Sirach Chapter 1

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 All wisdom is from the Lord God, and hath been always with him, and is before all time.
2 Who hath numbered the sand of the sea, and the drops of rain, and the days of the world? Who hath measured the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the depth of the abyss?
3 Who hath searched out the wisdom of God that goeth before all things?
4 Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting.
5 The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom, and her ways are everlasting commandments.
6 To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed, and who hath known her wise counsels?
7 To whom hath the discipline of wisdom been revealed and made manifest? and who hath understood the multiplicity of her steps?
8 There is one most high Creator Almighty, and a powerful king, and greatly to be feared, who sitteth upon his throne, and is the God of dominion.
9 He created her in the Holy Ghost, and saw her, and numbered her, and measured her.
10 And he poured her out upon all his works, and upon all flesh according to his gift, and hath given her to them that love him.

11 The fear of the Lord is honour, and glory, and gladness, and a crown of joy.
12 The fear of the Lord shall delight the heart, and shall give joy, and gladness, and length of days.
13 With him that feareth the Lord, it shall go well in the latter end, and in the day of his death he shall be blessed.
14 The love of God is honourable wisdom.
15 And they to whom she shall show herself love her by the sight, and by the knowledge of her great works.
16 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and was created with the faithful in the womb, it walketh with chosen women, and is known with the just and faithful.
17 The fear of the Lord is the religiousness of knowledge.
18 Religiousness shall keep and justify the heart, it shall give joy and gladness.
19 It shall go well with him that feareth the Lord, and in the days of his end he shall be blessed.
20 To fear God is the fulness of wisdom, and fulness is from the fruits thereof.
21 She shall fill all her house with her increase, and the storehouses with her treasures.
22 The fear of the Lord is a crown of wisdom, filling up peace and the fruit of salvation:
23 And it hath seen, and numbered her: but both are the gifts of God.
24 Wisdom shall distribute knowledge, and understanding of prudence: and exalteth the glory of them that hold her.
25 The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord: and the branches thereof are long-lived.
26 In the treasures of wisdom is understanding, and religiousness of knowledge: but to sinners wisdom is an abomination.
27 The fear of the Lord driveth out sin:
28 For he that is without fear, cannot be justified: for the wrath of his high spirits is his ruin.
29 A patient man shall bear for a time, and afterwards joy shall be restored to him.
30 A good understanding will hide his words for a time, and the lips of many shall declare his wisdom.
31 In the treasures of wisdom is the signification of discipline:
32 But the worship of God is an abomination to a sinner.
33 Son, if thou desire wisdom, keep justice, and God will give her to thee.
34 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and discipline: and that which is agreeable to him,
35 Is faith, and meekness: and he will fill up his treasures.
36 Be not incredulous to the fear of the Lord: and come not to him with a double heart.
37 Be not a hypocrite in the sight of men, and let not thy lips be a stumbling-block to thee.
38 Watch over them, lest thou fall, and bring dishonour upon thy soul,
39 And God discover thy secrets, and cast thee down in the midst of the congregation.
40 Because thou camest to the Lord wickedly, and thy heart is full of guile and deceit.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Prologus. Multorum nobis et magnorum per legem, et prophetas, aliosque qui secuti sunt illos, sapientia demonstrata est, in quibus oportet laudare Israël doctrinæ et sapientiæ causa, quia non solum ipsos loquentes necesse est esse peritos, sed etiam extraneos posse et dicentes et scribentes doctissimos fieri. Avus meus Jesus, postquam se amplius dedit ad diligentiam lectionis legis, et prophetarum, et aliorum librorum qui nobis a parentibus nostris traditi sunt, voluit et ipse scribere aliquid horum quæ ad doctrinam et sapientiam pertinent, ut desiderantes discere, et illorum periti facti, magis magisque attendant animo, et confirmentur ad legitimam vitam. Hortor itaque venire vos cum benevolentia, et attentiori studio lectionem facere, et veniam habere in illis, in quibus videmur, sequentes imaginem sapientiæ, deficere in verborum compositione. Nam deficiunt verba hebraica, quando fuerint translata ad alteram linguam: non autem solum hæc, sed et ipsa lex, et prophetæ, ceteraque aliorum librorum non parvam habent differentiam quando inter se dicuntur. Nam in octavo et trigesimo anno temporibus Ptolemæi Evergetis regis, postquam perveni in Ægyptum, et cum multum temporis ibi fuissem, inveni ibi libros relictos, non parvæ neque contemnendæ doctrinæ. Itaque bonum et necessarium putavi et ipse aliquam addere diligentiam et laborem interpretandi librum istum: et multa vigilia attuli doctrinam in spatio temporis, ad illa quæ ad finem ducunt, librum istum dare, et illis qui volunt animum intendere, et discere quemadmodum oporteat instituere mores, qui secundum legem Domini proposuerint vitam agere.

