and is occupied in their labours, and his whole talk is about the offspring of bulls?

²⁷He shall give his mind to turn up furrows, and his care is to give the kine fodder.

²⁸So every craftsman and workmaster that laboureth night and day, he who maketh graven seals, and by his continual diligence varieth the figure: he shall give his mind to the resemblance of the picture, and by his watching shall finish the work.

²⁹So doth the smith sitting by the anvil and considering the iron work. The vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace.

³⁰The noise of the hammer is always in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the vessel he maketh.

³¹He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them to perfection.

³²So doth the potter sitting at his work, turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always carefully set to his work, and maketh all his work by number:

³³He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet:

³⁴He shall give his mind to finish the glazing, and his watching to make clean the furnace.

³⁵All these trust to their hands, and every one is wise in his own art.

³⁶Without these a city is not built.

³⁷And they shall not dwell, nor walk about therein, and they shall not go up into the assembly.

³⁸Upon the judges' seat they shall not sit, and the ordinance of judgment they shall not understand, neither shall they declare discipline and judgment, and they shall not be found where parables are spoken:

³⁹But they shall strengthen the state of the world, and their prayer shall be in the work of their craft, applying their soul, and searching in the law of the most High.