Sirach 48

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Till like a fire there appeared the prophet whose words were as a flaming furnace.	1 Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch.
2 Their staff of bread he shattered, in his zeal he reduced them to straits;	2 It was he who brought famine on them and decimated them in his zeal.
3 By God's word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire.	3 By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, three times also he brought down fire.
4 How awesome are you, ELIJAH! Whose glory is equal to yours?	4 How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah! Has anyone reason to boast as you have? -
5 You brought a dead man back to life from the nether world, by the will of the LORD.	5 rousing a corpse from death, from Sheol, by the word of the Most High;
6 You sent kings down to destruction, and nobles, from their beds of sickness.	6 dragging kings down to destruction, and high dignitaries from their beds;
7 You heard threats at Sinai, at Horeb avenging judgments.	7 hearing a rebuke on Sinai and decrees of punishment on Horeb;
8 You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance, and a prophet as your successor.	8 anointing kings as avengers, and prophets to succeed you;
9 You were taken aloft in a whirlwind, in a chariot with fiery horses.	9 taken up in the whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses;
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 designated in the prophecies of doom to allay God's wrath before the fury breaks, to turn the hearts offathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11 Blessed is he who shall have seen you before he dies,	11 Blessed, those who wil see you, and those who have fal en asleep in love; for we too shal certainlyhave life.
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 Such was Elijah, who was enveloped in a whirlwind; and Elisha was fil ed with his spirit; throughout hislife no ruler could shake him, and no one could subdue him.
13 Nothing was beyond his power; beneath him flesh was brought back into life.	13 No task was too hard for him, and even in death his body prophesied.
14 In life he performed wonders, and after death, marvelous deeds.	14 In his lifetime he performed wonders, and in death his works were marvel ous.
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 Despite al this the people did not repent, nor did they give up their sins, until they were herded out oftheir country and scattered al over the earth;
16 Some of these did what was right, but others were extremely sinful.	16 only a few of the people were left, with a ruler of the House of David. Some of them did what pleasedthe Lord, others piled sin on sin.
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 Hezekiah fortified his city, and laid on a water-supply inside it; with iron he tunnelled through the rockand constructed storage-tanks.
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 In his days Sennacherib invaded and sent Rabshakeh; he lifted his hand against Zion, and boastedloudly in his arrogance.
19 The people's hearts melted within them, and they were in anguish like that of childbirth.	19 Then their hearts and hands trembled, they felt the pangs of a woman in labour,
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 but they cal ed on the merciful Lord, stretching out their hands towards him. Swiftly the Holy Oneheard them from heaven and delivered them by the agency of Isaiah;
21 God struck the camp of the Assyrians and routed them with a plague.	21 he struck the camp of the Assyrians and his Angel annihilated them.
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 For Hezekiah did what is pleasing to the Lord, and was steadfast in the ways of David his father,enjoined on him by the prophet Isaiah, a great man trustworthy in his vision.
23 In his lifetime he turned back the sun and prolonged the life of the king.	23 In his days the sun moved back; he prolonged the life of the king.
24 By his powerful spirit he looked into the future and consoled the mourners of Zion;	24 In the power of the spirit he saw the last things, he comforted the mourners of Zion,
25 He foretold what should be till the end of time, hidden things yet to be fulfilled.	25 he revealed the future to the end of time, and hidden things long before they happened.