Ben Sira 33:7-9
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
7 [a]Why is one day more important than another,
when the same sun lights up every day of the year?
8 By the Lord’s knowledge they are kept distinct;
and he designates the seasons and feasts.(A)
9 Some he exalts and sanctifies,
and others he lists as ordinary days.(B)
Footnotes
- 33:7–15 An important doctrine of Ben Sira is his view of the polarities in creation and history; cf. v. 15; 42:24. Contrasts observable in the physical universe as well as in the moral order serve the purposes of divine wisdom (vv. 5–9). All creatures are like clay in the hands of their Maker—the fool and the wise, the sinner and the just (vv. 10–15). This does not imply that some are created to be sinners: God is not the author of wickedness. Divine determinism and human freedom are a mysterious mix.
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