Sirach 51:1-6

Revised Standard Version

51 I will give thanks to thee, O Lord and King,
    and will praise thee as God my Savior.
I give thanks to thy name,
²     for thou hast been my protector and helper
and hast delivered my body from destruction
    and from the snare of a slanderous tongue,
    from lips that utter lies.
Before those who stood by
    thou wast my helper, ³ and didst deliver me,
    in the greatness of thy mercy and of thy name,
from the gnashings of teeth about to devour me,^[a]
    from the hand of those who sought my life,
    from the many afflictions that I endured,
⁴ from choking fire on every side
    and from the midst of fire which I did not kindle,
⁵ from the depths of the belly of Hades,
    from an unclean tongue and lying words—
⁶     the slander of an unrighteous tongue to the king.
My soul drew near to death,
    and my life was very near to Hades beneath.