Sirach Chapter 48

The praise of Elias, of Eliseus, of Hezekiah, and of Isaiah.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 And Elias the prophet stood up, as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch.
2 He brought a famine upon them, and they that provoked him in their envy, were reduced to a small number, for they could not endure the commandments of the Lord.
3 By the word of the Lord he shut up the heaven, and he brought down fire from heaven thrice.
4 Thus was Elias magnified in his wondrous works. And who can glory like to thee?
5 Who raisedst up a dead man from below, from the lot of death, by the word of the Lord God.
6 Who broughtest down kings to destruction, and brokest easily their power in pieces, and the glorious from their bed.
7 Who heardest judgment in Sina, and in Horeb the judgments of vengeance.
8 Who anointedst kings to penance, and madest prophets successors after thee.
9 Who wast taken up in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot of fiery horses.
10 Who art registered in the judgments of times to appease the wrath of the Lord, to reconcile the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11 Blessed are they that saw thee, and were honoured with thy friendship.
12 For we live only in our life, but after death our name shall not be such.

13 Elias was indeed covered with the whirlwind, and his spirit was filled up in Eliseus: in his days he feared not the prince, and no man was more powerful than he.
14 No word could overcome him, and after death his body prophesied.
15 In his life he did great wonders, and in death he wrought miracles.

16 For all this the people repented not, neither did they depart from their sins till they were cast out of their land, and were scattered through all the earth.
17 And there was left but a small people, and a prince in the house of David.
18 Some of these did that which pleased God: but others committed many sins.
19 Ezechias fortified his city, and brought in water into the midst thereof, and he digged a rock with iron, and made a well for water.
20 In his days Sennacherib came up, and sent Rabsaces, and lifted up his hand against them, and he stretched out his hand against Sion, and became proud through his power.
21 Then their hearts and hands trembled, and they were in pain as women in travail.
22 And they called upon the Lord who is merciful, and spreading their hands, they lifted them up to heaven: and the holy Lord God quickly heard their voice.
23 He was not mindful of their sins, neither did he deliver them up to their enemies, but he purified them by the hand of Isaiah, the holy prophet.
24 He overthrew the army of the Assyrians, and the angel of the Lord destroyed them.
25 For Ezechias did that which pleased God, and walked valiantly in the way of David his father, which Isaiah, the great prophet, and faithful in the sight of God, had commanded him.
26 In his days the sun went backward, and he lengthened the king's life.
27 With a great spirit he saw the things that are to come to pass at last, and comforted the mourners in Sion.
28 He showed what should come to pass for ever, and secret things before they came.

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 Et surrexit Elias propheta quasi ignis,
et verbum ipsius quasi facula ardebat.
2 Qui induxit in illos famem:
et irritantes illum invidia sua pauci facti sunt:
non enim poterant sustinere præcepta Domini.
3 Verbo Domini continuit cælum,
et dejecit de cælo ignem ter.
4 Sic amplificatus est Elias in mirabilibus suis.
Et quis potest similiter sic gloriari tibi?
5 qui sustulisti mortuum ab inferis de sorte mortis,
in verbo Domini Dei:
6 qui dejecisti reges ad pernicem,
et confregisti facile potentiam ipsorum,
et gloriosos de lecto suo:
7 qui audis in Sina judicium,
et in Horeb judicia defensionis:
8 qui ungis reges ad pœnitentiam,
et prophetas facis successores post te:
9 qui receptus es in turbine ignis,
in curru equorum igneorum:
10 qui scriptus es in judiciis temporum,
lenire iracundiam Domini,
conciliare cor patris ad filium,
et restituere tribus Jacob.
11 Beati sunt qui te viderunt,
et in amicitia tua decorati sunt.
12 Nam nos vita vivimus tantum:
post mortem autem non erit tale nomen nostrum.

13 Elias quidem in turbine tectus est,
et in Eliseo completus est spiritus ejus:
in diebus suis non pertimuit principem,
et potentia nemo vicit illum:
14 nec superavit illum verbum aliquod,
et mortuum prophetavit corpus ejus.
15 In vita sua fecit monstra,
et in morte mirabilia operatus est.

16 In omnibus istis non pœnituit populus,
et non recesserunt a peccatis suis,
usque dum ejecti sunt de terra sua,
et dispersi sunt in omnem terram:
17 et relicta est gens perpauca,
et princeps in domo David.
18 Quidam ipsorum fecerunt quod placeret Deo:
alii autem multa commiserunt peccata.
19 Ezechias munivit civitatem suam,
et induxit in medium ipsius aquam:
et fodit ferro rupem,
et ædificavit ad aquam puteum.
20 In diebus ipsius ascendit Sennacherib,
et misit Rabsacen, et sustulit manum suam contra illos:
et extulit manum suam in Sion,
et superbus factus est potentia sua.
21 Tunc mota sunt corda et manus ipsorum:
et doluerunt quasi parturientes mulieres.
22 Et invocaverunt Dominum misericordem,
et expandentes manus suas extulerunt ad cælum:
et Sanctus, Dominus Deus, audivit cito vocem ipsorum.
23 Non est commemoratus peccatorum illorum,
neque dedit illos inimicis suis:
sed purgavit eos in manu Isaiæ sancti prophetæ.
24 Dejecit castra Assyriorum,
et contrivit illos angelus Domini:
25 nam fecit Ezechias quod placuit Deo,
et fortiter ivit in via David patris sui,
quam mandavit illi Isaias, propheta magnus,
et fidelis in conspectu Dei.
26 In diebus ipsius retro rediit sol,
et addidit regi vitam.
27 Spiritu magno vidit ultima,
et consolatus est lugentes in Sion
usque in sempiternum.
28 Ostendit futura,
et abscondita antequam evenirent.

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