Ben Sira 25:6-11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
6 The crown of the elderly, wide experience;
their glory, the fear of the Lord.
7 There are nine who come to mind as blessed,
a tenth whom my tongue proclaims:[a]
The man who finds joy in his children,
and the one who lives to see the downfall of his enemies.
8 Happy the man who lives with a sensible woman,
and the one who does not plow with an ox and a donkey combined.[b]
Happy the one who does not sin with the tongue,
who does not serve an inferior.
9 Happy the one who finds a friend,
who speaks to attentive ears.
10 How great is the one who finds wisdom,
but none is greater than the one who fears the Lord.
11 Fear of the Lord surpasses all else.
To whom can we compare the one who has it?[c]
Footnotes
- 25:7–11 A numerical proverb (9 + 1), in which the tenth element, “the one who fears the Lord,” is the most important.
- 25:8 An ox and a donkey combined: the reference is to a man married to two incompatible women (cf. 37:11a); the imagery derives from Dt 22:10.
- 25:11
Other ancient texts read as v. 12:
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of loving him,
and fidelity is the beginning of clinging to him.
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