Catholic Evangelization Training Center
Training in the NEW Evangelization
Sirach Chapter 15-18
1 The man who fears the Lord will do this, and he who holds to the law will obtain wisdom.
2 She will come to meet him like a mother, and like the wife of his youth she will welcome him.
3 She will feed him with the bread of understanding, and give him the water of wisdom to drink.
4 He will lean on her and will not fall, and he will rely on her and will not be put to shame.
5 She will exalt him above his neighbors, and will open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.
6 He will find gladness and a crown of rejoicing, and will acquire an everlasting name.
7 Foolish men will not obtain her, and sinful men will not see her.
8 She is far from men of pride, and liars will never think of her.
9 A hymn of praise is not fitting on the lips of a sinner, for it has not been sent from the Lord.
10 For a hymn of praise should be uttered in wisdom, and the Lord will prosper it.
11 Do not say, "Because of the Lord I left the right way"; for he will not do what he hates.
12 Do not say, "It was he who led me astray"; for he had no need of a sinful man.
13 The Lord hates all abominations, and they are not loved by those who fear him.
14 It was he who created man in the beginning, and he left him in the power of his own inclination.
15 If you will, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
16 He has placed before you fire and water: stretch out your hand for whichever you wish.
17 Before a man are life and death, and whichever he chooses will be given to him.
18 For great is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power and sees everything;
19 his eyes are on those who fear him, and he knows every deed of man.
20 He has not commanded any one to be ungodly, and he has not given any one permission to sin.
Chapter: 16
1 Do not desire a multitude of useless children, nor rejoice in ungodly sons.
2 If they multiply , do not rejoice in them, unless the fear of the Lord is in them.
3 Do not trust in their survival, and do not rely on their multitude; for one is better than a thousand, and to die childless is better than to have ungodly children.
4 For through one man of understanding a city will be filled with people, but through a tribe of lawless men it will be made desolate.
5 Many such things my eye has seen, and my ear has heard things more striking than these.
6 In an assembly of sinners a fire will be kindled, and in a disobedient nation wrath was kindled.
7 He was not propitiated for the ancient giants who revolted in their might.
8 He did not spare the neighbors of Lot, whom he loathed on account of their insolence.
9 He showed no pity for a nation devoted to destruction, for those destroyed in their sins;
10 nor for the six hundred thousand men on foot, who rebelliously assembled in their stubbornness.
11 Even if there is only one stiff-necked person, it will be a wonder if he remains unpunished. For mercy and wrath are with the Lord; he is mighty to forgive, and he pours out wrath.
12 As great as his mercy, so great is also his reproof; he judges a man according to his deeds.
13 The sinner will not escape with his plunder, and the patience of the godly will not be frustrated.
14 He will make room for every act of mercy; every one will receive in accordance with his deeds.
17 Do not say, "I shall be hidden from the Lord, and who from on high will remember me? Among so many people I shall not be known, for what is my soul in the boundless creation?
18 Behold, heaven and the highest heaven, the abyss and the earth, will tremble at his visitation.
19 The mountains also and the foundations of the earth shake with trembling when he looks upon them.
20 And no mind will reflect on this. Who will ponder his ways?
21 Like a tempest which no man can see, so most of his works are concealed.
22 Who will announce his acts of justice? Or who will await them? For the covenant is far off."
23 This is what one devoid of understanding thinks; a senseless and misguided man thinks foolishly.
24 Listen to me, my son, and acquire knowledge, and pay close attention to my words.
25 I will impart instruction by weight, and declare knowledge accurately.
26 The works of the Lord have existed from the beginning by his creation, and when he made them, he determined their divisions.
27 He arranged his works in an eternal order, and their dominion for all generations; they neither hunger nor grow weary, and they do not cease from their labors.
28 They do not crowd one another aside, and they will never disobey his word.
29 After this the Lord looked upon the earth, and filled it with his good things;
30 with all kinds of living beings he covered its surface, and to it they return.
