Sirach 2
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Duties toward God
2 My son, if you come forward to serve the Lord,
prepare yourself for temptation.[a]
2 Set your heart right and be steadfast,
and do not be hasty in time of calamity.
3 Cleave to him and do not depart,
that you may be honored at the end of your life.
4 Accept whatever is brought upon you,
and in changes that humble you be patient.
5 For gold is tested in the fire,
and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.
6 Trust in him, and he will help you;
make your ways straight, and hope in him.
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.
Footnotes
- Sirach 2:1 Or trials
- Sirach 2:10 Gk of him
- Sirach 2:18 Gk We shall fall
Sirach 2
Good News Translation
Faithfulness to God
2 My child, if you are going to serve the Lord, be prepared for times when you will be put to the test. 2 Be sincere and determined. Keep calm when trouble comes. 3 Stay with the Lord; never abandon him, and you will be prosperous at the end of your days. 4 Accept whatever happens to you. Even if you suffer humiliation, be patient. 5 (A)Gold is tested by fire, and human character is tested in the furnace of humiliation. 6 Trust the Lord, and he will help you. Walk straight in his ways, and put your hope in him.
7 All you that fear the Lord, wait for him to show you his mercy. Do not turn away from him, or you will fall. 8 All you that fear the Lord, trust him, and you will certainly be rewarded. 9 All you that fear the Lord, look forward to his blessings of mercy and eternal happiness.
10 Think back to the ancient generations and consider this: has the Lord ever disappointed anyone who put his hope in him? Has the Lord ever abandoned anyone who held him in constant reverence? Has the Lord ever ignored anyone who prayed to him? 11 The Lord is kind and merciful; he forgives our sins and keeps us safe in time of trouble. 12 But those who lose their nerve are doomed—all those sinners who try to have it both ways! 13 Doom is sure to come for those who lose their courage; they have no faith, and so they will have no protection. 14 Doom is sure to come for those who lose their hope. What will they do when the Lord comes to judge them?
15 (B)Those who fear the Lord do not disobey his commands; those who love him will live as he wants them to live. 16 Those who fear and love the Lord will try to please him and devote themselves to the Law. 17 Those who fear the Lord are always ready to serve him. They humble themselves before him, and say,
18 We place our destiny in the hands of the Lord, not in human hands, because his mercy is as great as his majesty.
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® (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.