Omnis sapientia a Domino Deo est:
et cum illo fuit semper, et est ante ævum.
2 Arenam maris, et pluviæ guttas,
et dies sæculi, quis dinumeravit?
altitudinem cæli, et latitudinem terræ,
et profundum abyssi, quis dimensus est?
3 sapientiam Dei præcedentem omnia, quis investigavit?
4 Prior omnium creata est sapientia,
et intellectus prudentiæ ab ævo.
5 Fons sapientiæ verbum Dei in excelsis,
et ingressus illius mandata æterna.
6 Radix sapientiæ cui revelata est?
et astutias illius quis agnovit?
7 disciplina sapientiæ cui revelata est et manifestata?
et multiplicationem ingressus illius quis intellexit?
8 Unus est altissimus, Creator omnipotens,
et rex potens et metuendus nimis,
sedens super thronum illius, et dominans Deus.
9 Ipse creavit illam in Spiritu Sancto,
et vidit, et dinumeravit, et mensus est:
10 et effudit illam super omnia opera sua,
et super omnem carnem, secundum datum suum,
et præbuit illam diligentibus se.

11 Timor Domini gloria, et gloriatio,
et lætitia, et corona exsultationis.
12 Timor Domini delectabit cor,
et dabit lætitiam, et gaudium, et longitudinem dierum.
13 Timenti Dominum bene erit in extremis,
et in die defunctionis suæ benedicetur.
14 Dilectio Dei honorabilis sapientia:
15 quibus autem apparuerit in visu diligunt eam in visione,
et in agnitione magnalium suorum.
16 Initium sapientiæ timor Domini:
et cum fidelibus in vulva concreatus est:
cum electis feminis graditur,
et cum justis et fidelibus agnoscitur.
17 Timor Domini scientiæ religiositas:
18 religiositas custodiet et justificabit cor;
jucunditatem atque gaudium dabit.
19 Timenti Dominum bene erit,
et in diebus consummationis illius benedicetur.
20 Plenitudo sapientiæ est timere Deum,
et plenitudo a fructibus illius.
21 Omnem domum illius implebit a generationibus,
et receptacula a thesauris illius.
22 Corona sapientiæ timor Domini,
replens pacem et salutis fructum:
23 et vidit, et dinumeravit eam:
utraque autem sunt dona Dei.
24 Scientiam et intellectum prudentiæ sapientia compartietur,
et gloriam tenentium se exaltat.
25 Radix sapientiæ est timere Dominum,
et rami illius longævi.
26 In thesauris sapientiæ intellectus et scientiæ religiositas:
execratio autem peccatoribus sapientia.
27 Timor Domini expellit peccatum:
28 nam qui sine timore est non poterit justificari:
iracundia enim animositatis illius subversio illius est.
29 Usque in tempus sustinebit patiens,
et postea redditio jucunditatis.
30 Bonus sensus usque in tempus abscondet verba illius,
et labia multorum enarrabunt sensum illius.
31 In thesauris sapientiæ significatio disciplinæ:
32 execratio autem peccatori cultura Dei.
33 Fili, concupiscens sapientiam, conserva justitiam,
et Deus præbebit illam tibi.
34 Sapientia enim et disciplina timor Domini:
et quod beneplacitum est illi,
35 fides et mansuetudo,
et adimplebit thesauros illius.
36 Ne sis incredibilis timori Domini,
et ne accesseris ad illum duplici corde.
37 Ne fueris hypocrita in conspectu hominum,
et non scandalizeris in labiis tuis.
38 Attende in illis, ne forte cadas,
et adducas animæ tuæ inhonorationem:
39 et revelet Deus absconsa tua,
et in medio synagogæ elidat te:
40 quoniam accessisti maligne ad Dominum,
et cor tuum plenum est dolo et fallacia.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition

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