Sirach 2

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

⁷ You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
    and turn not aside, lest you fall.
⁸ You who fear the Lord, trust in him,
    and your reward will not fail;
⁹ you who fear the Lord, hope for good things,
    for everlasting joy and mercy.
¹⁰ Consider the ancient generations and see:
    who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame?
Or who ever persevered in the fear of the Lord^[b] and was forsaken?
    Or who ever called upon him and was overlooked?
¹¹ For the Lord is compassionate and merciful;
    he forgives sins and saves in time of affliction.

¹² Woe to timid hearts and to slack hands,
    and to the sinner who walks along two ways!
¹³ Woe to the faint heart, for it has no trust!
    Therefore it will not be sheltered.
¹⁴ Woe to you who have lost your endurance!
    What will you do when the Lord punishes you?
¹⁵ Those who fear the Lord will not disobey his words,
    and those who love him will keep his ways.
¹⁶ Those who fear the Lord will seek his approval,
    and those who love him will be filled with the law.
¹⁷ Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts,
    and will humble themselves before him.
¹⁸ Let us fall^[c] into the hands of the Lord,
    but not into the hands of men;
for as his majesty is,
    so also is his mercy.