Sirach 39

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 How different the man who devotes himself to the study of the law of the Most High! He explores the wisdom of the men of old and occupies himself with the prophecies;	1 But he that giveth his mind to the law of the most High, and is occupied in the meditation thereof, will seek out the wisdom of all the ancient, and be occupied in prophecies.
2 He treasures the discourses of famous men, and goes to the heart of involved sayings;	2 He will keep the sayings of the renowned men: and where subtil parables are, he will be there also.
3 He studies obscure parables, and is busied with the hidden meanings of the sages.	3 He will seek out the secrets of grave sentences, and be conversant in dark parables.
4 He is in attendance on the great, and has entrance to the ruler.	4 He shall serve among great men, and appear before princes: he will travel through strange countries; for he hath tried the good and the evil among men.
5 He travels among the peoples of foreign lands to learn what is good and evil among men.	5 He will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him, and will pray before the most High, and will open his mouth in prayer, and make supplication for his sins.
6 His care is to seek the LORD, his Maker, to petition the Most High, To open his lips in prayer, to ask pardon for his sins. Then, if it pleases the LORD Almighty, he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; He will pour forth his words of wisdom and in prayer give thanks to the LORD,	6 When the great Lord will, he shall be filled with the spirit of understanding: he shall pour out wise sentences, and give thanks unto the Lord in his prayer.
7 Who will direct his knowledge and his counsel, as he meditates upon his mysteries.	7 He shall direct his counsel and knowledge, and in his secrets shall he meditate.
8 He will show the wisdom of what he has learned and glory in the law of the LORD'S covenant.	8 He shall shew forth that which he hath learned, and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord.
9 Many will praise his understanding; his fame can never be effaced; Unfading will be his memory, through all generations his name will live;	9 Many shall commend his understanding; and so long as the world endureth, it shall not be blotted out; his memorial shall not depart away, and his name shall live from generation to generation.
10 Peoples will speak of his wisdom, and in assembly sing his praises.	10 Nations shall shew forth his wisdom, and the congregation shall declare his praise.
11 While he lives he is one out of a thousand, and when he dies his renown will not cease.	11 If he die, he shall leave a greater name than a thousand: and if he live, he shall increase it.
12 Once more I will set forth my theme to shine like the moon in its fullness!	12 Yet have I more to say, which I have thought upon; for I am filled as the moon at the full.
13 Listen, my faithful children: open up your petals, like roses planted near running waters;	13 Hearken unto me, ye holy children, and bud forth as a rose growing by the brook of the field:
14 Send up the sweet odor of incense, break forth in blossoms like the lily. Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise; bless the LORD for all he has done!	14 And give ye a sweet savour as frankincense, and flourish as a lily, send forth a smell, and sing a song of praise, bless the Lord in all his works.
15 Proclaim the greatness of his name, loudly sing his praises, With music on the harp and all stringed instruments; sing out with joy as you proclaim:	15 Magnify his name, and shew forth his praise with the songs of your lips, and with harps, and in praising him ye shall say after this manner:
16 The works of God are all of them good; in its own time every need is supplied.	16 All the works of the Lord are exceeding good, and whatsoever he commandeth shall be accomplished in due season.
17 At his word the waters become still as in a flask; he had but to speak and the reservoirs were made.	17 And none may say, What is this? wherefore is that? for at time convenient they shall all be sought out: at his commandment the waters stood as an heap, and at the words of his mouth the receptacles of waters.
18 He has but to command and his will is done; nothing can limit his achievement.	18 At his commandment is done whatsoever pleaseth him; and none can hinder, when he will save.
19 The works of all mankind are present to him; not a thing escapes his eye.	19 The works of all flesh are before him, and nothing can be hid from his eyes.
20 His gaze spans all the ages; to him there is nothing unexpected.	20 He seeth from everlasting to everlasting; and there is nothing wonderful before him.
21 No cause then to say: "What is the purpose of this?" Everything is chosen to satisfy a need.	21 A man need not to say, What is this? wherefore is that? for he hath made all things for their uses.
22 His blessing overflows like the Nile; like the Euphrates it enriches the surface of the earth.	22 His blessing covered the dry land as a river, and watered it as a flood.
23 Again, his wrath expels the nations and turns fertile land into a salt marsh.	23 As he hath turned the waters into saltness: so shall the heathen inherit his wrath.
24 For the virtuous his paths are level, to the haughty they are steep;	24 As his ways are plain unto the holy; so are they stumblingblocks unto the wicked.
25 Good things for the good he provided from the beginning, but for the wicked good things and bad.	25 For the good are good things created from the beginning: so evil things for sinners.
26 Chief of all needs for human life are water and fire, iron and salt, The heart of the wheat, milk and honey, the blood of the grape, and oil, and cloth;	26 The principal things for the whole use of man's life are water, fire, iron, and salt, flour of wheat, honey, milk, and the blood of the grape, and oil, and clothing.
27 For the good all these are good, but for the wicked they turn out evil.	27 All these things are for good to the godly: so to the sinners they are turned into evil.
28 There are storm winds created to punish, which in their fury can dislodge mountains; When destruction must be, they hurl all their force and appease the anger of their Maker.	28 There be spirits that are created for vengeance, which in their fury lay on sore strokes; in the time of destruction they pour out their force, and appease the wrath of him that made them.
29 In his treasury also, kept for the proper time, are fire and hail, famine, disease,	29 Fire, and hail, and famine, and death, all these were created for vengeance;
30 Ravenous beasts, scorpions, vipers, and the avenging sword to exterminate the wicked;	30 Teeth of wild beasts, and scorpions, serpents, and the sword punishing the wicked to destruction.
31 In doing his bidding they rejoice, in their assignments they disobey not his command.	31 They shall rejoice in his commandment, and they shall be ready upon earth, when need is; and when their time is come, they shall not transgress his word.
32 So from the first I took my stand, and wrote down as my theme:	32 Therefore from the beginning I was resolved, and thought upon these things, and have left them in writing.
33 The works of God are all of them good; every need when it comes he fills.	33 All the works of the Lord are good: and he will give every needful thing in due season.
34 No cause then to say: "This is not as good as that"; for each shows its worth at the proper time.	34 So that a man cannot say, This is worse than that: for in time they shall all be well approved.
35 So now with full joy of heart proclaim and bless the name of the Holy One.	35 And therefore praise ye the Lord with the whole heart and mouth, and bless the name of the Lord.