Sirach 46

¹Joshua, the son of Nun, was valiant in warfare; he was the successor of Moses among the prophets. He was great in accord with his name,

²very great in saving the elect of God. He fought against the insurgent enemies, so that he might obtain the inheritance for Israel.

³What great glory he secured, by lifting up his hands and throwing his spears against the cities!

⁴Who before him has stood so firmly? For the Lord himself led forward the enemies.

⁵Was not the sun halted by his wrath, and one day made as if two?

⁶He called upon the Most High Power, when the enemies assailed him on every side. And the great and holy God answered him with hailstones of exceedingly great force.

⁷He made a violent assault against a hostile nation, and at his descent, he destroyed his adversaries,

⁸so that the nations would acknowledge his power: that it is not easy to fight against God. And he followed the Almighty.

⁹And in the days of Moses, he accomplished a work of mercy. He and Caleb, the son of Jephuneh, stood against the enemy, and forbid the people from sin, and broke their wicked murmuring.

¹⁰And these two, having been appointed, were freed from peril, from foot soldiers numbering six hundred thousand, so as to lead them into their inheritance, into a land flowing with milk and honey.

¹¹And the Lord gave strength to Caleb also, and his strength remained even in his old age, so that he ascended to the high places of the land, and his offspring obtained it as an inheritance.

¹²This was so that all the sons of Israel would see that it is good to obey the holy God.

¹³Then there were the judges, each one called by name, whose heart was not corrupted. They did not turn away from the Lord,

¹⁴so that their memory might be blessed, and their bones might spring forth from their place,

¹⁵and their name might remain forever, continuing in their sons, holy men of glory.

¹⁶Samuel, prophet of the Lord, beloved by the Lord his God, established a new government, and he anointed leaders over his people.

¹⁷By the law of the Lord, he judged the congregation, and the God of Jacob saw it, and so, by his fidelity, he was proven to be a prophet.

¹⁸And he was known to be faithful in his words. For he saw the God of light.

¹⁹And when fighting against the enemies, who stood against him on every side, he called upon the name of the Almighty Lord, with an offering of an inviolate lamb.

²⁰And the Lord thundered from heaven, and with a great noise, he made his voice to be heard.

²¹And he crushed the leaders of the Tyrians, and all the commanders of the Philistines.

²²And before the time of the end of his life in the world, he offered testimony in the sight of the Lord and of his Christ, that he had not taken a bribe from any flesh, not even so much as a shoe, and that no man made an accusation against him.

²³And after this, he slept. And he made known to the king and revealed to him the end of his life. And he lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy, to abolish the impiety of the people.

Sirach 46

¹Valiant in war was Jesus the son of Nave, who was successor of Moses among the prophets, who was great according to his name,

²Very great for the saving the elect of God, to overthrow the enemies that rose up against them, that he might get the inheritance for Israel.

³How great glory did he gain when he lifted up his hands, and stretched out swords against the cities?

⁴Who before him hath so resisted? for the Lord himself brought the enemies.

⁵Was not the sun stopped in his anger, and one day made as two?

⁶He called upon the most high Sovereign when the enemies assaulted him on every side, and the great and holy God heard him by hailstones of exceeding great force.

⁷He made a violent assault against the nation of his enemies, and in the descent he destroyed the adversaries.

⁸That the nations might know his power, that it is not easy to fight against God. And he followed the mighty one:

⁹And in the days of Moses he did a work of mercy, he and Caleb the son of Jephone, in standing against the enemy, and withholding the people from sins, and appeasing the wicked murmuring.

¹⁰And they two being appointed, were delivered out of the danger from among the number of six hundred thousand men on foot, to bring them into their inheritance, into the land that floweth with milk and honey.

¹¹And the Lord gave strength also to Caleb, and his strength continued even to his old age, so that he went up to the high places of the land, and his seed obtained it for an inheritance:

¹²That all the children of Israel might see, that it is good to obey the holy God.

¹³Then all the judges, every one by name, whose heart was not corrupted: who turned not away from the Lord,

¹⁴That their memory might be blessed, and their bones spring up out of their place,

¹⁵And their name continue for ever, the glory of the holy men remaining unto their children.

¹⁶Samuel the prophet of the Lord, the beloved of the Lord his God, established a new government, and anointed princes over his people.

¹⁷By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation, and the God of Jacob beheld, and by his fidelity he was proved a prophet.

¹⁸And he was known to be faithful in his words, because he saw the God of light:

¹⁹And called upon the name of the Lord Almighty, in fighting against the enemies who beset him on every side, when he offered a lamb without blemish.

²⁰And the Lord thundered from heaven, and with a great noise made his voice to be heard.

²¹And he crushed the princes of the Tyrians, and all the lords of the Philistines:

²²And before the time of the end of his life in the world, he protested before the Lord, and his anointed: money, or any thing else, even to a shoe, he had not taken of any man, and no man did accuse him.

²³And after this he slept, and he made known to the king, and shewed him the end of his life, and he lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy to blot out the wickedness of the nation.