Sirach 16

1 Μὴ ἐπιθύμει τέκνων πλῆθος ἀχρήστων, μὴ εὐφραίνου ἐπὶ υἱοῖς ἀσεβέσιν.

2 Ἐὰν πληθύνωσι, μὴ εὐφραίνου ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς, εἰ μή ἐστι φόβος Κυρίου μετʼ αὐτῶν.

3 Μὴ ἐμπιστεύσῃς τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν, καὶ μὴ ἔπεχε ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον αὐτῶν· κρείσσων γὰρ εἷς ἢ χίλιοι, καὶ ἀποθανεῖν ἄτεκνον ἢ ἔχειν τέκνα ἀσεβῆ·

4 ἀπὸ γὰρ ἑνὸς συνετοῦ συνοικισθήσεται πόλις, φυλὴ δὲ ἀνόμων ἐρημωθήσεται.

5 Πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἑώρακα ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς μου, καὶ ἰσχυρότερα τούτων ἀκήκοε τὸ οὖς μου.

6 Ἐν συναγωγῇ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐκκαυθήσεται πῦρ, καὶ ἐν ἔθνει ἀπειθεῖ ἐξεκαύθη ὀργή.

7 Οὐκ ἐξιλάσατο περὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων γιγάντων, οἳ ἀπέστησαν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτῶν.

8 Οὐκ ἐφείσατο περὶ τῆς παροικίας Λὼτ, οὓς ἐβδελύξατο διὰ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν αὐτῶν.

9 Οὐκ ἠλέησεν ἔθνος ἀπωλείας, τοὺς ἐξῃρμένους ἐν ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν·

10 καὶ οὕτως ἑξακοσίας χιλιάδας πεζῶν τοὺς ἐπισυναχθέντας ἐν σκληροκαρδίᾳ αὐτῶν.

11 Κᾂν ᾖ εἷς σκληροτράχηλος, θαυμαστὸν, τοῦτο εἰ ἀθωωθήσεται, ἔλεος γὰρ καὶ ὀργὴ παρʼ αὐτοῦ· δυνάστης ἐξιλασμῶν· καὶ ἐκχέων ὀργήν.

12 Κατὰ τὸ πολὺ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ, οὕτως καὶ πολὺς ὁ ἔλεγχος αὐτοῦ· ἄνδρα κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ κρίνει.

13 Οὐκ ἐκφεύξεται ἐν ἁρπάγμασιν ἁμαρτωλὸς, καὶ οὐ μὴ καθυστερήσει ὑπομονὴν εὐσεβοῦς.

14 Πάσῃ ἐλεημοσύνῃ ποιήσει τόπον, ἕκαστος κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσει.

17 Μὴ εἴπῃς, ὅτι ἀπὸ Κυρίου κρυβήσομαι, μὴ ἐξ ὕψους τίς μου μνησθήσεται; ἐν λαῷ πλείονι οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ, τίς γὰρ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ἀμετρήτῳ κτίσει;

18 Ἰδοὺ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἄβυσσος καὶ γῆ σαλευθήσονται ἐν τῇ ἐπισκοπῇ αὐτοῦ·

19 ἅμα τὰ ὄρη καὶ τὰ θεμέλια τῆς γῆς, ἐν τῷ ἐπιβλέψαι εἰς αὐτὰ, τρόμῳ συσσείονται,

20 καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς οὐ διανοηθήσεται καρδία· καὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ τίς ἐνθυμηθήσεται;

21 Καὶ καταιγὶς, ἣν οὐκ ὄψεται ἄνθρωπος, τὰ δὲ πλείονα τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀποκρύφοις.

22 Ἔργα δικαιοσύνης τίς ἀναγγελεῖ, ἢ τίς ὑπομενεῖ; μακρὰν γὰρ ἡ διαθήκη.

23 Ἐλαττούμενος καρδίᾳ διανοεῖται ταῦτα, καὶ ἀνὴρ ἄφρων καὶ πλανώμενος διανοεῖται μωρά.

24 Ἄκουσόν μου, τέκνον, καὶ μάθε ἐπιστήμην, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λόγων μου πρόσεχε τῇ καρδίᾳ σου.

25 Ἐκφαίνω ἐν σταθμῷ παιδείαν, καὶ ἐν ἀκριβείᾳ ἀπαγγέλλω ἐπιστήμην.

26 Ἐν κρίσει Κυρίου τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἀπὸ ποιήσεως αὐτῶν διέστειλε μερίδας αὐτῶν.

27 Ἐκόσμησεν εἰς αἰῶνα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς αὐτῶν εἰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν· οὔτε ἐπείνασαν, οὔτε ἐκοπίασαν, καὶ οὐκ ἐξέλιπον ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτων.

28 Ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔθλιψε, καὶ ἕως αἰῶνος οὐκ ἀπειθήσουσι τοῦ ῥήματος αὐτοῦ·

29 καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα Κύριος εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐπέβλεψε, καὶ ἐνέπλησεν αὐτὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν αὐτοῦ.

30 Ψυχὴν παντὸς ζώου ἐκάλυψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς, καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτῶν.

1 Desire not a multitude of unprofitable children, neither delight in ungodly sons.

2 Though they multiply, rejoice not in them, except the fear of the Lord be with them.

3 Trust not thou in their life, neither respect their multitude: for one that is just is better than a thousand; and better it is to die without children, than to have them that are ungodly.

4 For by one that hath understanding shall the city be replenished: but the kindred of the wicked shall speedily become desolate.

5 Many such things have I seen with mine eyes, and mine ear hath heard greater things than these.

6 In the congregation of the ungodly shall a fire be kindled; and in a rebellious nation wrath is set on fire.

7 He was not pacified toward the old giants, who fell away in the strength of their foolishness.

8 Neither spared he the place where Lot sojourned, but abhorred them for their pride.

9 He pitied not the people of perdition, who were taken away in their sins:

10 nor the six hundred thousand footmen, who were gathered together in the hardness of their hearts.

11 And if there be one stiffnecked among the people, it is marvel if he escape unpunished: for mercy and wrath are with him; he is mighty to forgive and to pour out displeasure.

12 As his mercy is great, so is his correction also: he judgeth a man according to his works.

13 The sinner shall not escape with his spoils: and the patience of the godly shall not be frustrate.

14 Make way for every work of mercy: for every man shall find according to his works.

17 Say not thou, I will hide myself from the Lord: shall any remember me from above? I shall not be remembered among so many people: for what is my soul among such an infinite number of creatures?

18 Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the deep, and the earth, and all that therein is, shall be moved when he shall visit.

19 The mountains also and foundations of the earth shall be shaken with trembling, when he looketh upon them.

20 No heart can think upon these things worthily: and who is able to conceive his ways?

21 It is a tempest which no man can see: for the most part of his works are hid.

22 Who can declare the works of his justice? or who can endure them? for his covenant is afar off.

23 He that wanteth understanding will think upon vain things: and a foolish man erring imagineth follies.

24 My son, hearken unto me, and learn knowledge, and mark my words with thy heart.

25 I will shew forth doctrine in weight, and declare his knowledge exactly.

26 The works of the Lord are done in judgment from the beginning: and from the time he made them he disposed the parts thereof.

27 He garnished his works for ever, and the chief of them unto all generations: they neither labour, nor are weary, nor cease from their works.

28 None of them hindereth another, and they shall never disobey his word.

29 After this the Lord looked upon the earth, and filled it with his blessings.

30 With all manner of living things hath he covered the face thereof; and they shall return into it again.