The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Son of Sirach 36
1 Have mercy upon us, O Lord the God of
all, and look at us with favor;
2 and send your fear upon all the nations.†
3 Lift up your hand against the foreign
nations and let them see your mighty power.
4 As you showed your holiness in us before
them, so be magnified in them before us.
5 Let them know you, as we also have
known you, that there is no God but
only you, O God.
6 Show new signs, and work various wonders.
Glorify your hand and your right arm.‡
7 Raise up indignation and pour out wrath.
Take away the adversary and destroy the enemy.
8 Hasten the time and remember your
oath. Let them declare your mighty works.
9 Let him who escapes be devoured by
raging fire. May those who harm your
people find destruction.
10 Crush the heads of the rulers of the enemies
who say, “There is no one but ourselves.”
11 Gather all the tribes of Jacob together,
and§ take them for your inheritance,
as from the beginning.
12 O Lord, have mercy upon the people that
is called by your name, and upon Israel,
whom you likened to a firstborn.
13 Have compassion upon the city of your
sanctuary, Jerusalem, the place of your rest.
14 Fill Zion. Exalt your oracles
and fill your people with your glory.
15 Give testimony to those who were your
creatures in the beginning,
and fulfill the prophecies that have
been spoken in your name.
16 Reward those who wait for you,
and men will put their trust in your
prophets.
17 Listen, O Lord, to the prayer of your
servants, according to theblessing of
Aaronconcerning your people;
and all those who are on the earth will
know that youare theLord,the† eternal God.
18 The belly will eat any food,
but one food is better than another.
19 The mouth tastes meats taken in hunting,
so does an understanding heart detect
false speech.
20 A contrary heart will cause heaviness.
A man of experience will pay him back.
21 A woman will receive any man,
but one daughter is better than another.
22 The beauty of a woman cheers the countenance.
A man desires nothing more.
23 If kindness and humility are on her
tongue, her husband is not like
other sons of men.
24 He who gets a wife gets his richest treasure,
a help meet for him and a pillar of support.
25 Where no hedge is, the property will be
plundered. He who has no wife will mourn as he
wanders.
26 For who would trust a nimble robber
who skips from city to city?
Even so, who would trust a man who
has no nest, and lodges wherever he
finds himself at nightfall?