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Giovedi, 28 marzo 2024 - San Castore di Tarso ( Letture di oggi)

Sirach 44


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1Next let us praise il ustrious men, our ancestors in their successive generations.2The Lord has created an abundance of glory, and displayed his greatness from earliest times.3Some wielded authority as kings and were renowned for their strength; others were intel igent advisersand uttered prophetic sayings.4Others directed the people by their advice, by their understanding of the popular mind, and by the wisewords of their teaching;5others composed musical melodies and set down bal ads;6others were rich and powerful, living peaceful y in their homes.7Al these were honoured by their contemporaries and were the glory of their day.8Some of them left a name behind them, so that their praises are stil sung.9While others have left no memory, and disappeared as though they had not existed. They are now asthough they had never been, and so too, their children after them.10But here is a list of il ustrious men whose good works have not been forgotten.11In their descendants they find a rich inheritance, their posterity.12Their descendants stand by the commandments and, thanks to them, so do their children's children.13Their offspring wil last for ever, their glory will not fade.14Their bodies have been buried in peace, and their name lives on for al generations.15The peoples will proclaim their wisdom, the assembly wil celebrate their praises.16Enoch pleased the Lord and was transferred to heaven, an example for the conversion of algenerations.17Noah was found perfectly upright, in the time of retribution he became the heir: because of him aremnant was preserved for the earth at the coming of the Flood.18Everlasting covenants were made with him that never again should every living creature perish byflood.19Abraham, the great ancestor of a host of nations, no one was ever his equal in glory.20He observed the Law of the Most High, and entered into a covenant with him. He confirmed thecovenant in his own flesh, and proved himself faithful under ordeal.21The Lord therefore promised him on oath to bless the nations through his descendants, to multiply himlike the dust on the ground, to exalt his descendants like the stars, and to give them the land as their heritage,from one sea to the other, from the River to the ends of the earth.22To Isaac too, for the sake of Abraham his father, he assured23the blessing of al humanity; he caused the covenant to rest on the head of Jacob. He confirmed himin his blessings and gave him the land as his inheritance; he divided it into portions, and shared it out among thetwelve tribes.