Sirach Chapter 39

The exercises of the wise man. The Lord is to be glorified for his works.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 The wise man will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients, and will be occupied in the prophets.
2 He will keep the sayings of renowned men, and will enter withal into the subtilties of parables.
3 He will search out the hidden meanings of proverbs, and will be conversant in the secrets of parables.
4 He shall serve among great men, and appear before the governor.
5 He shall pass into strange countries: for he shall try good and evil among men.
6 He will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him, and he will pray in the sight of the most High.
7 He will open his mouth in prayer, and will make supplication for his sins.
8 For if it shall please the great Lord, he will fill him with the spirit of understanding:
9 And he will pour forth the words of his wisdom as showers, and in his prayer he will confess to the Lord.
10 And he shall direct his counsel, and his knowledge, and in his secrets shall he meditate.
11 He shall show forth the discipline he hath learned, and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord.
12 Many shall praise his wisdom, and it shall never be forgotten.
13 The memory of him shall not depart away, and his name shall be in request from generation to generation.
14 Nations shall declare his wisdom, and the church shall show forth his praise.
15 If he continue, he shall leave a name above a thousand: and if he rest, it shall be to his advantage.

16 I will yet meditate that I may declare: for I am filled as with a holy transport.
17 By a voice he saith: Hear me, ye divine offspring, and bud forth as the rose planted by the brooks of waters. Ye divine offspring... He speaks to the children of Israel, the people of God: whom he exhorts to bud forth and flourish with virtue.
18 Give ye a sweet odour as frankincense.
19 Send forth flowers, as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in his works.
20 Magnify his name, and give glory to him with the voice of your lips, and with the canticles of your mouths, and with harps, and in praising him, you shall say in this manner:
21 All the works of the Lord are exceeding good.
22 At his word the waters stood as a heap: and at the words of his mouth the receptacles of waters:
23 For at his commandment favour is shown, and there is no diminishing of his salvation.
24 The works of all flesh are before him, and there is nothing hid from his eyes.
25 He seeth from eternity to eternity, and there is nothing wonderful before him.
26 There is no saying: What is this, or what is that? for all things shall be sought in their time.
27 His blessing hath overflowed like a river.
28 And as a flood hath watered the earth; so shall his wrath inherit the nations, that have not sought after him.
29 Even as he turned the waters into a dry land, and the earth was made dry: and his ways were made plain for their journey: so to sinners they are stumbling blocks in his wrath.
30 Good things were created for the good from the beginning, so for the wicked, good and evil things.
31 The principal things necessary for the life of men, are water, fire, and iron, salt, milk, and bread of flour, and honey, and the cluster of the grape, and oil, and clothing.
32 All these things shall be for good to the holy, so to the sinners and the ungodly they shall be turned into evil.
33 There are spirits that are created for vengeance, and in their fury they lay on grievous torments.
34 In the time of destruction they shall pour out their force: and they shall appease the wrath of him that made them.
35 Fire, hail, famine, and death, all these were created for vengeance.
36 The teeth of beasts, and scorpions, and serpents, and the sword taking vengeance upon the ungodly unto destruction.
37 In his commandments they shall feast, and they shall be ready upon earth when need is, and when their time is come they shall not transgress his word.
38 Therefore from the beginning I was resolved, and I have meditated, and thought on these things and left them in writing,
39 All the works of the Lord are good, and he will furnish every work in due time.
40 It is not to be said: This is worse than that: for all shall be well approved in their time.
41 Now therefore with the whole heart and mouth praise ye him, and bless the name of the Lord.