Chapter: 17
1 The Lord created man out of earth, and turned him back to it again.
2 He gave to men few days, a limited time, but granted them authority over the things upon the earth.
3 He endowed them with strength like his own, and made them in his own image.
4 He placed the fear of them in all living beings, and granted them dominion over beasts and birds.
6 He made for them tongue and eyes; he gave them ears and a mind for thinking.
7 He filled them with knowledge and understanding, and showed them good and evil.
8 He set his eye upon their hearts to show them the majesty of his works.
10 And they will praise his holy name, to proclaim the grandeur of his works.
11 He bestowed knowledge upon them, and allotted to them the law of life.
12 He established with them an eternal covenant, and showed them his judgments.
13 Their eyes saw his glorious majesty, and their ears heard the glory of his voice.
14 And he said to them, "Beware of all unrighteousness." And he gave commandment to each of them concerning his neighbor.
15 Their ways are always before him, they will not be hid from his eyes.
17 He appointed a ruler for every nation, but Israel is the Lord's own portion.
19 All their works are as the sun before him, and his eyes are continually upon their ways.
20 Their iniquities are not hidden from him, and all their sins are before the Lord.
22 A man's almsgiving is like a signet with the Lord and he will keep a person's kindness like the apple of his eye.
23 Afterward he will arise and requite them, and he will bring their recompense on their heads.
24 Yet to those who repent he grants a return, and he encourages those whose endurance is failing.
25 Turn to the Lord and forsake your sins; pray in his presence and lessen your offenses.
26 Return to the Most High and turn away from iniquity, and hate abominations intensely.
27 Who will sing praises to the Most High in Hades, as do those who are alive and give thanks?
28 From the dead, as from one who does not exist, thanksgiving has ceased; he who is alive and well sings the Lord's praises.
29 How great is the mercy of the Lord, and his forgiveness for those who turn to him!
30 For all things cannot be in men, since a son of man is not immortal.
31 What is brighter than the sun? Yet its light fails. So flesh and blood devise evil.
32 He marshals the host of the height of heaven; but all men are dust and ashes.
Chapter: 18
1 He who lives for ever created the whole universe;
2 the Lord alone will be declared righteous.
4 To none has he given power to proclaim his works; and who can search out his mighty deeds?
5 Who can measure his majestic power? And who can fully recount his mercies?
6 It is not possible to diminish or increase them, nor is it possible to trace the wonders of the Lord.
7 When a man has finished, he is just beginning, and when he stops, he will be at a loss.
8 What is man, and of what use is he? What is his good and what is his evil?
9 The number of a man's days is great if he reaches a hundred years.
10 Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand so are a few years in the day of eternity.
11 Therefore the Lord is patient with them and pours out his mercy upon them.
12 He sees and recognizes that their end will be evil; therefore he grants them forgiveness in abundance.
13 The compassion of man is for his neighbor, but the compassion of the Lord is for all living beings. He rebukes and trains and teaches them, and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock.
14 He has compassion on those who accept his discipline and who are eager for his judgments.
15 My son, do not mix reproach with your good deeds, nor cause grief by your words when you present a gift.
16 Does not the dew assuage the scorching heat? So a word is better than a gift.
17 Indeed, does not a word surpass a good gift? Both are to be found in a gracious man.
18 A fool is ungracious and abusive, and the gift of a grudging man makes the eyes dim.
19 Before you speak, learn, and before you fall ill, take care of your health.
20 Before judgment, examine yourself, and in the hour of visitation you will find forgiveness.
21 Before falling ill, humble yourself, and when you are on the point of sinning, turn back.
22 Let nothing hinder you from paying a vow promptly, and do not wait until death to be released from it.
23 Before making a vow, prepare yourself; and do not be like a man who tempts the Lord.
24 Think of his wrath on the day of death, and of the moment of vengeance when he turns away his face.
25 In the time of plenty think of the time of hunger; in the days of wealth think of poverty and need.
26 From morning to evening conditions change, and all things move swiftly before the Lord.
27 A wise man is cautious in everything, and in days of sin he guards against wrongdoing.
28 Every intelligent man knows wisdom, and he praises the one who finds her.
29 Those who understand sayings become skilled themselves, and pour forth apt proverbs.
30 Do not follow your base desires, but restrain your appetites.
31 If you allow your soul to take pleasure in base desire, it will make you the laughingstock of your enemies.
32 Do not revel in great luxury, lest you become impoverished by its expense.
33 Do not become a beggar by feasting with borrowed money, when you have nothing in your purse.