Sirach 47

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

47 And after him Nathan rose up
    to prophesy in the days of David.

² As the fat is selected from the peace offering,
    so David was selected from the sons of Israel.
³ He played with lions as with young goats,
    and with bears as with lambs of the flock.
⁴ In his youth did he not kill a giant,
    and take away reproach from the people,
when he lifted his hand with a stone in the sling
    and struck down the boasting of Goliath?
⁵ For he appealed to the Lord, the Most High,
    and he gave him strength in his right hand
to slay a man mighty in war,
    to exalt the power^[a] of his people.
⁶ So they glorified him for his ten thousands,
    and praised him for the blessings of the Lord,
    when the glorious diadem was bestowed upon him.
⁷ For he wiped out his enemies on every side,
    and annihilated his adversaries the Philistines;
    he crushed their power^[b] even to this day.
⁸ In all that he did he gave thanks
    to the Holy One, the Most High, with ascriptions of glory;
he sang praise with all his heart,
    and he loved his Maker.
⁹ He placed singers before the altar,
    to make sweet melody with their voices.
¹⁰ He gave beauty to the feasts,
    and arranged their times throughout the year,^[c]
while they praised God’s^[d] holy name,
    and the sanctuary resounded from early morning.
¹¹ The Lord took away his sins,
    and exalted his power^[e] for ever;
he gave him the covenant of kings
    and a throne of glory in Israel.

¹² After him rose up a wise son
    who fared amply^[f] because of him;
¹³ Solomon reigned in days of peace,
    and God gave him rest on every side,
that he might build a house for his name
    and prepare a sanctuary to stand for ever.
¹⁴ How wise you became in your youth!
    You overflowed like a river with understanding.
¹⁵ Your soul covered the earth,
    and you filled it with parables and riddles.
¹⁶ Your name reached to far-off islands,
    and you were loved for your peace.
¹⁷ For your songs and proverbs and parables,
    and for your interpretations, the countries marveled at you.
¹⁸ In the name of the Lord God,
    who is called the God of Israel,
you gathered gold like tin
    and amassed silver like lead.
¹⁹ But you laid your loins beside women,
    and through your body you were brought into subjection.
²⁰ You put a stain upon your honor,
    and defiled your posterity,
so that you brought wrath upon your children
    and they were grieved^[g] at your folly,
²¹ so that the sovereignty was divided
    and a disobedient kingdom arose out of E′phraim.
²² But the Lord will never give up his mercy,
    nor cause any of his works to perish;
he will never blot out the descendants of his chosen one,
    nor destroy the posterity of him who loved him;
so he gave a remnant to Jacob,
    and to David a root of his stock.

²³ Solomon rested with his fathers,
    and left behind him one of his sons,
ample in^[h] folly and lacking in understanding,
    Rehobo′am, whose policy caused the people to revolt.
Also Jerobo′am the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin
    and gave to E′phraim a sinful way.
²⁴ Their sins became exceedingly many,
    so as to remove them from their land.
²⁵ For they sought out every sort of wickedness,
    till vengeance came upon them.