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Ben Sira 16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Ben Sira 16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 16
God’s Punishment of Sinners[a]
1 Do not yearn for worthless children,
or rejoice in wicked offspring.
2 Even if they be many, do not rejoice in them
if they do not have fear of the Lord.
3 Do not count on long life for them,(A)
or have any hope for their future.
For one can be better than a thousand;
rather die childless than have impious children!
4 Through one wise person a city can be peopled;
but through a clan of rebels it becomes desolate.
5 Many such things my eye has seen,
and even more than these my ear has heard.
6 Against a sinful band fire is kindled,(B)
upon a godless people wrath blazes.[b]
7 He did not forgive the princes of old[c]
who rebelled long ago in their might.(C)
8 He did not spare the neighbors of Lot,[d](D)
abominable in their pride.
9 He did not spare the doomed people,[e]
dispossessed because of their sin;
10 Nor the six hundred thousand foot soldiers,[f](E)
sent to their graves for the arrogance of their hearts.
11 Had there been but one stiff-necked[g] person,
it would be a wonder had he gone unpunished.
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
he remits and forgives, but also pours out wrath.
12 Great as his mercy is his punishment;
he judges people, each according to their deeds.
13 Criminals do not escape with their plunder;
the hope of the righteous, God never leaves unfulfilled.
14 Whoever does good has a reward;
each receives according to their deeds.[h]
17 Do not say: “I am hidden from God;
and on high who remembers me?
Among so many people I am unknown;
what am I in the world of spirits?
18 Look, the heavens and the highest heavens,
the abyss and the earth tremble at his visitation.
19 The roots of the mountains and the earth’s foundations—
at his mere glance they quiver and quake.
20 Of me, therefore, he will take no notice;
with my ways who will be concerned?
21 If I sin, no eye will see me;
if all in secret I act deceitfully, who is to know?(F)
22 Who tells him about just deeds?
What can I expect for doing my duty?”
23 Such the thoughts of the senseless;
only the foolish entertain them.
Divine Wisdom Seen in Creation[i]
24 Listen to me, my son, and take my advice,
and apply your mind to my words,
25 While I pour out my spirit by measure
and impart knowledge with care.
26 When at the first God created his works
and, as he made them, assigned their tasks,(G)
27 He arranged for all time what they were to do,
their domains from generation to generation.
They were not to go hungry or grow weary,
or ever cease from their tasks.
28 Never does a single one crowd its neighbor,
or do any ever disobey his word.
29 Then the Lord looked upon the earth,
and filled it with his blessings.(H)
30 Its surface he covered with every kind of living creature
which must return into it again.
Footnotes
- 16:1–23 One child who does God’s will is a greater blessing than many sinful offspring (vv. 1–4), for history and experience show that God punishes sin (vv. 5–10). God judges everyone according to their deeds (vv. 11–14); no one can hide from God or escape retribution at his hand (vv. 17–23).
- 16:6 For Korah and his band (v. 6a), see 45:18–19; Nm 16:1–35; Ps 106:18; for the disgruntled Israelites (v. 6b), Ps 78:21–22.
- 16:7 The princes of old: e.g., the mighty destroyed in the flood (Gn 6:1–4; Wis 14:6; Bar 3:26–28), as well as the king of Babylon (Is 14:4–21) and Nebuchadnezzar (Dn 4:7–30).
- 16:8 Neighbors of Lot: the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, condemned elsewhere for their sexual violence (Gn 19:24–25) and failure at hospitality (Ez 16:49–50).
- 16:9 Doomed people: the Canaanite tribes whose aberrant religious practices, at least in Israelite opinion, caused their downfall: Ex 23:23–24, 27–33; 33:2; 34:11–16; Dt 7:1–2; Wis 12:3–7.
- 16:10 Six hundred thousand foot soldiers: the number given for those rescued by Moses, who murmured against the Lord in the wilderness and died there: 46:1, 7–8; Nm 11:20; 14:1–12, 22–24, 29, 36–38; 26:65; Dt 1:35–38.
- 16:11 Stiff-necked: sinful Israelites; cf. Ex 32:9; 33:3, 5. Not even one Israelite would have gone unpunished for insolence or pride.
- 16:14
Other ancient texts read as vv. 15–16:
15The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that he did not recognize him
whose acts were manifest under the heavens;
16His mercy was seen by all his creatures,
and his light and his darkness he apportioned to humankind.
- 16:24–17:23 In harmony with Gn 1–2, the author describes God’s wisdom in creating the universe and everything in it (vv. 24–30), endowing human beings with a moral nature, with wisdom, knowledge, and freedom of will (cf. 15:14) according to his own image (17:1–3, 7). Now they can govern the earth (vv. 3–4), praise God’s name (vv. 9–10), obey his law (vv. 11–14), and render to him an account of their deeds (v. 23). Cf. Ps 19; 104.
Sirach 16
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Sirach 16
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
God’s Punishment of Sinners
16 Do not desire a multitude of useless children,
nor rejoice in ungodly sons.
2 If they multiply, do not rejoice in them,
unless the fear of the Lord is in them.
3 Do not trust in their survival,
and do not rely on their multitude;
for one is better than a thousand,[a]
and to die childless is better than to have ungodly children.
4 For through one man of understanding a city will be filled with people,
but through a tribe of lawless men it will be made desolate.
5 Many such things my eye has seen,
and my ear has heard things more striking than these.
6 In an assembly of sinners a fire will be kindled,
and in a disobedient nation wrath was kindled.
7 He was not propitiated for the ancient giants
who revolted in their might.
8 He did not spare the neighbors of Lot,
whom he loathed on account of their insolence.
