Sirach 51

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 I will thank thee, O Lord and King, and praise thee, O God my Saviour: I do give praise unto thy name:	1 I shal give thanks to you, Lord and King, and praise you, God my Saviour, I give thanks to your name;
2 For thou art my defender and helper, and has preserved my body from destruction, and from the snare of the slanderous tongue, and from the lips that forge lies, and has been mine helper against mine adversaries:	2 for you have been my guard and support and redeemed my body from destruction, from the snare ofthe lying tongue, from lips that fabricate falsehood; in the presence of my assailants, you were on my side; youhave been my support, you have redeemed me,
3 And hast delivered me, according to the multitude of they mercies and greatness of thy name, from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me, and out of the hands of such as sought after my life, and from the manifold afflictions which I had;	3 true to your abounding kindness -- and the greatness of your name -- you liberated me from the fangsof those seeking to devour me, from the clutches of those seeking my life, from the many ordeals which I haveendured,
4 From the choking of fire on every side, and from the midst of the fire which I kindled not;	4 from the stifling heat which hemmed me in, from the heart of a fire which I had not kindled,
5 From the depth of the belly of hell, from an unclean tongue, and from lying words.	5 from deep in the bel y of Sheol,
6 By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue my soul drew near even unto death, my life was near to the hell beneath.	6 treacherous denunciations to the king. My soul has been close to death, my life had gone down to thebrink of Sheol.
7 They compassed me on every side, and there was no man to help me: I looked for the succour of men, but there was none.	7 I was completely surrounded, there was no one to help me; I looked for someone to help me, there wasno one.
8 Then thought I upon thy mercy, O Lord, and upon thy acts of old, how thou deliverest such as wait for thee, and savest them out of the hands of the enemies.	8 Then I remembered your mercy, Lord, and your deeds from earliest times, how you deliver those whowait for you patiently, and save them from the clutches of their enemies.
9 Then lifted I up my supplications from the earth, and prayed for deliverance from death.	9 And I sent up my plea from the earth, I begged to be delivered from death.
10 I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, that he would not leave me in the days of my trouble, and in the time of the proud, when there was no help.	10 I cal ed on the Lord, the father of my Lord, 'Do not desert me in the days of ordeal, in the days of theproud, when we are helpless. I shal praise your name unceasingly and grateful y sing its praises.'
11 I will praise thy name continually, and will sing praises with thanksgiving; and so my prayer was heard:	11 And my plea was heard, for you saved me from destruction, you delivered me from that time of evil.
12 For thou savedst me from destruction, and deliveredst me from the evil time: therefore will I give thanks, and praise thee, and bless they name, O Lord.	12 And therefore I shal thank you and praise you, and bless the name of the Lord.
13 When I was yet young, or ever I went abroad, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer.	13 When I was stil a youth, before I went travelling, in my prayers I asked outright for wisdom.
14 I prayed for her before the temple, and will seek her out even to the end.	14 Outside the sanctuary I would pray for her, and to the last I shall continue to seek her.
15 Even from the flower till the grape was ripe hath my heart delighted in her: my foot went the right way, from my youth up sought I after her.	15 From her blossoming to the ripening of her grape my heart has taken its delight in her. My foot haspursued a straight path, I have sought her ever since my youth.
16 I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, and gat much learning.	16 By bowing my ear a little, I have received her, and have found much instruction.
17 I profited therein, therefore will I ascribe glory unto him that giveth me wisdom.	17 Thanks to her I have advanced; glory be to him who has given me wisdom!
18 For I purposed to do after her, and earnestly I followed that which is good; so shall I not be confounded.	18 For I was determined to put her into practice, have earnestly pursued the good, and shal not be put toshame.
19 My soul hath wrestled with her, and in my doings I was exact: I stretched forth my hands to the heaven above, and bewailed my ignorances of her.	19 My soul has fought to possess her, I have been scrupulous in keeping the Law; I have stretched outmy hands to heaven and bewailed how little I knew of her;
20 I directed my soul unto her, and I found her in pureness: I have had my heart joined with her from the beginning, therefore shall I not be foresaken.	20 I have directed my soul towards her, and in purity I have found her; having my heart fixed on her fromthe outset, I shall never be deserted;
21 My heart was troubled in seeking her: therefore have I gotten a good possession.	21 my very core having yearned to discover her, I have now acquired a good possession.
22 The Lord hath given me a tongue for my reward, and I will praise him therewith.	22 In reward the Lord has given me a tongue with which I shal sing his praises.
23 Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of learning.	23 Come close to me, you ignorant, take your place in my school.
24 Wherefore are ye slow, and what say ye to these things, seeing your souls are very thirsty?	24 Why complain about lacking these things when your souls are so thirsty for them?
25 I opened my mouth, and said, Buy her for yourselves without money.	25 I have opened my mouth, I have said: 'Buy her without money,
26 Put your neck under the yoke, and let your soul receive instruction: she is hard at hand to find.	26 put your necks under her yoke, let your souls receive instruction, she is near, within your reach.'
27 Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labour, and have gotten unto me much rest.	27 See for yourselves: how slight my efforts have been to win so much peace.
28 Get learning with a great sum of money, and get much gold by her.	28 Buy instruction with a large sum of silver, thanks to her you wil gain much gold.
29 Let your soul rejoice in his mercy, and be not ashamed of his praise.	29 May your souls rejoice in the mercy of the Lord, may you never be ashamed of praising him.
30 Work your work betimes, and in his time he will give you your reward.	30 Do your work before the appointed time and at the appointed time he wil give you your reward.(Subscript:) Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sira.