Ecclesiasticus 17

The Lord made human beings out of the earth, and he turns them back into it again.

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

Note"Man" here is generic, meaning humankind rather than a male individual, which is why the very next verse switches to "them." The wording deliberately echoes the Genesis account in which the first human is formed from the ground and told he will return to it.

2He gave them only a few days and a short span of time, and he also gave them power over the things that are in the earth.

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

3He gave them strength of their own, and he made them in the likeness of his own image,

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

Note"Made them according to his image" picks up the language of Genesis 1, where humanity is made in God's image and likeness. Ben Sira, writing in Greek around 180 BC, is summarizing the opening chapters of Genesis throughout verses 1 to 14.

4and he made every living creature afraid of them, and gave them rule over the animals and the birds.

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

Note"All flesh" is a standard biblical phrase for every living creature, not for human beings only. The line reworks the words spoken to Noah in Genesis 9, that the fear of humans would be on every animal and bird.

5They were given the use of the Lord's five powers; as a sixth gift he shared understanding with them, and as a seventh, speech, which explains what the mind is thinking.

5They received the use of the five operations of the Lord, and in the sixth place he imparted them understanding, and in the seventh speech, an interpreter of the cogitations thereof.

NoteThe "five operations of the Lord" are the five senses. This whole verse is missing from the oldest Greek manuscripts of the book and is found only in an expanded later version, which is why some modern Bibles print the chapter without a verse 5 or mark it as an addition.

6He gave them the ability to plan, and a tongue, and eyes, and ears, and a heart to understand with.

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

NoteIn this literature the heart is the seat of thought, judgment and decision rather than of feeling. Listing it alongside eyes, ears and tongue makes it one more organ of perception: the instrument a person understands with.

7Along with this he filled them with the knowledge that comes from understanding, and he showed them good and evil.

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

Note"Shewed them good and evil" echoes the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis, but here the knowledge is listed among the gifts God hands over, not as something seized.

8He fixed his eye on their hearts, so that he could show them how great his works are.

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

9He gave them the chance to take pride in his wonderful deeds forever, so that they might tell of his works with understanding.

9He gave them to glory in his marvellous acts for ever, that they might declare his works with understanding.

10And the chosen ones will praise his holy name.

10And the elect shall praise his holy name.

Note"The elect" simply means the chosen, God's chosen people, in this book normally Israel. The English word does not carry its modern sense of someone voted into office.

11Besides this he gave them knowledge, and he gave them the law of life as their inheritance.

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

Note"The law of life" is the Law of Moses, the Torah. "For an heritage" means it is handed down as a family inheritance, property passed from one generation to the next rather than something earned.

12He made an agreement with them that lasts forever, and he showed them his judgments.

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

NoteA covenant is a formal binding agreement with set obligations on both sides, closer to a treaty or a contract than to a friendly understanding. "His judgments" are his legal rulings, the individual statutes of the Law.

13Their eyes saw how great his glory is, and their ears heard his glorious voice.

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

NoteThis compresses the scene at Mount Sinai in Exodus, where the people see the fire and cloud on the mountain and hear the voice giving the commandments.

14And he said to them, "Watch out for everything that is not right." And he gave each person commands about how to treat the person next to him.

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

Note"Neighbour" in this idiom means whoever you are dealing with, the person beside you, not just someone living next door. The clause points to the commandments governing conduct between people, as distinct from those governing conduct toward God.

15Their ways are always in front of him, and they cannot be hidden from his eyes.

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

16Every person from his youth on is bent toward evil, and they could not make hearts of flesh for themselves in place of hearts of stone.

16Every man from his youth is given to evil; neither could they make to themselves fleshy hearts for stony.

Note"Fleshy hearts for stony" means hearts made of flesh instead of hearts made of stone. A heart of stone is one that will not respond or be moved; a heart of flesh is soft, living and responsive. The image comes from Ezekiel, where God promises to make the exchange himself, which is the point here: people cannot do it for themselves. This verse too is absent from the oldest Greek manuscripts.

17For when the nations of the whole earth were divided up, he set a ruler over every people, but Israel is the Lord's own share.

