Ecclesiasticus

All wisdom comes from the Lord, and it is with him forever.

1All wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with him for ever.

NoteEcclesiasticus was written in Hebrew in Jerusalem around 180 BC by a teacher called Jesus son of Sirach, and translated into Greek by his grandson about fifty years later. The book is also known as Sirach, or Ben Sira. The Latin title Ecclesiasticus means something like "the church book," a name it picked up from its heavy use in teaching. The Greek translation is the text the King James follows.

2Who can count the sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity?

2Who can number the sand of the sea, and the drops of rain, and the days of eternity?

3Who can measure the height of the sky, the width of the earth, the deep, and wisdom?

3Who can find out the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the deep, and wisdom?

Note"The deep" is the great body of water thought of as lying beneath the earth and stretching out past the horizon. It supplies the third unmeasurable dimension in the list: height above, breadth across, depth below.

4Wisdom was created before all things, and the understanding that comes with good sense has been there from forever.

4Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting.

5The word of God Most High is the spring that wisdom flows from, and her ways are commands that last forever.

5The word of God most high is the fountain of wisdom; and her ways are everlasting commandments.

NoteThis verse and verse 7 are missing from many Greek manuscripts of the book. The King James follows a longer Greek edition that includes them, which is why the verse numbering here does not always match modern translations of Sirach.

6To whom has the root of wisdom been shown? Who has known the wise advice she gives?

6To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed? or who hath known her wise counsels?

NoteWisdom is spoken of as "she" all through the chapter. The word is grammatically feminine in both Hebrew and Greek, and this book, like Proverbs, builds that grammar into a figure who can be looked for, held onto and lived with.

7To whom has the knowledge of wisdom been made plain? Who has understood how much she has seen and learned?

7Unto whom hath the knowledge of wisdom been made manifest? and who hath understood her great experience?

8There is one who is wise and very much to be feared: the Lord, seated on his throne.

8There is one wise and greatly to be feared, the Lord sitting upon his throne.

9He created her, and looked at her, and counted her, and poured her out on everything he made.

9He created her, and saw her, and numbered her, and poured her out upon all his works.

Note"Numbered her" translates a verb for taking the full measure of something, counting it out. The four verbs run in sequence: God made wisdom, looked at her, measured her, then poured her out over everything he had made.

10She is with every living person, in the measure he gives, and he has given her to those who love him.

10She is with all flesh according to his gift, and he hath given her to them that love him.

11The fear of the Lord is honor and glory and gladness, and a crown of joy.

11The fear of the Lord is honour, and glory, and gladness, and a crown of rejoicing.

Note"The fear of the Lord" is the book's central phrase, and the fear in it is closer to awe than to fright: the reverence owed to someone of overwhelming rank, showing itself in obedience rather than in panic. The sense of standing before sheer power is not scrubbed out of it either. Also, the crown here is a wreath, the circlet of leaves or worked gold worn at a banquet or handed to the winner of a contest, not a king's crown. To be crowned is to be publicly honored and to be at a celebration.

12The fear of the Lord makes the heart glad. It gives joy, gladness, and a long life.

12The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart, and giveth joy, and gladness, and a long life.

13Whoever fears the Lord, it will go well with him at the end, and he will be looked on with favor on the day he dies.

13Whoso feareth the Lord, it shall go well with him at the last, and he shall find favour in the day of his death.

Note"Find favour" means to be looked on with approval. In this book a life is summed up at its close, so the day of death is the point at which it is finally reckoned up: reputation intact, family secure, no disgrace at the end.

14To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and it was created together with the faithful while they were still in the womb.

14To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and it was created with the faithful in the womb.

NoteThe Greek word behind "beginning" (archē) carries two senses at once: the starting point of a thing, and its governing principle or chief part. Both are at work here. Reverence is where wisdom starts, and it is also what wisdom rests on.

15She has built a foundation among people that lasts forever, and she will stay with their children after them.

15She hath built an everlasting foundation with men, and she shall continue with their seed.

16To fear the Lord is wisdom in full measure, and it fills people with the fruit she bears.

16To fear the Lord is fulness of wisdom, and filleth men with her fruits.

17She fills their whole house with the things they want, and their storehouses with what she produces.

17She filleth all their house with things desirable, and the garners with her increase.

