Ecclesiasticus 18

The one who lives forever created all things, all of them alike.

1He that liveth for ever Hath created all things in general.

NoteEcclesiasticus, also called Sirach or the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach, was written in Hebrew about 180 BC and translated into Greek by the author's grandson; the King James translators worked from the Greek. The Greek phrase behind "all things in general" is open: it can mean "all things alike," "all things together," or "all things without exception."

2The Lord alone is right and just, and there is no one else but him.

2The Lord only is righteous, and there is none other but he,

3He rules the world with the palm of his hand, and all things obey what he wants. He is the King of all, and by his power he separates the holy things among them from the things that are not holy.

3Who governeth the world with the palm of his hand, and all things obey his will: for he is the King of all, by his power dividing holy things among them from profane.

Note"Profane" in 1611 English means ordinary or common, belonging to everyday use rather than set apart for worship. It does not mean irreverent or blasphemous. This second half of verse 2 and all of verse 3 are missing from the oldest Greek manuscripts and belong to a longer, expanded form of the Greek text.

4Who has he given the power to tell what he has done? And who can search out his great deeds?

4To whom hath he given power to declare his works? and who shall find out his noble acts?

5Who can count up the strength of his greatness? And who can tell all the mercies he has shown?

5Who shall number the strength of his majesty? and who shall also tell out his mercies?

6As for the wonderful works of the Lord, nothing can be taken away from them, and nothing can be added to them, and no one can find out what lies at the bottom of them.

6As for the wondrous works of the Lord, there may nothing be taken from them, neither may any thing be put unto them, neither can the ground of them be found out.

Note"The ground of them" uses "ground" in its older sense of bottom or foundation: the underlying reason for God's works cannot be dug out.

7When a person has finished, that is when he is beginning; and when he stops, he will be at a loss.

7When a man hath done, then he beginneth; and when he leaveth off, then he shall be doubtful.

NoteThe saying is about the limits of understanding. A person who thinks he has finished exploring God's works is only at the beginning, and when he gives up he is left baffled. "Doubtful" in 1611 means at a loss or uncertain, not skeptical.

8What is a human being, and what use is he? What is his good, and what is his evil?

8What is man, and whereto serveth he? what is his good, and what is his evil?

9The number of a person's days, at the most, is a hundred years.

9The number of a man’s days at the most are an hundred years.

NoteA hundred years is a round figure for the outer limit of a human life in this kind of writing. Psalm 90 sets the usual span at seventy years, or eighty for the strong.

10Like a drop of water compared to the sea, or a small pebble compared to the sand, so are a thousand years compared to the days of eternity.

10As a drop of water unto the sea, and a gravelstone in comparison of the sand; so are a thousand years to the days of eternity.

11That is why God is patient with them and pours out his mercy on them.

11Therefore is God patient with them, and poureth forth his mercy upon them.

Note"Them" means human beings, the subject of verses 8 to 10. The shortness of human life is the reason given for God's patience.

12He saw and understood that the end they come to is evil, so he made his compassion greater.

12He saw and perceived their end to be evil; therefore he multiplied his compassion.

Note"Their end" means the destination people are heading for, their death and what it comes to, rather than a purpose they aim at.

13A person's mercy reaches his neighbor, but the Lord's mercy is on every living thing. He corrects, and trains, and teaches, and brings back, the way a shepherd brings back his flock.

13The mercy of man is toward his neighbour; but the mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh: he reproveth, and nurtureth, and teacheth and bringeth again, as a shepherd his flock.

Note"All flesh" is a standard biblical phrase for every living creature, sometimes narrowed to all human beings. The contrast is one of range: a person's mercy reaches as far as the people around him, God's reaches everything alive.

14He shows mercy to those who accept correction, and who search hard for his rulings.

14He hath mercy on them that receive discipline, and that diligently seek after his judgments.

Note"Judgments" here means his rulings and decisions, the laws and verdicts he lays down, not acts of condemning people.

15My son, do not spoil your good deeds, and do not use hurtful words when you give anything.

15My son, blemish not thy good deeds, neither use uncomfortable words when thou givest any thing.

Note"My son" is the standard way a wisdom teacher addresses his pupil throughout this book; it does not mean the hearer is his actual child. "Uncomfortable" in 1611 means giving no comfort, distressing or wounding, not awkward or inconvenient.

16Does not the dew ease the heat? In the same way, a word is better than a gift.

16Shall not the dew asswage the heat? so is a word better than a gift.

NoteIn the land this was written for, no rain falls for months in the dry season, and the heavy night dew was the only relief from the day's heat. The comparison assumes a reader who has felt it.

17Look, is not a word better than a gift? But a kind person has both.

17Lo, is not a word better than a gift? but both are with a gracious man.

18A fool will scold rudely, and the gift of a grudging person makes the eyes waste away.

18A fool will upbraid churlishly, and a gift of the envious consumeth the eyes.

