Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 44

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 44

In Praise of the Earliest Ancestors

1Let us now praise famous men,

our ancestors in their successive generations.

2The Lord has created great glory,

his majesty from the beginning.

3There were those who ruled in their kingdoms;

they were renowned for their valor.

Others were intelligent advisers

or those who spoke prophecies.

4Some led the people by advising them

and by knowing the writings of the people.

They gave wise instruction.

5Some composed musical tunes

or wrote poetic lyrics.

6Others were rich and powerful,

living peacefully in their homes.

7All these men gained glory in their generations;

they were the pride of their times.

8Some of them have left behind a famous name,

so that others tell of their praises.

9But others are not remembered at all;

they have completely perished as if they had never existed.

They have become as if they had never been born,

and their children are forgotten as well.

10But these were godly men,

whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten.

11Their wealth will remain in the family,

and their inheritance will pass to their descendants.

12Their children have kept the covenants,

and their grandchildren also, for their sake.

13Their line of descendants will continue forever,

and their glory will not diminish.

14Their bodies are buried in peace,

but their name lives on from generation to generation.

15The people tell about their wisdom,

and the congregation declares their praise.

16Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up to heaven

as an example of repentance to all generations.

17Noah was found perfect and righteous.

In the time of wrath he was chosen to begin a new human race.

Therefore, a remnant was left on earth

after the flood came.

18Everlasting covenants were made with him

that all flesh should never again be destroyed by a flood.

In Praise of the Patriarchs

19Abraham was the great father of many nations,

and there has never been anyone equal to him in honor.

20He obeyed the law of the Most High

and entered into a covenant with him.

He ratified the covenant by undergoing circumcision,

and when he was tested he was found faithful.

21Therefore, the Lord promised him with an oath

that the nations would be blessed through his descendants.

He promised to make them as numerous as the dust of the earth,

to exalt them like the stars.

He promised to give them an inheritance from sea to sea

and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

22He gave Isaac the same assurance

for the sake of his father, Abraham.

The Lord caused Jacob to receive

the blessing of all people and the covenant.

23He confirmed Jacob’s position by blessing him,

and he gave him his inheritance.

He divided his portions

and distributed them among twelve tribes.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation Catholic Edition, copyright © 2016 by Tyndale House Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Published by: Tyndale House Publishers Inc.