Sirach 2

DOUAI-RHEIMS	BIBLES DES PEUPLES
1 Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.	1 Mon fils, si tu t’es décidé à servir le Seigneur, prépare-toi à l’épreuve!
2 Humble thy heart, and endure: incline thy ear, and receive the words of understanding: and make not haste in the time of clouds.	2 Garde un cœur droit et sois résolu, ne te démonte pas quand viennent les difficultés.
3 Wait on God with patience: join thyself to God, and endure, that thy life may be increased in the latter end.	3 Attache-toi au Seigneur, ne t’écarte pas de lui; si tu fais ainsi, tu arriveras à bon port à la fin de tes jours.
4 Take all that shall be brought upon thee: and in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience.	4 Accepte tout ce qui t’arrive et sois patient quand tu te retrouves à terre.
5 For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.	5 Car on purifie l’or par le feu, et de même ceux qui plaisent à Dieu passent par le creuset de l’humiliation.
6 Believe God, and he will recover thee: and direct thy way, and trust in him. Keep his fear, and grow old therein.	6 Aie confiance en lui et il prendra soin de toi; suis le droit chemin et espère en lui.
7 Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy: and go not aside from him, lest ye fall.	7 Vous qui craignez le Seigneur, attendez sa miséricorde; ne vous détournez pas de lui: vous tomberiez.
8 Ye that fear the Lord, believe him: and your reward shall not be made void.	8 Vous qui craignez le Seigneur, ayez confiance en lui: vous ne perdrez pas votre récompense.
9 Ye that fear the Lord, hope in him: and mercy shall come to you for your delight.	9 Vous qui craignez le Seigneur, attendez-vous à recevoir tout ce qui vaut la peine: espérez miséricorde et joie éternelle.
10 Ye that fear the Lord, love him, and your hearts shall be enlightened.	10 Rappelez-vous ce qui est arrivé à vos ancêtres: qui a mis sa confiance dans le Seigneur et s’en est repenti? Qui a persévéré dans sa crainte et a été abandonné? Qui a fait appel à lui et n’a pas été écouté?
11 My children behold the generations of men: and know ye that no one hath hoped in the Lord, and hath been confounded.	11 Car le Seigneur est tendresse et miséricorde; il pardonne nos péchés et nous sauve au temps de la détresse.
12 For who hath continued in his commandment, and hath been forsaken? or who hath called upon him, and he despised him?	12 Malheur aux lâches qui laissent tomber leurs bras, malheur au pécheur qui se refuse à choisir!
13 For God is compassionate and merciful, and will forgive sins in the day of tribulation: and he is a protector to all that seek him in truth.	13 Malheur aux lâches qui n’ont pas confiance! pour cette raison ils ne seront pas protégés.
14 Woe to them that are of a double heart and to wicked lips, and to the hands that do evil, and to the sinner that goeth on the earth two ways.	14 Malheur à vous qui n’avez pas persévéré: que ferez-vous quand le Seigneur vous demandera des comptes?
15 Woe to them that are fainthearted, who believe not God: and therefore they shall not be protected by him.	15 Ceux qui craignent le Seigneur ne désobéissent pas à ses commandements; ceux qui sont fidèles à l’aimer marchent sur ses chemins.
16 Woe to them that have lost patience, and that have forsaken the right ways, and have gone aside into crooked ways.	16 Ceux qui craignent le Seigneur cherchent à lui plaire; ceux qui l’aiment se nourrissent de sa loi.
17 And what will they do, when the Lord shall begin to examine?	17 Ceux qui craignent le Seigneur gardent leur cœur disponible; ils s’humilient devant lui et disent:
18 They that fear the Lord, will not be incredulous to his word: and they that love him, will keep his way.	18 “Tombons entre les mains du Seigneur plutôt qu’entre les mains des hommes, car sa miséricorde n’est pas moindre que sa puissance!”
19 They that fear the Lord, will seek after the things that are well pleasing to him: and they that love him, shall be filled with his law.
20 They that fear the Lord, will prepare their hearts, and in his sight will sanctify their souls.
21 They that fear the Lord, keep his Commandments, and will have patience even until his visitation,
22 Saying: If we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men.
23 For according to his greatness, so also is his mercy with him.