Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 47

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 47

In Praise of Nathan and David

1Then Nathan came along

to prophesy in the days of David.

2As the fat is set aside in preparing a peace offering,

so David was set apart from the Israelites.

3He played with lions, as though they were young goats,

and with bears, as though they were lambs of the flock.

4When David was young, did he not kill a giant

and get rid of his people’s shame?

He hurled a stone from his sling

and struck down that boastful Goliath.

5David called upon the Lord Most High,

who strengthened his right hand

to kill the mighty warrior

and exalt the power of his nation.

6They glorified him for the tens of thousands he had conquered

and praised him for the blessings received from the Lord.

When a glorious crown was given to him,

7David annihilated his enemies on every side.

He crushed the Philistines, his adversaries,

and destroyed their power even to this day.

8In all that he did David gave thanks,

giving glory to the Holy One, the Most High.

He sang praises with all his heart

because he loved his Maker.

9David stationed singers before the altar

to make sweet melody.

10He gave fitting dignity to the festivals

and established their appointed days throughout the year.

Everyone praised the Lord’s holy name,

and the sanctuary resounded from the break of dawn.

11The Lord removed David’s sins

and exalted his power forever.

The Lord made a covenant with him that made him king,

and he gave him a throne of glory in Israel.

In Praise of Solomon

12After David, a wise son came along

who lived in security because of David.

13Solomon reigned in an age of peace

because God allowed no border disputes to happen.

God did this so that Solomon might build a Temple to his name

and prepare an eternal sanctuary.

14O Solomon, how wise you were when you were young!

You overflowed like the Nile with understanding.

15Your understanding spread throughout the earth;

you filled it with riddles and proverbs.

16Your fame spread to distant islands,

and you were loved for your peaceful reign.

17Your answers astounded the nations,

as did your songs, proverbs, and stories.

18In the name of the Lord God,

who is known as the God of Israel,

you gathered gold like tin

and amassed silver like lead.

19But you brought in women to sleep with

and let others rule over you by means of your body.

20You stained your honor

and defiled your posterity.

You brought God’s wrath on your children,

who had to suffer for your foolishness.

21You caused the kingdom to be divided.

Out of Ephraim a rebellious kingdom came into power.

22But the Lord will never cease to be merciful

or cause any of his works to be destroyed.

He will never cause his chosen one’s descendants to be eliminated

or destroy the family line of him who loved the Lord.

So he provided Jacob with a remnant

and gave David a root from his family.

23Solomon died

and left behind a son.

This son was foolish in many ways and lacked sense.

His name was Rehoboam, and his policies caused the people to rebel.

Jeroboam son of Nebat caused Israel to sin

and led Ephraim down the path of sin.

24Their sins piled up more and more

until they were exiled from their land.

25For they explored every kind of evil

until vengeance overtook them.

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.