9 He showed no pity for a nation devoted to destruction,
for those destroyed in their sins;
10 nor for the six hundred thousand men on foot,
who rebelliously assembled in their stubbornness.
11 Even if there is only one stiff-necked person,
it will be a wonder if he remains unpunished.
For mercy and wrath are with the Lord;[b]
he is mighty to forgive, and he pours out wrath.
12 As great as his mercy, so great is also his reproof;
he judges a man according to his deeds.
13 The sinner will not escape with his plunder,
and the patience of the godly will not be frustrated.
14 He will make room for every act of mercy;
every one will receive in accordance with his deeds.[c]
17 Do not say, “I shall be hidden from the Lord,
and who from on high will remember me?
Among so many people I shall not be known,
for what is my soul in the boundless creation?
18 Behold, heaven and the highest heaven,
the abyss and the earth, will tremble at his visitation.
19 The mountains also and the foundations of the earth
shake with trembling when he looks upon them.
20 And no mind will reflect on this.
Who will ponder his ways?
21 Like a tempest which no man can see,
so most of his works are concealed.
22 Who will announce his acts of justice?
Or who will await them? For the covenant is far off.”
23 This is what one devoid of understanding thinks;
a senseless and misguided man thinks foolishly.
God’s Wisdom Seen in Creation
24 Listen to me, my son, and acquire knowledge,
and pay close attention to my words.
25 I will impart instruction by weight,
and declare knowledge accurately.
26 The works of the Lord have existed from the beginning by his creation,[d]
and when he made them, he determined their divisions.
27 He arranged his works in an eternal order,
and their dominion[e] for all[f] generations;
they neither hunger nor grow weary,
and they do not cease from their labors.
28 They do not crowd one another aside,
and they will never disobey his word.
29 After this the Lord looked upon the earth,
and filled it with his good things;
30 with all kinds of living beings he covered its surface,
and to it they return.
Footnotes
- Sirach 16:3 The text of this line is uncertain
- Sirach 16:11 Gk him
- Sirach 16:14 Other authorities add 15 The Lord hardened Pharaoh up so that he did not know him; in order that his works might be known under heaven. 16 His mercy is manifest to the whole of creation, and he divided his light and darkness with a plumb line.
- Sirach 16:26 Heb: Gk judgment
- Sirach 16:27 Or elements
- Sirach 16:27 Gk their
Sirach 16
Good News Translation
Sirach 16
Good News Translation
God's Punishment of Sinners
16 A large family is nothing to be desired if the children are worthless. Godless children are nothing to be proud of. 2 No matter how many children you have, don't look on them with pride unless they fear the Lord. 3 Don't put much hope in their future or expect them to live a long time. One child who does the Lord's will is better than a thousand who do not.[a] It is better to go to your grave with no children at all than to have children who are godless.
4 A city's population may grow because of the wisdom of one person, while a whole tribe of lawless people disappears. 5 I have seen such things many times and have heard of even more striking examples. 6 The Lord's flaming anger will break out against a small gathering of sinners or a disobedient nation. 7 (A)He did not forgive those ancient giants who rebelled against him, confident of their own strength. 8 He detested the arrogance of the people among whom Lot lived, and he did not spare them. 9 He showed no mercy on that nation which he doomed to destruction for its sins, 10 nor on those 600,000 people on the march through the wilderness who gathered together in stubborn rebellion. 11 Even if there had been only one stubborn person, it would have been a miracle if he had escaped punishment. The Lord is merciful, but he can also become angry. He can be overwhelming in his forgiveness or in his anger. 12 His punishment is as severe as his mercy is great. He judges people by what they have done. 13 No sinner can escape with what he has stolen. The Lord will reward the patience of devout people. 14 Every righteous person will be rewarded;[b] everyone will get what he deserves.[c]
17 Never say,
I will hide from the Lord. Nobody up there is going to give me a thought. How can I be noticed among so many people? The creation is so enormous, what am I worth? 18 When the Lord comes, everything will tremble: the earth and the great waters beneath it, the sky and the heavens above it. 19 The mountains will shake, and the foundations of the earth will shudder when he looks at them. 20 The Lord isn't going to give me a thought. Nobody cares what I do. 21 If I sin and am secretly disloyal, nobody will know it.[d] 22 If I do what is right, nobody will tell the Lord about it. Who wants to wait for him, anyway? He is too slow in doing what he has said he would.
23 Only someone with very little sense, and foolishly misguided, would think things like that.
God's Wisdom in Creation
24 My child, listen and pay attention to me; you will gain knowledge if you do. 25 I will give you diligent and accurate instruction.
26 In the beginning the Lord did his work of creation,[e]
and gave everything a place of its own.
27 He arranged everything in an eternal order
and decreed that it should be that way forever.
Not one part of creation ever grows hungry;
no part grows tired or stops its work.
28 The parts do not crowd one another,
and they never disobey his word.
29 When the Lord had made all this,
he looked at the earth and filled it with good things.
30 He covered it with all kinds of creatures
that must die and return to the dust.
Footnotes
- Sirach 16:3 Hebrew who does...do not; Greek is better than a thousand.
- Sirach 16:14 Hebrew Every...rewarded; Greek He makes room for every act of mercy.
- Sirach 16:14 Some manuscripts add verses 15-16: The Lord made the king of Egypt so stubborn that he would not acknowledge the Lord, in order that the world might know the Lord's works. 16 He shows his mercy to all creation; he has divided his light from darkness with a plumb line.
- Sirach 16:21 Hebrew 20-21 The Lord...know it; Greek 20 It is altogether too big for the human mind to handle. No one can understand his ways. 21 Most of his works are just as invisible as the storm wind.
- Sirach 16:26 Hebrew In...creation; Greek In the judgment of the Lord his works are from the beginning.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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.
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.