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 Sapientiam omnium antiquorum exquiret sapiens,
et in prophetis vacabit.
2 Narrationem virorum nominatorum conservabit,
et in versutias parabolarum simul introibit.
3 Occulta proverbiorum exquiret,
et in absconditis parabolarum conversabitur.
4 In medio magnatorum ministrabit,
et in conspectu præsidis apparebit.
5 In terram alienigenarum gentium pertransiet:
bona enim et mala in hominibus tentabit.
6 Cor suum tradet ad vigilandum diluculo ad Dominum, qui fecit illum,
et in conspectu Altissimi deprecabitur.
7 Aperiet os suum in oratione,
et pro delictis suis deprecabitur.
8 Si enim Dominus magnus voluerit,
spiritu intelligentiæ replebit illum:
9 et ipse tamquam imbres mittet eloquia sapientiæ suæ,
et in oratione confitebitur Domino:
10 et ipse diriget consilium ejus, et disciplinam,
et in absconditis suis consiliabitur.
11 Ipse palam faciet disciplinam doctrinæ suæ,
et in lege testamenti Domini gloriabitur.
12 Collaudabunt multi sapientiam ejus,
et usque in sæculum non delebitur.
13 Non recedet memoria ejus,
et nomen ejus requiretur a generatione in generationem.
14 Sapientiam ejus enarrabunt gentes,
et laudem ejus enuntiabit ecclesia.
15 Si permanserit, nomen derelinquet plus quam mille:
et si requieverit, proderit illi.

16 Adhuc consiliabor ut enarrem:
ut furore enim repletus sum.
17 In voce dicit: Obaudite me, divini fructus,
et quasi rosa plantata super rivos aquarum fructificate.
18 Quasi Libanus odorem suavitatis habete.
19 Florete flores quasi lilium:
et date odorem, et frondete in gratiam:
et collaudate canticum, et benedicite Dominum in operibus suis.
20 Date nomini ejus magnificentiam,
et confitemini illi in voce labiorum vestrorum,
et in canticis labiorum, et citharis:
et sic dicetis in confessione:
21 Opera Domini universa bona valde.
22 In verbo ejus stetit aqua sicut congeries:
et in sermone oris illius sicut exceptoria aquarum:
23 quoniam in præcepto ipsius placor fit,
et non est minoratio in salute ipsius.
24 Opera omnis carnis coram illo,
et non est quidquam absconditum ab oculis ejus.
25 A sæculo usque in sæculum respicit,
et nihil est mirabile in conspectu ejus.
26 Non est dicere: Quid est hoc, aut quid est istud?
omnia enim in tempore suo quærentur.
27 Benedictio illius quasi fluvius inundavit.
28 Quomodo cataclysmus aridam inebriavit,
sic ira ipsius gentes quæ non exquisierunt eum hæreditabit.
29 Quomodo convertit aquas in siccitatem, et siccata est terra,
et viæ illius viis illorum directæ sunt,
sic peccatoribus offensiones in ira ejus.
30 Bona bonis creata sunt ab initio:
sic nequissimis bona et mala.
31 Initium necessariæ rei vitæ hominum, aqua, ignis, et ferrum,
sal, lac, et panis similagineus, et mel,
et botrus uvæ, et oleum, et vestimentum.
32 Hæc omnia sanctis in bona,
sic et impiis et peccatoribus in mala convertentur.
33 Sunt spiritus qui ad vindictam creati sunt,
et in furore suo confirmaverunt tormenta sua.
34 In tempore consummationis effundent virtutem,
et furorem ejus qui fecit illos placabunt.
35 Ignis, grando, fames, et mors,
omnia hæc ad vindictam creata sunt:
36 bestiarum dentes, et scorpii, et serpentes,
et rhomphæa vindicans in exterminium impios.
37 In mandatis ejus epulabuntur:
et super terram in necessitatem præparabuntur,
et in temporibus suis non præterient verbum.
38 Propterea ab initio confirmatus sum, et consiliatus sum,
et cogitavi, et scripta dimisi.
39 Omnia opera Domini bona,
et omne opus hora sua subministrabit.
40 Non est dicere: Hoc illo nequius est:
omnia enim in tempore suo comprobabuntur.
41 Et nunc in omni corde et ore collaudate,
et benedicite nomen Domini.

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