Sirach 16

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Do not long for a brood of worthless children, and do not take pleasure in godless sons.	1 Desire not a multitude of unprofitable children, neither delight in ungodly sons.
2 However many you have, take no pleasure in them, unless the fear of the Lord lives among them.	2 Though they multiply, rejoice not in them, except the fear of the Lord be with them.
3 Do not count on their having long life, do not put too much faith in their number; for better have onethan a thousand, better die childless than have children who are godless.	3 Trust not thou in their life, neither respect their multitude: for one that is just is better than a thousand; and better it is to die without children, than to have them that are ungodly.
4 One person of sense can populate a city, but a race of lawless people will be destroyed.	4 For by one that hath understanding shall the city be replenished: but the kindred of the wicked shall speedily become desolate.
5 My eyes have seen many such things, my ears have heard things even more impressive.	5 Many such things have I seen with mine eyes, and mine ear hath heard greater things than these.
6 Fire is kindled in a sinful society, Retribution blazes in a rebel ious nation.	6 In the congregation of the ungodly shall a fire be kindled; and in a rebellious nation wrath is set on fire.
7 God did not pardon the giants of old who, confident in their strength, had rebel ed.	7 He was not pacified toward the old giants, who fell away in the strength of their foolishness.
8 He did not spare the people with whom Lot lived; he abhorred them, rather, for their pride.	8 Neither spared he the place where Lot sojourned, but abhorred them for their pride.
9 He was pitiless to the nation of perdition -- those people who gloried in their sins-	9 He pitied not the people of perdition, who were taken away in their sins:
10 as also to the six hundred thousand men on the march, who had banded together in their obstinacy.	10 Nor the six hundred thousand footmen, who were gathered together in the hardness of their hearts.
11 And had there been only one man stubborn, it would have been amazing had he escaped unpunished,since mercy and wrath alike belong to the Lord who is mighty to forgive and to pour out wrath.	11 And if there be one stiffnecked among the people, it is marvel if he escape unpunished: for mercy and wrath are with him; he is mighty to forgive, and to pour out displeasure.
12 As great as his mercy, so is his severity; he judges each person as his deeds deserve:	12 As his mercy is great, so is his correction also: he judgeth a man according to his works
13 the sinner wil not escape with his il -gotten gains nor the patience of the devout go for nothing.	13 The sinner shall not escape with his spoils: and the patience of the godly shall not be frustrate.
14 He takes note of every charitable action, and everyone is treated as he deserves.	14 Make way for every work of mercy: for every man shall find according to his works.
15	15 The Lord hardened Pharaoh, that he should not know him, that his powerful works might be known to the world.
16	16 His mercy is manifest to every creature; and he hath separated his light from the darkness with an adamant.
17 Do not say, 'I shal hide from the Lord; who is going to remember me up there? I shall not be noticedamong so many people; what am I in the immensity of creation?'	17 Say not thou, I will hide myself from the Lord: shall any remember me from above? I shall not be remembered among so many people: for what is my soul among such an infinite number of creatures?
18 For see, the sky and the heavens above the sky, the abyss and the earth shake at his visitation.	18 Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the deep, and the earth, and all that therein is, shall be moved when he shall visit.
19 The mountains and earth's foundations alike quail and tremble when he looks at them.	19 The mountains also and foundations of the earth be shaken with trembling, when the Lord looketh upon them.
20 But to all this no one gives thought. Who keeps his movements in mind?	20 No heart can think upon these things worthily: and who is able to conceive his ways?
21 The storm wind itself is invisible, and most of what he does goes undetected.	21 It is a tempest which no man can see: for the most part of his works are hid.
22 'Who wil report whether justice has been done? Who wil be watching? The covenant is remote!'	22 Who can declare the works of his justice? or who can endure them? for his covenant is afar off, and the trial of all things is in the end.
23 Such are the thoughts of the person of little sense, stupid, misguided, cherishing his fol y.	23 He that wanteth understanding will think upon vain things: and a foolish man erring imagineth follies.
24 Listen to me, my child, and learn knowledge, and give your whole mind to my words.	24 by son, hearken unto me, and learn knowledge, and mark my words with thy heart.
25 I shal expound discipline methodically and proclaim knowledge with precision.	25 I will shew forth doctrine in weight, and declare his knowledge exactly.
26 When God created his works in the beginning, he assigned them their places as soon as they weremade.	26 The works of the Lord are done in judgment from the beginning: and from the time he made them he disposed the parts thereof.
27 He determined his works for al time, from their origins to their distant generations. They know neitherhunger nor weariness, and they never desert their duties.	27 He garnished his works for ever, and in his hand are the chief of them unto all generations: they neither labour, nor are weary, nor cease from their works.
28 Not one has ever got in the way of another, and they wil never disobey his word.	28 None of them hindereth another, and they shall never disobey his word.
29 And afterwards the Lord looked at the earth, and filled it with his good things.	29 After this the Lord looked upon the earth, and filled it with his blessings.
30 He covered its surface with every kind of animal, and to it they wil return.	30 With all manner of living things hath he covered the face thereof; and they shall return into it again.