Sirach 15

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 He that feareth God, will do good: and he that possesseth justice, shall lay hold on her,	1 He who fears the LORD will do this; he who is practiced in the law will come to wisdom.
2 And she will meet him as an honourable mother, and will receive him as a wife married of a virgin.	2 Motherlike she will meet him, like a young bride she will embrace him,
3 With the bread of life and understanding, she shall feed him, and give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink: and she shall be made strong in him, and he shall not be moved:	3 Nourish him with the bread of understanding, and give him the water of learning to drink.
4 And she shall hold him fast, and he shall not be confounded: and she shall exalt him among his neighbours.	4 He will lean upon her and not fall, he will trust in her and not be put to shame.
5 And in the midst of the church she shall open his mouth, and shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and shall clothe him with a robe of glory.	5 She will exalt him above his fellows; in the assembly she will make him eloquent.
6 She shall heap upon him a treasure of joy and gladness, and shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name.	6 Joy and gladness he will find, an everlasting name inherit.
7 But foolish men shall not obtain her, and wise men shall meet her, foolish men shall not see her: for she is far from pride and deceit.	7 Worthless men will not attain to her, haughty men will not behold her.
8 Lying men shall not be mindful of her: but men that speak truth shall be found with her, and shall advance, even till they come to the sight of God.	8 Far from the impious is she, not to be spoken of by liars.
9 Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner:	9 Unseemly is praise on a sinner's lips, for it is not accorded to him by God.
10 For wisdom came forth from God: for praise shall be with the wisdom of God, and shall abound in a faithful mouth, and the sovereign Lord will give praise unto it.	10 But praise is offered by the wise man's tongue; its rightful steward will proclaim it.
11 Say not: It is through God, that she is not with me: for do not thou the things that he hateth.	11 Say not: "It was God's doing that I fell away"; for what he hates he does not do.
12 Say not: He hath caused me to err: for he hath no need of wicked men.	12 Say not: "It was he who set me astray"; for he has no need of wicked man.
13 The Lord hateth all abomination of error, and they that fear him shall not love it.	13 Abominable wickedness the LORD hates, he does not let it befall those who fear him.
14 God made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his own counsel.	14 When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice.
15 He added his commandments and precepts.	15 If you choose you can keep the commandments; it is loyalty to do his will.
16 If thou wilt keep the commandments and perform acceptable fidelity for ever, they shall preserve thee.	16 There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
17 He hath set water and fire before thee: stretch forth thy hand to which thou wilt.	17 Before man are life and death, whichever he chooses shall be given him.
18 Before man is life and death, good and evil, that which he shall choose shall be given him:	18 Immense is the wisdom of the LORD; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.
19 For the wisdom of God is great, and he is strong in power, seeing all men without ceasing.	19 The eyes of God see all he has made; he understands man's every deed.
20 The eyes of the Lord are towards them that fear him, and he knoweth all the work of man.	20 No man does he command to sin, to none does he give strength for lies.
21 He hath commanded no man to do wickedly, and he hath given no man license to sin:
22 For he desireth not a multitude of faithless and unprofitable children.