Ben Sira 1:11-30
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Fear of the Lord Is Wisdom[a]
11 The fear of the Lord[b] is glory and exultation,
gladness and a festive crown.
12 The fear of the Lord rejoices the heart,
giving gladness, joy, and long life.[c]
13 Those who fear the Lord will be happy at the end,
even on the day of death they will be blessed.
14 The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord;
she is created with the faithful in the womb.(A)
15 With the godly she was created from of old,
and with their descendants she will keep faith.
16 The fullness of wisdom is to fear the Lord;
she inebriates them with her fruits.(B)
17 Their entire house she fills with choice foods,
their granaries with her produce.
18 The crown of wisdom is the fear of the Lord,
flowering with peace and perfect health.[d]
19 Knowledge and full understanding she rains down;
she heightens the glory of those who possess her.
20 The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord;
her branches are long life.
21 The fear of the Lord drives away sins;
where it abides it turns back all anger.
22 Unjust anger can never be justified;
anger pulls a person to utter ruin.
23 [e]Until the right time, the patient remain calm,
then cheerfulness comes back to them.
24 Until the right time they hold back their words;
then the lips of many will tell of their good sense.
25 Among wisdom’s treasures is the model for knowledge;
but godliness is an abomination to the sinner.
26 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments,
and the Lord will bestow her upon you;
27 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and discipline;
faithfulness and humility are his delight.
28 Do not disobey the fear of the Lord,[f]
do not approach it with duplicity of heart.(C)
29 Do not be a hypocrite before others;
over your lips keep watch.
30 Do not exalt yourself lest you fall
and bring dishonor upon yourself;
For then the Lord will reveal your secrets
and cast you down in the midst of the assembly.
Because you did not approach the fear of the Lord,
and your heart was full of deceit.
Footnotes
- 1:11–30 This is one of several poems of 22 bicola, or poetic lines, corresponding to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Ben Sira uses the expression “fear of the Lord” twelve times and the noun “wisdom” seven times to emphasize the connection between the two ideas. He describes the blessings that come to those who fear the Lord, i.e., those who practice true religion by loving and serving God and keeping the Law (2:7–10, 15–17; 4:11–16; see Dt 6:1–5, 24). Such blessings recur throughout the book.
- 1:11 Fear of the Lord: Ben Sira identifies wisdom with the fear of the Lord (vv. 26–27).
- 1:12
Other ancient texts read as v. 12cd:
Fear of the Lord is the Lord’s gift;
also for love he makes firm paths.
- 1:18
Other ancient texts read as v. 18cd:
Both are gifts of God toward peace;
splendor opens out for those who love him.
- 1:23–24 Ben Sira pays close attention to kaīros, the right time, occurring some sixty times in his book.
- 1:28–30 Attempting to serve the Lord with duplicity of heart is hypocrisy and self-exaltation, deserving of public disgrace.
Proverbs 3:1-2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 3
Confidence in God Leads to Prosperity[a]
1 My son, do not forget[b] my teaching,
take to heart my commands;
2 For many days, and years of life,(A)
and peace, will they bring you.
Footnotes
- 3:1–12 The instruction consists of a series of six four-line exhortations in which the second line of each exhortation mentions a reward or benefit. In the first five exhortations, the teacher promises a reward: long life, a good name, divine protection, health, abundant crops. The last exhortation, vv. 11–12, departs from the command-reward scheme, implying that being a disciple of the Lord does not guarantee unalloyed bliss: one must allow God freedom to “reprove” or educate. The process of education is like that described in chap. 2: the father first invites his son (or disciple) to memorize his teaching (v. 1), then to enter upon a relationship of trust with him (v. 3), and finally to place his trust in God, who takes up the parental task of education (v. 5). Education begun by the parent is brought to full completion by God.
- 3:1 Do not forget: this word and several others in the section such as “teaching,” “commands,” “years of life,” and the custom of affixing written teaching to one’s body, occur also in Deuteronomy. This vocabulary suggests that Proverbs and Deuteronomy had a common origin in the scribal class of Jerusalem. This section (and vv. 21–34) subtly elaborates Dt 6:5–9, “You shall love the Lord with all your heart (v. 5)…Take to heart these words (v. 1)…Recite them when you are at home and when you are away (v. 23)…when you lie down (v. 24)…Bind them (v. 3) on your arm as a sign and let them be a pendant on your forehead” (v. 21).
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.