Sirach 2

¹Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.

²Humble thy heart, and endure: incline thy ear, and receive the words of understanding: and make not haste in the time of clouds.

³Wait on God with patience: join thyself to God, and endure, that thy life may be increased in the latter end.

⁴Take all that shall be brought upon thee: and in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience.

⁵For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.

⁶Believe God, and he will recover thee: and direct thy way, and trust in him. Keep his fear, and grow old therein.

⁷Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy: and go not aside from him lest ye fall.

⁸Ye that fear the Lord, believe him: and your reward shall not be made void.

⁹Ye that fear the Lord hope in him, and mercy shall come to you for your delight.

¹⁰Ye that fear the Lord, love him, and your hearts shall be enlightened.

¹¹My children behold the generations of men: and know ye that no one hath hoped in the Lord, and hath been confounded.

¹²For who hath continued in his commandment, and hath been forsaken? or who hath called upon him, and he despised him?

¹³For God is compassionate and merciful, and will forgive sins in the day of tribulation: and he is a protector to all that seek him in truth.

¹⁴Woe to them that are of a double heart and to wicked lips, and to the hands that do evil, and to the sinner that goeth on the earth two ways.

¹⁵Woe to them that are fainthearted, who believe not God: and therefore they shall not be protected by him.

¹⁶Woe to them that have lost patience, and that have forsaken the right ways, and have gone aside into crooked ways.

¹⁷And what will they do, when the Lord shall begin to examine?

¹⁸They that fear the Lord, will not be incredulous to his word: and they that love him, will keep his way.

¹⁹They that fear the Lord, will seek after the things that are well pleasing to him: and they that love him, shall be filled with his law.

²⁰They that fear the Lord, will prepare their hearts, and in his sight will sanctify their souls,

²¹They that fear the Lord, keep his commandments, and will have patience even until his visitation,

²²Saying: If we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men.

²³For according to his greatness, so also is his mercy with him.

¹Son, when you apply yourself to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare your soul for temptation.

²Humble your heart, and persevere. Incline your ear, and accept words of understanding. And you should not hurry away in the time of distress.

³Endure steadfastly for God. Join yourself to God, and persevere, so that your life may increase in the very end.

⁴Accept everything that will happen to you, and persevere in your sorrow, and have patience in your humiliation.

⁵For gold and silver are tested in fire, yet truly, acceptable men are tested in the furnace of humiliation.

⁶Believe God, and he will restore you to health. And straighten your way, and hope in him. Observe his fear, and grow old in it.

⁷You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy. And do not turn away from him, lest you fall.

⁸You who fear the Lord, believe in him. And your reward will not be taken away.

⁹You who fear the Lord, hope in him. And mercy will approach you, to your delight.

¹⁰You who fear the Lord, love him. And your hearts will be illuminated.

¹¹My sons, consider the nations of men, and know that not one of them hoped in the Lord and was confounded.

¹²For who has remained in his commandment and been abandoned? Or who has called upon him, and yet he despised him?

¹³For God is upright and merciful, and he will forgive sins in the day of tribulation. And he is the Protector to all those who seek him in truth.

¹⁴Woe to the duplicitous heart, and to the wicked lips, and to the hands that do evil, and to the sinner who walks the earth by two ways!

¹⁵Woe to the dissolute in heart, who do not trust God! For, as a result, they will not be protected by him.

¹⁶Woe to those who have lost endurance, and who have abandoned upright ways, and who have turned aside to depraved ways!

¹⁷And what will they do when the Lord begins to examine them?

¹⁸Those who fear the Lord will not be unbelieving toward his Word. And those who love him will keep to his way.

¹⁹Those who fear the Lord will seek the things that are well-pleasing to him. And those who love him will be filled with his law.

²⁰Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and they will sanctify their souls in his sight.

²¹Those who fear the Lord keep his commandments, and they will have patience even until his examination,

²²saying: “If we do not do penance, then we will fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men.”