Sirach 17

1 Κύριος ἔκτισεν ἐκ γῆς ἄνθρωπον, καὶ πάλιν ἀπέστρεψεν αὐτὸν εἰς αὐτήν.

2 Ἡμέρας ἀριθμοῦ καὶ καιρὸν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τῶν ἐπʼ αὐτῆς.

3 Καθʼ ἑαυτοὺς ἐνέδυσεν αὐτοὺς ἰσχὺν, καὶ κατʼ εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς.

4 Καὶ ἔθηκε τὸν φόβον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πάσης σαρκός, καὶ κατακυριεύειν θηρίων καὶ πετεινῶν.

6 Διαβούλιον καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς, ὦτα καὶ καρδίαν ἔδωκε διανοεῖσθαι αὐτοῖς.

7 Ἐπιστήμην συνέσεως ἐνέπλησεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀγαθὰ καὶ κακὰ ὑπέδειξεν αὐτοῖς.

8 Ἔθηκε τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν, δεῖξαι αὐτοῖς τὸ μεγαλεῖον τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ·

10 καὶ ὄνομα ἁγιασμοῦ αἰνέσουσιν, ἵνα διηγῶνται τὰ μεγαλεῖα τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ.

11 Προσέθηκεν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστήμην, καὶ νόμον ζωῆς ἐκληροδότησεν αὐτοῖς.

12 Διαθήκην αἰῶνος ἔστησε μετʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ ὑπέδειξεν αὐτοῖς.

13 Μεγαλεῖον δόξης εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν, καὶ δόξαν φωνῆς αὐτῶν ἤκουσε τὸ οὖς αὐτῶν.

14 Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, προσέχετε ἀπὸ παντὸς ἀδίκου· καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ἑκάστῳ περὶ τοῦ πλησίον.

15 Αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτῶν ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ διαπαντὸς, οὐ κρυβήσονται ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ.

17 Ἑκάστῳ ἔθνει κατέστησεν ἡγούμενον, καὶ μερὶς Κυρίου Ἰσραήλ ἐστιν.

19 Ἅπαντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ὡς ὁ ἥλιος ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐνδελεχεῖς ἐπὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν.

20 Οὐκ ἐκρύβησαν αἱ ἀδικίαι αὐτῶν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῶν ἔναντι Κυρίου.

22 Ἐλεημοσύνη ἀνδρὸς ὡς σφραγὶς μετʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ χάριν ἀνθρώπου ὡς κόρην συντηρήσει.

23 Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξαναστήσεται καὶ ἀνταποδώσει αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὸ ἀνταπόδομα αὐτῶν εἰς κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν ἀποδώσει.

24 Πλὴν μετανοοῦσιν ἔδωκεν ἐπάνοδον, καὶ παρεκάλεσεν ἐκλείποντας ὑπομονήν.

25 Ἐπίστρεφε ἐπὶ Κύριον καὶ ἀπόλειπε ἁμαρτίας, δεήθητι κατὰ πρόσωπον καὶ σμίκρυνον πρόσκομμα.

26 Ἐπάναγε ἐπὶ ὕψιστον, καὶ ἀπόστρεφε ἀπὸ ἀδικίας, καὶ σφόδρα μίσησον βδέλυγμα.

27 Ὑψίστῳ τίς αἰνέσει ἐν ᾅδου; ἀντὶ ζώντων καὶ ζώντων καὶ διδόντων ἀνθομολόγησιν.

28 Ἀπὸ νεκροῦ ὡς μηδὲ ὄντος ἀπόλλυται ἐξομολόγησις· ζῶν καὶ ὑγιὴς αἰνέσει τὸν Κύριον.

29 Ὡς μεγάλη ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐξιλασμὸς τοῖς ἐπιστρέφουσιν ἐπʼ αὐτόν·

30 οὐ γὰρ δύναται πάντα εἶναι ἐν ἀνθρώποις, ὅτι οὐκ ἀθάνατος υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου.

31 Τί φωτεινότερον ἡλίου; καὶ τοῦτο ἐκλείπει, καὶ πονηρὸς ἐνθυμηθήσεται σάρκα καὶ αἷμα.

32 Δύναμιν ὕψους οὐρανοῦ αὐτὸς ἐπισκέπτεται, καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι πάντες γῆ καὶ σποδός.

1 The Lord created man of the earth, and turned him into it again.

2 He gave them few days, and a short time, and power also over the things therein.

3 He endued them with strength by themselves, and made them according to his image,

4 and put the fear of man upon all flesh, and gave him dominion over beasts and fowls.

6 Counsel, and a tongue, and eyes, ears, and a heart, gave he them to understand.

7 Withal he filled them with the knowledge of understanding, and shewed them good and evil.

8 He set his eye upon their hearts, that he might shew them the greatness of his works;

10 and they shall praise his holy name, that they may search out his marvellous works.

11 Beside this he gave them knowledge, and the law of life for an heritage.

12 He made an everlasting covenant with them, and shewed them his judgments.

13 Their eyes saw the majesty of his glory, and their ears heard his glorious voice.

14 And he said unto them, Beware of all unrighteousness; and he gave every man commandment concerning his neighbour.

15 Their ways are ever before him, and shall not be hid from his eyes.

17 For in the division of the nations of the whole earth he set a ruler over every people; but Israel is the Lord's portion:

19 Therefore all their works are as the sun before him, and his eyes are continually upon their ways.

20 None of their unrighteous deeds are hid from him, but all their sins are before the Lord.

22 The alms of a man is as a signet with him, and he will keep the good deeds of man as the apple of the eye, and give repentance to his sons and daughters.

23 Afterwards he will rise up and reward them, and render their recompence upon their heads.

24 But unto them that repent, he granted them return, and comforted those that failed in patience.

25 Return unto the Lord, and forsake thy sins, make thy prayer before his face, and offend less.

26 Turn again to the most High, and turn away from iniquity: for he will lead thee out of darkness into the light of health, and hate thou abomination vehemently.

27 Who shall praise the most High in the grave, instead of them which live and give thanks?

28 Thanksgiving perisheth from the dead, as from one that is not: the living and sound in heart shall praise the Lord.

29 How great is the lovingkindness of the Lord our God, and his compassion unto such as turn unto him in holiness!

30 For all things cannot be in men, because the son of man is not immortal.

31 What is brighter than the sun? yet the light thereof faileth: and flesh and blood will imagine evil.

32 He vieweth the power of the height of heaven; and all men are but earth and ashes.