18The fear of the Lord is a crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health grow. Both of these are gifts from God, and it makes the joy of those who love him greater.

18The fear of the Lord is a crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish; both which are the gifts of God: and it enlargeth their rejoicing that love him.

Note"Peace" translates a word covering far more than the absence of fighting: soundness, welfare, everything being in good order. Paired with "perfect health" it means bodily and general well-being together.

19Wisdom rains down skill and the knowledge that comes with understanding, and she lifts up to honor those who hold on to her tightly.

19Wisdom raineth down skill and knowledge of understanding standing, and exalteth them to honour that hold her fast.

20The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and her branches are long life.

20The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and the branches thereof are long life.

21The fear of the Lord drives sins away, and where it is present, it turns anger aside.

21The fear of the Lord driveth away sins: and where it is present, it turneth away wrath.

NoteThis verse, like verses 5 and 7, is absent from many Greek manuscripts. Note also that the text does not say whose "wrath" is turned away. It may mean God's anger, or the anger of other people, or the person's own temper, which would connect it to the raging man of the next verse. The Greek leaves all three open.

22A man in a rage cannot be shown to be in the right, because the force of his rage will be his ruin.

22A furious man cannot be justified; for the sway of his fury shall be his destruction.

NoteIn 1611 "justified" meant shown to be in the right, cleared in a dispute or before a court. It is a word about winning your case, not about a person's inner state. The point is that a man arguing in a fury cannot make his case stand up.

23A patient man will put up with things for a time, and afterward joy will spring up for him.

23A patient man will tear for a time, and afterward joy shall spring up unto him.

NoteThe King James here reads "tear," which is a long-standing printing oddity; other King James editions read "bear." The Greek verb means to hold out, to endure, to put up with something, which is what the rendering follows.

24He will keep his words hidden for a time, and then the lips of many will speak of how wise he is.

24He will hide his words for a time, and the lips of many shall declare his wisdom.

NoteHiding his words means holding back what he could say, staying silent while provoked, rather than keeping a secret. The reward comes when he finally does speak and others recognize the restraint as wisdom.

25Wise sayings are stored up in the treasuries of wisdom, but living in a godly way is disgusting to a sinner.

25The parables of knowledge are in the treasures of wisdom: but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.

Note"Parables" translates a Greek word (parabolai) used for short proverbs, maxims and riddling sayings, the compressed one-liners a wisdom teacher collected and stored up. It does not mean the story-parables of the Gospels.

26If you want wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will give her to you.

26If thou desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord shall give her unto thee.

Note"The commandments" are the commands of the Law of Moses, the body of instruction contained in the first five books of the Bible.

27For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and training, and faithfulness and gentleness are what please him.

27For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction: and faith and meekness are his delight.

Note"Instruction" translates paideia, a Greek word for the whole bringing-up of a child: teaching, training, discipline and correction taken together, not classroom lessons only. "Meekness" in 1611 English means gentleness and a refusal to push oneself forward, not weakness or timidity.

28Do not stop trusting the fear of the Lord when you are poor, and do not come to him with a divided heart.

28Distrust not the fear of the Lord when thou art poor: and come not unto him with a double heart.

NoteA "double heart" is a divided one, professing one thing while intending another. In this idiom the heart is the seat of thought, will and intention, the place where a person decides things, rather than the seat of feeling.

29Do not put on an act in front of other people, and watch carefully what you say.

29Be not an hypocrite in the sight of men, and take good heed what thou speakest.

NoteThe Greek word behind "hypocrite" originally meant a stage actor, someone speaking lines in a mask. That theatrical sense is still audible here: the warning is against performing a part in front of an audience.

30Do not lift yourself up, or you will fall and bring shame on yourself. Then God will uncover your secrets and throw you down in front of the whole assembly, because you did not come in truth to the fear of the Lord, and your heart is full of deceit.

30Exalt not thyself, lest thou fall, and bring dishonour upon thy soul, and so God discover thy secrets, and cast thee down in the midst of the congregation, because thou camest not in truth to the fear of the Lord, but thy heart is full of deceit.

NoteThree old usages in this verse. "Discover" in 1611 means uncover or expose, not find out. "Thy soul" here means yourself, your own life and standing, not an immaterial part of you. And "the congregation" is the assembled community gathered in one place, where a person's reputation was publicly made or destroyed.