Sirach 44

1 Αἰνέσωμεν δὴ ἄνδρας ἐνδόξους, καὶ τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν τῇ γενέσει.

2 Πολλὴν δόξαν ἔκτισεν ὁ Κύριος, τὴν μεγαλωσύνην αὐτοῦ ἀπʼ αἰῶνος.

3 Κυριεύοντες ἐν ταῖς βασιλείαις αὐτῶν, καὶ ἄνδρες ὀνομαστοὶ ἐν δυνάμει· βουλεύσονται ἐν συνέσει αὐτῶν, ἀπηγγελκότες ἐν προφητείαις·

4 ἡγούμενοι λαοῦ ἐν διαβουλίοις, καὶ συνέσει γραμματείας λαοῦ· σοφοὶ λόγοι ἐν παιδείᾳ αὐτῶν·

5 ἐκζητοῦντες μέλη μουσικῶν, διηγούμενοι ἔπη ἐν γραφῇ·

6 ἄνδρες πλούσιοι κεχορηγημένοι ἰσχύϊ, εἰρηνεύοντες ἐν παροικίαις αὐτῶν·

7 πάντες οὗτοι ἐν γενεαῖς ἐδοξάσθησαν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτῶν καύχημα.

8 Εἰσὶν αὐτῶν οἳ κατέλιπον ὄνομα τοῦ ἐκδιηγήσασθαι ἐπαίνους·

9 καὶ εἰσὶν ὧν οὐκ ἔστι μνημόσυνον, καὶ ἀπώλοντο ὡς οὐχ ὑπάρξαντες, καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡς οὐ γεγονότες, καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν μετʼ αὐτούς.

10 Ἀλλʼ ἢ οὗτοι ἄνδρες ἐλέους, ὧν αἱ δικαιοσύναι οὐκ ἐπελήσθησαν.

11 Μετὰ τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῶν διαμενεῖ ἀγαθὴ κληρονομία, ἔκγονα αὐτῶν ἐν ταῖς διαθήκαις.

12 Ἔστη σπέρμα αὐτῶν καὶ τέκνα αὐτῶν διʼ αὐτούς·

13 ἕως αἰῶνος μενεῖ σπέρμα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἡ δόξα αὐτῶν οὐκ. ἐξαλειφθήσεται.

14 Τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐτάφη, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ζῇ εἰς γενεάς.

15 Σοφίαν αὐτῶν διηγήσονται λαοὶ, καὶ τὸν ἔπαινον ἐξαγγέλλει ἐκκλησία.

16 Ἐνὼχ εὐηρέστησε Κυρίῳ, καὶ μετετέθη ὑπόδειγμα μετανοίας ταῖς γενεαῖς.

17 Νῶε εὑρέθη τέλειος δίκαιος, ἐν καιρῷ ὀργῆς ἐγένετο ἀντάλλαγμα· διὰ τοῦτο ἐγενήθη κατάλειμμα τῇ γῇ, διὰ τοῦτο ἐγένετο κατακλυσμός.

18 Διαθῆκαι αἰῶνος ἐτέθησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἵνα μὴ ἐξαλειφθῇ κατακλυσμῷ πᾶσα σάρξ.

19 Ἁβραὰμ μέγας πατὴρ πλήθους ἐθνῶν, καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ὅμοιος ἐν τῇ δόξῃ,

20 ὃς συνετήρησε νόμον ὑψίστου, καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν διαθήκῃ μετʼ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ ἔστησε διαθήκην, καὶ ἐν πειρασμῷ εὑρέθη πιστός.

21 Διὰ τοῦτο ἐν ὅρκῳ ἔστησεν αὐτῷ, ἐνευλογηθῆναι ἔθνη ἐν τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ, πληθύναι αὐτὸν ὡς χοῦν τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὡς ἄστρα ἀνυψῶσαι τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατακληρονομῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἕως θαλάσσης, καὶ ἀπὸ ποταμοῦ ἕως ἄκρου γῆς.

22 Καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰσαὰκ ἔστησεν οὕτως διὰ Ἁβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ, εὐλογίαν πάντων ἀνθρώπων καὶ διαθήκην.

23 Καὶ κατέπαυσεν ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν Ἰακώβ· ἐπέγνω αὐτὸν ἐν εὐλογίαις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ἐν κληρονομίᾳ· καὶ διέστειλε μερίδας αὐτοῦ, ἐν φυλαῖς ἐμέρισε δεκαδύο.

1 Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us.

2 The Lord hath wrought great glory by them through his great power from the beginning.

3 Such as did bear rule in their kingdoms, men renowned for their power, giving counsel by their understanding, and declaring prophecies:

4 leaders of the people by their counsels, and by their knowledge of learning meet for the people, wise and eloquent in their instruction:

5 such as found out musical tunes, and recited verses in writing:

6 rich men furnished with ability, living peaceably in their habitations:

7 all these were honoured in their generations, and were the glory of their times.

8 There be of them that have left a name behind them, that their praises might be reported.

9 And some there be, which have no memorial; who are perished, as though they had never been; and are become as though they had never been born; and their children after them.

10 But these were merciful men, whose righteousness hath not been forgotten.

11 With their seed shall continually remain a good inheritance, and their children are within the covenant.

12 Their seed standeth fast, and their children for their sakes.

13 Their seed shall remain for ever, and their glory shall not be blotted out.

14 Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.

15 The people will tell of their wisdom, and the congregation will shew forth their praise.

16 Enoch pleased the Lord, and was translated, being an example of repentance to all generations.

17 Noah was found perfect and righteous; in the time of wrath he was taken in exchange [for the world;] therefore was he left as a remnant unto the earth, when the flood came.

18 An everlasting covenant was made with him, that all flesh shall perish no more by the flood.

19 Abraham was a great father of many people: in glory was there none like unto him;

20 who kept the law of the most High, and was in covenant with him: he established the covenant in his flesh; and when he was proved, he was found faithful.

21 Therefore he assured him by an oath, that he would bless the nations in his seed, and that he would multiply him as the dust of the earth, and exalt his seed as the stars, and cause them to inherit from sea to sea, and from the river unto the utmost part of the land.

22 With Isaac did he establish likewise, for Abraham his father's sake, the blessing of all men, and the covenant,

23 and made it rest upon the head of Jacob. He acknowledged him in his blessing, and gave him an heritage, and divided his portions; among the twelve tribes did he part them.