NoteTo "upbraid" is to reproach or scold someone, here by throwing the favor back in the recipient's face. "Consumeth the eyes" is an old idiom for eyes wearing out with waiting and disappointment: a gift given grudgingly leaves the receiver straining and worse off than before.

19Learn before you speak, and take medicine before you are sick.

19Learn before thou speak, and use physick or ever thou be sick.

Note"Physick" means medicine or medical treatment. "Or ever" in 1611 English means "before," not "or." Both halves of the line are about acting in advance.

20Examine yourself before judgment comes, and in the day of visitation you will find mercy.

20Before judgment examine thyself, and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy.

Note"The day of visitation" is a fixed biblical phrase for the time when God comes to inspect and to call people to account. To "visit" in this sense means to come and deal with someone, for good or for ill.

21Humble yourself before you get sick, and in the time of sinning show that you are turning back.

21Humble thyself before thou be sick, and in the time of sins shew repentance.

Note"The time of sins" is open in the Greek: it can mean the time while you are still sinning, or the time when sins are called in and paid for. "Shew repentance" means show that you are turning back.

22Let nothing keep you from paying your vow at the proper time, and do not put off being set right until death.

22Let nothing hinder thee to pay thy vow in due time, and defer not until death to be justified.

NoteA vow was a formal promise to God to give something, usually an offering or a gift to the temple, often in return for help. The law required that it be paid promptly (Deuteronomy 23:21). "To be justified" here means to be cleared and put in the right; the warning is against leaving that to your deathbed.

23Before you pray, get yourself ready, and do not be like someone who puts the Lord to the test.

23Before thou prayest, prepare thyself; and be not as one that tempteth the Lord.

Note"Tempteth" in 1611 means puts to the test or tries out, not entices into sin. Praying without preparation is treated as testing God to see what he will do.

24Think about the anger that will come at the end, and the time of punishment, when he turns his face away.

24Think upon the wrath that shall be at the end, and the time of vengeance, when he shall turn away his face.

NoteTurning the face toward someone means giving them favor and attention; turning it away is the withdrawal of both. The phrase is about God no longer attending, not about physical direction.

25When you have enough, remember the time of hunger; and when you are rich, think about poverty and need.

25When thou hast enough, remember the time of hunger: and when thou art rich, think upon poverty and need.

26From morning until evening the time changes, and all things are quickly over before the Lord.

26From the morning until the evening the time is changed, and all things are soon done before the Lord.

NoteThe point is the speed of reversal: a person's whole situation can change between sunrise and sunset, and from God's side the whole business is over in a moment.

27A wise person is careful in everything, and in the day of sinning he guards against doing wrong; but a fool does not watch for the right time.

27A wise man will fear in every thing, and in the day of sinning he will beware of offence: but a fool will not observe time.

Note"Observe time" means watch for the right moment to act. The King James Bible uses "observe times" elsewhere for fortune telling, but that is not the sense here.

28Everyone who has understanding knows wisdom, and will give praise to the one who found her.

28Every man of understanding knoweth wisdom, and will give praise unto him that found her.

NoteWisdom is a feminine noun in both Hebrew and Greek, so this book regularly speaks of wisdom as "her." "Him that found her" is the person who has found wisdom.

29Those who understood wise sayings became wise themselves too, and poured out finely made sayings.

29They that were of understanding in sayings became also wise themselves, and poured forth exquisite parables.

Note"Parables" translates a Greek word that stands in for the Hebrew mashal, which covers proverbs, sayings, riddles and comparisons rather than the story-parables of the Gospels. "Exquisite" in 1611 means carefully worked out, finely made.

30Do not go after your cravings, but hold yourself back from your appetites.

30Go not after thy lusts, but refrain thyself from thine appetites.

31If you give your soul the desires that please her, she will make you a laughingstock to your enemies, who speak evil of you.

31If thou givest thy soul the desires that please her, she will make thee a laughingstock to thine enemies that malign thee.

NoteThe word translated "soul" means the appetite, the living self with its hungers and cravings, not an immaterial part of a person. It is grammatically feminine, which is why the verse says "her."

32Do not take pleasure in a great deal of feasting, and do not be tied to what it costs.

32Take not pleasure in much good cheer, neither be tied to the expence thereof.

Note"Good cheer" in 1611 means food and drink, the fare at a feast, not cheerfulness. Being "tied to the expence thereof" means being bound to the spending such feasting requires.

33Do not become a beggar by holding banquets on borrowed money when you have nothing in your purse, for you will be lying in wait for your own life, and people will talk about you.

33Be not made a beggar by banqueting upon borrowing, when thou hast nothing in thy purse: for thou shalt lie in wait for thine own life, and be talked on.

Note"Lie in wait" is what a robber does when he hides to ambush a traveler. The saying turns the image around: the man borrowing to entertain is setting the ambush for himself. "Be talked on" means be gossiped about.