Jul 27 - Sirach 38-39
Sirach
1Honor the physician because of necessity, and because the Most High created him2For all healing is from God, and so he will receive gifts from the King3The expertise of the physician will lift up his head, and in the sight of great men, he will be praised4The Most High has created medicines from the earth, and a prudent man will not abhor them5Was not bitter water made sweet with wood6The benefits of these things is recognized by men, and the Most High has given this knowledge to men, so that he may be honored in his wonders7By these things, he will cure or mitigate their suffering, and the pharmacist will make soothing ointments, and he will form healing medicines, and there will be no end to his works8For the peace of God is upon the surface of the earth9Son, in your infirmity, you should not neglect yourself, but pray to the Lord, and he will cure you10Turn away from sin, and direct your hands, and cleanse your heart from every offense11Give a sweet offering, and a memorial of fine flour, and fatten your oblation, but also give a place to the physician12For the Lord created him. And so, do not let him depart from you, for his works are necessary13For there is a time when you may fall into their hands14Truly, they will beseech the Lord, so that he may direct their treatments and cures, for the sake of their way of life15He who sins in the sight of the One who made him will fall into the hands of the physician16Son, shed tears over the dead, and begin to weep, as if you had suffered dreadfully. And according to judgment, cover his body, and you should not neglect his burial17And though you will sink down into bitterness, bear his mourning for one day, and then be consoled in your sadness18And carry out his mourning, according to his merit, for one or two days because of this loss19Yet sadness hastens death and overwhelms strength, and the sorrow of the heart bows down the neck20When one is taken away, sorrow remains. But the resources of a destitute man is found in his heart21You should not give your heart over to sadness, but push it away from you. And remember the very end22Do not be willing to forget this; for there is no turning back. Otherwise, it will not benefit you, and you will cause great harm to yourself23Call to mind my judgment. For so shall it be for you also. Yesterday is mine, and today is yours24When the deceased is at rest, let his memory rest also. And console him at the departure of his spirit25The wisdom of a scribe is found in his time of leisure. So whoever has less to do will gain wisdom26With what wisdom will someone be filled who holds the plow, and who boasts of the cattle prod that drives the oxen forward, and who is occupied in these labors, and whose only conversation is about the offspring of bulls27He will give his mind over to the plowing of furrows, and his vigilance to the fattening of the cows28Similarly, every craftsman and artisan, who crafts in the night as well as in the day, who sculpts graven seals, and who, by his diligence, varies the image, will give his mind over to the likeness of the image. And he will complete the work by his vigilance29The blacksmith, sitting by his anvil and considering a work of iron, is similar. The steam from the fire singes his flesh, and he struggles against the heat of the furnace30The voice of the hammer is ever in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the ironwork31He gives his heart to the completion of his work, and his vigilance adorns it to perfection32The potter, sitting at his work and turning the wheel with his feet, is similar. He has settled into a continual concern for his work, and there is a rhythm in all that he does33He forms the clay with his arm, and he bends his strength over his feet34He will give his heart over to the completion of the glazing, and his vigilance to the cleansing of the furnace35All these persons trust in their own hands, and each one is wise in his own art36Without these persons, a city is not built37But they will neither inhabit nor walk around in the city. And they will not go across to the church38They will not sit upon the seats of judges, and they will not understand a decree of judgment. And they will not make clear discipline and judgment, and they will not be found to understand parables39But they will strengthen the state of the world, and their prayer will be in their artistic works, applying their soul, and searching the law of the Most High
1A wise man will seek the wisdom of all the ancients, and he will be occupied in the prophets2He will preserve the words of renowned men, and he will enter with them into the subtleties of parables3He will search for the hidden meanings of proverbs, and he will become familiar with the mysteries of parables4He will minister in the midst of great men, and he will appear in the sight of the foremost leader5He will pass through the land of foreign nations. For he will test good and evil among men6At first light, he will offer his heart with watchfulness to the Lord who made him, and he will pray in the sight of the Most High7He will open his mouth in prayer, and he will make supplication for his offenses8For if the great Lord is willing, he will fill him with the Spirit of understanding9And he will send forth the eloquence of his wisdom like rain showers, and in his prayer, he will confess to the Lord10And he will direct his counsel and his discipline, and he will meditate on his mysteries11He will make the discipline of his doctrine clear, and he will glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord12Many persons will together praise his wisdom, and it will never be abolished, for all ages13The memory of him will not fade away, and his name will be sought from generation to generation14The peoples will declare his wisdom, and the Church will announce his praise15While he remains, he leaves behind a name greater than a thousand, and when he will rest, it will be to his benefit16I will meditate further, so that I may explain. For I have been filled with a passion17In a voice, he says: Listen to me, divine fruits. You shall bear fruit, like roses planted beside streams of waters18You shall have a sweet fragrance, like the cedars of Lebanon19Blossom with flowers, like the lily, and diffuse a fragrance, and sprout leaves in grace, and give praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in his works20Give magnificence to his name, and confess to him with the voice of your lips and with the canticles of your mouth and with stringed instruments. And in so praising him, you will confess21All the works of the Lord are very good22At his word, the waters stood still, as if piled together. And at the words of his mouth, the waters were contained, as if in basins of water23For it is made pleasing by his precept, and there is no decrease in his salvation24The works of all flesh are in his sight, and there is nothing hidden from his eyes25His gaze is from eternity to eternity, and nothing is a wonder in his sight26Let it not be said: "What is this?" or, "What is that?" For all things will be sought in their time27His blessing has overflowed like a river28In the same way that a flood inundates the dry land, so also will his wrath inherit the peoples that have not sought him29In the same way that he turned the waters into dry land, and made the earth dry, and just as his ways have been directed for their journey, so also will sinners stumble before his wrath30From the beginning, good things were created for those who are good, and similarly, good and evil things are for those who are wicked31The principal things necessary for the life of men are: water, fire, and iron, salt, milk, and flour for bread, and honey, and the grape cluster, and oil, and clothing32All these things will be used for good by those who are holy, but they will be turned to evil use by the impious and by sinners33There are spirits that have been created for vengeance, and they strengthen their torments by their fury34In the time of the consummation, they will pour forth their strength. And they will appease the fury of the One who made them35Fire, hail, famine, and death: all these were created for vengeance36The teeth of wild beasts, and scorpions, and serpents, and the spear: all these take vengeance upon the impious, unto utter destruction37At his command, they will feast. And they will be prepared upon the earth until they are needed. And in their time, they will not ignore his word38For this reason, from the beginning, I was strengthened, and I have meditated, and I have considered, and I have put these things in writing39All the works of the Lord are good, and he will provide for each work in its own hour40Let it not be said: "This is worse than that." For all things will be tested in their time41And now, with the whole heart and mouth, give praise to him, and bless the name of the Lord