Prayer of Jesus, Sirach’s son

¹I will give thanks to you,

Lord and King,

and I will praise you, God my savior.

I give thanks to your name,

²because you have been

my protector and helper.

You have rescued my body

from destruction,

In the presence of those who stood around me,

³you were my helper.

In line with your abundant mercy

and your great name,

you rescued me from grinding teeth prepared to devour me,

from the power of those

who wanted to take my life,

from the many troubles that I have had,

⁴from choking fire all around me,

from the midst of a fire

that I didn’t start,

⁵from the depths of the belly

of the grave,

and from a polluted tongue

and lying words,

⁶as well as the arrowlike

tongue of the unrighteous.

My soul approached death,

and my life was on the edge of the grave below.

⁷People surrounded me on every side,

and no one helped;

I looked for assistance from human beings, and there was none.

⁸Then I remembered your mercy, Lord,

and your charity from long ago,

that you raise up those who wait for you

and save them from the hands

of the wicked.

⁹I sent up my prayer from the earth,

and I begged to be rescued from death.

¹⁰I called out to the Lord,

the father of my master:

“Don’t desert me in the time

of my distress,

when I am helpless before the arrogant.

¹¹I will praise your name continually,

and I will sing thanksgiving hymns.”

My prayer was heard,

¹²because you saved me from destruction

and you rescued me from an evil time.

For this, I will give thanks, praise you,

Search for Wisdom

¹³When I was still young,

before I had traveled,

I sought Wisdom openly in my prayer.

¹⁴In front of the temple, I asked for her,

and I will search for her until I die.

¹⁵From the first blossom

to the ripening of the grape clusters,

my heart delighted in her;

I walked in straight paths;

¹⁶I paid a little attention, and I received her

and found much instruction for myself.

¹⁷I made progress with her;

I will give glory to the one

who gives me Wisdom.

¹⁸I made up my mind

to put Wisdom into practice;

I sought the good,

and I will never be ashamed.

¹⁹My whole being grappled with her,

and I was brought to perfection

in my performance of the Law.

I spread out my hands

toward heaven,

and I kept in mind

my ignorance of her.

²⁰I directed my whole being toward her,

and in purity I found her.

I had a heart for her

from the beginning.

For this reason

I will never be abandoned.

²¹My guts were stirred to seek her;

for this reason I gained

a desired possession.

²²The Lord gave me the power

to speak well, as my reward,

and I will praise him with it.

²³Draw near to me,

you who lack education,

and stay in my school.

²⁴Why are you still lacking in these things;

why do you thirst for this?

²⁵I opened my mouth and said,

“Acquire her for yourselves

without money.

²⁶Place your neck under her yoke,

and let your soul

receive instruction.

It is found close at hand.”

²⁷See for yourselves that I have labored

a little,

and I have found much rest for myself.

²⁸Invest in your education

with a great amount of silver,

and with it you will acquire much gold.

²⁹May your whole being take delight

in God’s mercy,

and may you never be ashamed

when you praise him.

³⁰Accomplish your work in good time,

and he will give you your reward

in his time.