HOLY BIBLE: Sirach 4 (original) (raw)

12 ἡ σοφία υἱοὺς αὐτῆς ἀνύψωσεν καὶ ἐπιλαμβάνεται τῶν ζητοῦντων αὐτήν 13 ὁ ἀγαπῶν αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ζωήν καὶ οἱ ὀρθρίζοντες πρὸς αὐτὴν ἐμπλησθήσονται εὐφροσύνης 14 ὁ κρατῶν αὐτῆς κληρονομήσει δόξαν καὶ οὗ εἰσπορεύεται εὐλογεῖ κύριος 15 οἱ λατρεύοντες αὐτῇ λειτουργήσουσιν ἁγίῳ καὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾷ ὁ κύριος 16 ὁ ὑπακούων αὐτῆς κρινεῖ ἔθνη καὶ ὁ προσέχων αὐτῇ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθώς 17 ἐὰν ἐμπιστεύσῃ κατακληρονομήσει αὐτήν καὶ ἐν κατασχέσει ἔσονται αἱ γενεαὶ αὐτοῦ 18 ὅτι διεστραμμένως πορεύσεται με{T'} αὐτοῦ ἐν πρώτοις 19 φόβον καὶ δειλίαν ἐπάξει ἐ{P'} αὐτὸν καὶ βασανίσει αὐτὸν ἐν παιδείᾳ αὐτῆς ἕως οὗ ἐμπιστεύσῃ τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ πειράσει αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασιν αὐτῆς 20 καὶ πάλιν ἐπανήξει κα{T'} εὐθεῖαν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εὐφρανεῖ αὐτὸν 21 καὶ ἀποκαλύψει αὐτῷ τὰ κρυπτὰ αὐτῆς 22 ἐὰν ἀποπλανηθῇ ἐγκαταλείψει αὐτὸν καὶ παραδώσει αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας πτώσεως αὐτοῦ

12 New life wisdom breathes into her children, befriends all that have recourse to her, and guides them in the right way. 13 Love her, as thou lovest life; wait early at her doors, if thou wouldst win her sweet embrace. 14 Life the prize, if thou hold her fast; come she in at the door, God’s blessing comes with her; 15 court paid to her, worship paid to the Holy One; love given to her, God’s love made thine in return for it! 16 A word from her, and the world is at thy feet, a sight of her face, and thou shalt dwell ever secure; 17 trust her, and she will be thy inheritance, settled on the heirs of thy body. 18 When first she chooses a man out, she does but make trial of his company; 19 she puts him to the proof, threatening him with her frown, teasing him with her difficult lore, until at last she has proved whether his thoughts are hers, and can trust him perfectly. 20 Then she gives him confidence, coming out openly to meet him; gladdens him with her smile, 21 and tells him all her secrets; makes him rich with store of true knowledge, and enables him to discern the right. 22 Only if he strays away from her does she abandon him, and leave him at the mercy of his foes.

12

Sapientia filiis suis vitam inspirat:
et suscipit inquirentes se,
et præibit in via justitiæ.

13
Et qui illam diligit, diligit vitam,
et qui vigilaverint ad illam complectentur placorem ejus. 14
Qui tenuerint illam, vitam hæreditabunt:
et quo introibit benedicet Deus. 15
Qui serviunt ei obsequentes erunt sancto:
et eos qui diligunt illam, diligit Deus. 16
Qui audit illam judicabit gentes:
et qui intuetur illam permanebit confidens. 17
Si crediderit ei, hæreditabit illam,
et erunt in confirmatione creaturæ illius: 18
quoniam in tentatione ambulat cum eo,
et in primis eligit eum. 19
Timorem, et metum, et probationem inducet super illum:
et cruciabit illum in tribulatione doctrinæ suæ,
donec tentet eum in cogitationibus suis,
et credat animæ illius. 20
Et firmabit illum, et iter adducet directum ad illum,
et lætificabit illum: 21
et denudabit absconsa sua illi,
et thesaurizabit super illum scientiam et intellectum justitiæ. 22
Si autem oberraverit, derelinquet eum,
et tradet eum in manus inimici sui.

[1] vv. 31, 32: The Greek text here varies considerably from the Latin version. It runs: ‘Be never ashamed to confess thy faults; wouldst thou swim against the stream’s force? Never put thyself in the power of a fool, and never flatter a ruler’s greatness’. Throughout the last fourteen verses of this chapter, the Latin and the Greek have many different twists of meaning, and neither can be interpreted with much certainty.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd