Sirach 47
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Nathan
47 After him Nathan rose up
to prophesy in the days of David.
David
2 As the fat is set apart from the offering of well-being,
so David was set apart from the Israelites.
3 He played with lions as though they were young goats,
and with bears as though they were lambs of the flock.
4 In his youth did he not kill a giant,
and take away the people’s disgrace,
when he whirled the stone in the sling
and struck down the boasting Goliath?
5 For he called on the Lord, the Most High,
and he gave strength to his right arm
to strike down a mighty warrior,
and to exalt the power[a] of his people.
6 So they glorified him for the tens of thousands he conquered,
and praised him for the blessings bestowed by the Lord,
when the glorious diadem was given to him.
7 For he wiped out his enemies on every side,
and annihilated his adversaries the Philistines;
he crushed their power[b] to our own day.
8 In all that he did he gave thanks
to the Holy One, the Most High, proclaiming his 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.[c]
10 He gave beauty to the festivals,
and arranged their times throughout the year,[d]
while they praised God’s[e] holy name,
and the sanctuary resounded from early morning.
11 The Lord took away his sins,
and exalted his power[f] forever;
he gave him a covenant of kingship
and a glorious throne in Israel.
Solomon
12 After him a wise son rose up
who because of him lived in security:[g]
13 Solomon reigned in an age of peace,
because God made all his borders tranquil,
so that he might build a house in his name
and provide a sanctuary to stand forever.
14 How wise you were when you were young!
You overflowed like the Nile[h] with understanding.
15 Your influence spread throughout the earth,
and you filled it with proverbs having deep meaning.
16 Your fame reached to far-off islands,
and you were loved for your peaceful reign.
17 Your songs, proverbs, and parables,
and the answers you gave astounded the nations.
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 brought in women to lie at your side,
and through your body you were brought into subjection.
20 You stained your honor,
and defiled your family line,
so that you brought wrath upon your children,
and they were grieved[i] at your folly,
21 because the sovereignty was divided
and a rebel kingdom arose out of Ephraim.
22 But the Lord will never give up his mercy,
or cause any of his works to perish;
he will never blot out the descendants of his chosen one,
or destroy the family line of him who loved him.
So he gave a remnant to Jacob,
and to David a root from his own family.
Rehoboam and Jeroboam
23 Solomon rested with his ancestors,
and left behind him one of his sons,
broad in[j] folly and lacking in sense,
Rehoboam, whose policy drove the people to revolt.
Then Jeroboam son of Nebat led Israel into sin
and started Ephraim on its sinful ways.
24 Their sins increased more and more,
until they were exiled from their land.
25 For they sought out every kind of wickedness,
until vengeance came upon them.
Footnotes
- Sirach 47:5 Gk horn
- Sirach 47:7 Gk horn
- Sirach 47:9 Other ancient authorities add and daily they sing his praises
- Sirach 47:10 Gk to completion
- Sirach 47:10 Gk his
- Sirach 47:11 Gk horn
- Sirach 47:12 Heb: Gk in a broad place
- Sirach 47:14 Heb: Gk a river
- Sirach 47:20 Other ancient authorities read I was grieved
- Sirach 47:23 Heb (with a play on the name Rehoboam) Syr: Gk the people’s
Sirach 47
Good News Translation
Nathan
47 (A)After him came Nathan, who was a prophet at the time of David.
David
2 (B)As the choice fat portion of the fellowship offering is reserved for the Lord, so David was chosen from among the Israelites. 3 He played with lions and bears as if they were lambs or little goats. 4 When he was still a boy, he killed a giant to rescue his people. He put a stone in his sling, took aim, and put an end to Goliath's bragging. 5 He prayed to the Lord, the Most High, and was given the strength to kill that famous soldier, so that the nations would have respect for the power of his people. 6 The people honored him for killing his tens of thousands, and when he was crowned king, they praised him for being chosen by the Lord. 7 He wiped out all his enemies and permanently crushed the Philistines, so that they never again became a threat.
8 In everything David did, he gave thanks and praise to the Holy Lord, the Most High. He loved his Creator and sang praises to him with all his heart. 9 He put singers at the altar to provide beautiful music. 10 He set the times of the festivals throughout the year and made them splendid occasions; the Temple rang with the Lord's praises all day long. 11 The Lord forgave David's sin and established his power forever. He made a covenant with him that he and his descendants would reign in splendor over Israel.
Solomon
12 David prepared the way well for his son, a wise man, to rule after him. 13 (C)There was no war while Solomon was king. God gave him peace on all his borders, so that he could build for the Lord a Temple which would stand forever. 14 How wise you were, Solomon, when you were young! Your knowledge was like the Nile[a] in flood. 15 Your influence reached over all the world; your proverbs and riddles were known everywhere. 16 You were famous everywhere, and people loved you for bringing peace. 17 Nations around the world held you in admiration for your songs, proverbs, parables, and witty sayings. 18 (D)You gathered silver and gold as if it were tin or lead, all in the name of the Lord God of Israel.
19 (E)But your lust for women was your downfall. 20 You stained your reputation and that of your descendants. They suffered punishment for that foolishness of yours, which caused them so much grief. 21 (F)It divided the nation, and a rival kingdom arose in northern Israel. 22 (G)But the Lord will always be merciful and keep all his promises.[b] He will never destroy the descendants of David, whom he chose and who loved him. So for Israel's sake he allowed David's family to survive.
Rehoboam and Jeroboam
23 (H)Solomon followed his ancestors in death and left one of his sons to rule after him. This was Rehoboam, a man of little intelligence and great foolishness,[c] whose policies caused a rebellion.
There was also the unspeakable[d] Jeroboam, who led northern Israel in sinful ways. 24 His people became so sinful that they were exiled from their land. 25 They tried all kinds of wickedness until the Lord took vengeance on them.
Footnotes
- Sirach 47:14 Hebrew the Nile; Greek a river.
- Sirach 47:22 Hebrew keep all his promises; Greek will not destroy what he made.
- Sirach 47:23 Hebrew great foolishness; Greek the people's fool.
- Sirach 47:23 Hebrew the unspeakable (one); Greek Jeroboam son of Nebat.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 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.
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KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.