Ecclesiasticus / Sirach - The Old Testament

¹ After him arose Nathan, to prophesy in the time of David.

² As the fat is set apart from the communion sacrifice, so was David chosen out of the Israelites.

³ He played with lions as though with kids, and with bears as though with lambs.

⁴ While still a boy, did he not slay the giant and take away the people's shame, by hurling a stone from his sling and cutting short the boasting of Goliath?

⁵ For he called on the Lord Most High, who gave strength to his right arm to put a mighty warrior to death and assert the strength of his own people.

⁶ Hence they gave him credit for ten thousand, and praised him while they blessed the Lord, by offering him a crown of glory.

⁷ For he destroyed the enemies on every front, he annihilated his foes, the Philistines, and crushed their strength for ever.

⁸ In all his activities he gave thanks to the Holy One Most High in words of glory; he put all his heart into his songs out of love for his Creator.

⁹ He placed singers before the altar, melodiously to sing;

¹⁰ he gave the feasts their splendour, the festivals their solemn pomp, causing the Lord's holy name to be praised and the sanctuary to resound from dawn.

¹¹ The Lord took away his sins, making his strength ever greater; he gave him a royal covenant, and a glorious throne in Israel.

¹² A wise son succeeded him, who lived content, thanks to him.

¹³ Solomon reigned in a time of peace, and God gave him peace all round so that he could raise a house to his name and prepare an everlasting sanctuary.

¹⁴ How wise you were despite your youth, like a river, brimming over with intelligence!

¹⁵ Your mind ranged the earth, you filled it with mysterious sayings.

¹⁶ Your name reached the distant islands, and you were loved for your peace.

¹⁷ Your songs, your proverbs, your sayings and your answers were the wonder of the world.

¹⁸ In the name of the Lord God, of him who is called the God of Israel, you amassed gold like so much tin, and made silver as common as lead.

¹⁹ You abandoned your body to women, you became the slave of your appetites.

²⁰ You stained your honour, you profaned your stock, so bringing retribution on your children and affliction for your folly:

²¹ the empire split in two, from Ephraim arose a rebel kingdom.

²² But the Lord never goes back on his mercy, never cancels any of his words, will neither deny offspring to his elect nor stamp out the line of the man who loved him. And hence, he has granted a remnant to Jacob and to David a root sprung from him.

²³ Solomon rested with his ancestors, leaving one of his stock as his successor, the stupidest member of the nation, brainless Rehoboam, who drove the people to rebel.

²⁴ Next, Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, and set Ephraim on the way of evil; from then on their sins multiplied so excessively as to drive them out of their country;

²⁵ for they tried out every kind of wickedness, until vengeance overtook them.