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

NoteThis draws on Deuteronomy 32, where the nations of the earth are parceled out, each with its own appointed ruler, while the Lord keeps Israel for himself. "Portion" is the word for an allotted share of land or property, the piece assigned to you when an inheritance is divided.

18Israel is his firstborn, and he feeds him with discipline, and he gives him the light of his love and does not abandon him.

18Whom, being his firstborn, he nourisheth with discipline, and giving him the light of his love doth not forsake him.

NoteA firstborn son held a privileged legal position in the family, receiving a double share of the inheritance and a standing the other sons did not have. Calling Israel God's firstborn claims that status for the nation. This verse is also one of the passages found only in the longer Greek text.

19So all their deeds are as plain as the sun in front of him, and his eyes are always on their ways.

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

20None of the wrong things they do are hidden from him, but all their sins are right there before the Lord.

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

21But the Lord is kind, and he knows what he himself has made, so he did not leave them or abandon them, but spared them.

21But the Lord being gracious and knowing his workmanship, neither left nor forsook them, but spared them.

22A person's gift to the poor is like a seal ring kept safe with him, and he will guard a person's good deeds like the pupil of his eye, and he will grant a change of heart to his sons and daughters.

22The 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.

NoteA signet was a ring or stone carved with a personal mark, used to stamp wax and sign documents. It was both valuable and irreplaceable, so a person kept it on the hand or around the neck at all times. "The apple of the eye" is an old English name for the pupil, the part of the body a person guards most instinctively. "Alms" means money, food or goods given to the poor, a duty this book treats as one of the highest obligations.

23Later he will rise up and pay them back, and he will bring their payment down on their own heads.

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

Note"Render their recompence upon their heads" is a legal idiom for paying someone back in full and in person, settling the account directly on the one who earned it.

24But to those who turn back, he granted a way to return, and he comforted those whose endurance had run out.

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

Note"Those that failed in patience" are those whose endurance gave out, people who had run out of the capacity to hold on any longer.

25Turn back to the Lord and leave your sins behind. Say your prayer in his presence, and do less to offend him.

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

Note"Before his face" means in his presence, face to face, as one would approach a king. "Offend less" renders a Greek phrase that is hard to pin down; it can mean reduce your offenses, or make your stumbling less, and translators divide over which.

26Turn again to the Most High, and turn away from wrongdoing, for he will lead you out of darkness into the light of health. And hate what is disgusting with all your strength.

26Turn 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.

Note"The most High" is a title for God, used often in this book. "Abomination" translates a word for something detestable and revolting, applied above all to idols and idol worship.

27Who will praise the Most High in the grave, in place of those who are alive and give thanks?

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

Note"The grave" here is Sheol, the shadowy underworld where in older Israelite thought all the dead alike went down. The point of the question is that the dead in Sheol were understood to be cut off from the worship of the living, so praise has to be offered now.

28Thanksgiving comes to an end in a dead person, as it does in someone who does not exist. It is the living and the sound in heart who will praise the Lord.

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

29How great is the faithful love of the Lord our God, and his pity for those who turn to him in holiness!

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

Note"Lovingkindness" is the King James rendering of the Hebrew word hesed, meaning steady, committed loyalty within a relationship. It is not a passing kindness but the faithfulness one party owes another by agreement.

30For not everything can be found in human beings, because a son of man is not immortal.

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

Note"The son of man" is a Hebrew and Aramaic idiom meaning simply a human being, a member of the human race. The phrase carries no special title here.

31What is brighter than the sun? Yet even its light fails. And flesh and blood will think up evil.

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

Note"Flesh and blood" is another idiom for a human being, used when the speaker wants to stress human frailty and mortality.

32He inspects the powers of the height of heaven, and all people are only earth and ashes.

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

Note"The power of the height of heaven" most likely means the armies or hosts of heaven, the sun, moon and stars or the heavenly beings; the Greek is compressed and could be read either way. "Earth and ashes" is a set phrase for human lowliness, used by Abraham in Genesis 18 when he calls himself dust and ashes.