Ben Sira 15:9-11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
9 [a]Praise is unseemly on the lips of sinners,
for it has not been allotted to them by God.
10 But praise is uttered by the mouth of the wise,
and its rightful owner teaches it.
Free Will[b]
11 Do not say: “It was God’s doing that I fell away,”
for what he hates he does not do.
Footnotes
- 15:9–10 There is an intimate association between wisdom and praise of the Lord.
- 15:11–20 Here Ben Sira links freedom of the will with human responsibility. God, who sees everything, is neither the cause nor the occasion of sin. We have the power to choose our behavior and we are responsible for both the good and the evil we do (vv. 15–17).
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.