Sirach 48

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Till like a fire there appeared the prophet whose words were as a flaming furnace.	1 the Lord the Almighty, and he gave strength in his right hand, to take away the mighty warrior, and to set up the horn of his nation.
2 Their staff of bread he shattered, in his zeal he reduced them to straits;	2 And as the fat taken away from the flesh, so was David chosen from among the children of Israel.
3 By God's word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire.	3 He played with lions as with lambs: and with bears he did in like manner as with the lambs of the flock, in his youth.
4 How awesome are you, ELIJAH! Whose glory is equal to yours?	4 Did not he kill the giant, and take away reproach from his people?
5 You brought a dead man back to life from the nether world, by the will of the LORD.	5 In lifting up his hand, with the stone in the sling he beat down the boasting of Goliath:
6 You sent kings down to destruction, and nobles, from their beds of sickness.	6 For he called upoI
7 You heard threats at Sinai, at Horeb avenging judgments.	7 So in ten thousand did he glorify him, and praised him in the blessings of the Lord, in offering to him a crown of glory:
8 You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance, and a prophet as your successor.	8 For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and extirpated the Philistines the adversaries unto this day: he broke their horn for ever.
9 You were taken aloft in a whirlwind, in a chariot with fiery horses.	9 In all his works he gave thanks to the holy one, and to the most High, with words of glory.
10 You are destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD, To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to reestablish the tribes of Jacob.	10 With his whole heart he praised the Lord, and loved God that made him: and he gave him power against his enemies:
11 Blessed is he who shall have seen you before he dies,	11 And he set singers before the altar, and by their voices he made sweet melody.
12 O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind! Then ELISHA, filled with a twofold portion of his spirit, wrought many marvels by his mere word. During his lifetime he feared no one, nor was any man able to intimidate his will.	12 And to the festivals he added beauty, and set in order the solemn times even to the end of his life, that they should praise the holy name of the Lord, and magnify the holiness of God in the morning.
13 Nothing was beyond his power; beneath him flesh was brought back into life.	13 The Lord took away his sine, and exalted his horn for ever: and he gave him a covenant of the kingdom, and a throne of glory in Israel.
14 In life he performed wonders, and after death, marvelous deeds.	14 After him arose up a wise son, and for his sake he cast down all the power of the enemies.
15 Despite all this the people did not repent, nor did they give up their sins, Until they were rooted out of their land and scattered all over the earth. But Judah remained, a tiny people, with its rulers from the house of David.	15 Solomon reigned in days of peace, and God brought all his enemies under him, that he might build a house in his name, and prepare a sanctuary for ever: O how wise wast thou in thy youth!
16 Some of these did what was right, but others were extremely sinful.	16 And thou wast filled as a river with wisdom, and thy soul covered the earth.
17 HEZEKIAH fortified his city and had water brought into it; With iron tools he cut through the rock and he built reservoirs for water.	17 And thou didst multiply riddles in parables: thy name went abroad to the islands far off, and thou wast beloved in thy peace.
18 During his reign Sennacherib led an invasion and sent his adjutant; He shook his fist at Zion and blasphemed God in his pride.	18 The countries wondered at thee for thy canticles, and proverbs, and parables, and interpretations,
19 The people's hearts melted within them, and they were in anguish like that of childbirth.	19 And at the name of the Lord God, whose surname is, God of Israel.
20 But they called upon the Most High God and lifted up their hands to him; He heard the prayer they uttered, and saved them through ISAIAH.	20 Thou didst gather gold as copper, and didst multiply silver as lead,
21 God struck the camp of the Assyrians and routed them with a plague.	21 And thou didst bow thyself to women: and by thy body thou wast brought under subjection.
22 For Hezekiah did what was right and held fast to the paths of David, As ordered by the illustrious prophet Isaiah, who saw the truth in visions.	22 Thou hast stained thy glory, and defiled thy seed so as to bring wrath upon thy children, and to have thy folly kindled,
23 In his lifetime he turned back the sun and prolonged the life of the king.	23 That thou shouldst make the kingdom to be divided, and out of Ephraim a rebellious kingdom to rule.
24 By his powerful spirit he looked into the future and consoled the mourners of Zion;	24 But God will not leave off his mercy, and he will not destroy, nor abolish his own works, neither will he out up by the roots the offspring of his elect: and he will not utterly take away the seed of him that loveth the Lord.
25 He foretold what should be till the end of time, hidden things yet to be fulfilled.	25 Wherefore he gave a remnant to Jacob, and to David of the same stock.
	26 And Solomon had an end with his fathers.
	27 And he left behind him of his seed, the folly of the nation,
	28 Even Roboam that had little wisdom, who turned away the people through his counsel:
	29 And Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who caused Israel to sin, and shewed Ephraim the way of sin, and their sins were multiplied exceedingly.
	30 They removed them far away from their land.
	31 And they sought out all iniquities, till vengeance came upon them, and put an end to all their sine.