Sirach
Chapter 51
EPILOGUE
First Thanksgiving
I will give thanks to you, O Lord and King; I praise you, my God and Savior, and I give thanks to your name.
For you are my protector and helper. You have rescued my body from destruction, from the trap of the wicked tongue, and from lips that speak lies.
In the presence of those who stood against me, you were my helper and my deliverer.
In the fullness of mercy and the glory of your name, you delivered me from the teeth of those ready to devour me, from the hand of those seeking to take my life, and from many trials.
You rescued me from choking fire on every side; you saved me from a fire I had not lit.
You delivered me from the depths of the shadowy abyss, from an impure tongue and lying words,
from vicious slander reported to the king. I was close to death, already at the gates of the netherworld.
They surrounded me on all sides with no one to help me. I looked for human comfort, but there was none.
Then, Lord, I remembered your mercy and your deeds from all eternity, knowing that you deliver those who hope in you and save them from their enemies.
I have sent up my prayer from the earth, begging to be rescued from death.
I called on the Lord, the Father of my Lord: “Do not forsake me in my time of trouble, when I am helpless against arrogant enemies; I will praise your name continually and sing my thanksgiving to you.”
My prayer was heard; you saved me from destruction and rescued me from a dire situation.
That is why I will give you thanks, praise, and bless the name of the Lord.
Second Thanksgiving
Give praise to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.
Give praise to the God of glory, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the Guardian of Israel, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the Creator of all things, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the Redeemer of Israel, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the God who gathers the dispersed of Israel, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the God who builds the city and sanctuary, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the God who causes a horn to sprout forth for the house of David, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the God who has chosen the sons of Zadok as priests, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the Shield of Abraham, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the Rock of Isaac, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the Mighty One of Jacob, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the God who has chosen Zion, for his love endures forever.
Give praise to the King, the King of kings, for his love endures forever.
He has lifted up the horn of his people! Let this be his praise from all the faithful,
From Israel, the people near to Him. Hallelujah!
Poem to Wisdom
1In my youth, before I set out on my travels, I openly sought wisdom in prayer;
before the temple I asked for her, and I will pursue her to the end of my days.
While she blossomed like a ripening cluster, my heart delighted in her; my feet followed the right path because I searched for her since my youth.
As soon as I began listening to her, she was given to me, along with much instruction.
With her help, I made progress and will praise Him who gives me wisdom,
for I have decided to put it into practice and eagerly seek what is good. I will not regret it.
My soul has struggled to possess her. I have been attentive to observe the law, and after my faults, I have reached out to heaven and mourned my ignorance of her.
My love for her grew, and I found her in repentance. It was through her from the beginning that I learned to control my heart. She will not abandon me.
With all my heart, I searched for her; that’s why I achieved what is best.
In return for this, the Lord has given me words to praise him.
Come near, you who are without understanding, and join her school.
Why do you say you are deprived of all this and that your souls are thirsty?
This is what I say: Buy this without money;
put your neck under her yoke and let your minds receive instruction; it is very near and within your reach.
See for yourselves: my toil has been slight and I found deep rest.
Be instructed, whatever the cost, and you will gain what is better than gold.
Let your soul find joy in the mercy of the Lord, and do not be ashamed to praise him.
Do your work within the appointed time, and the Lord in his time will give you your reward.
Commentaries
First Thanksgiving.
The Lord saves the believer from the greatest dangers. The example of prayer is well known from the Old Testament. The believer talks to the Lord to praise and thank Him for rescuing them from persecution, slander, and a distress so intense it feels almost like death itself.
Second Thanksgiving.
Unrelated to the previous prayer, this hymn, also of thanksgiving, is modeled after Psalm 136. The author, who does not seem to be Ben Sirach, begins by recognizing God as the creator of all things, then uses epithets (guardian, redeemer, reconstructor…) to highlight key divine interventions in Israel’s history. God has done everything and has arranged it all according to His great mercy.
Poem to Wisdom.
This poem can be split into two parts. The first, with autobiographical elements, probably by Ben Sirach himself, describes his early desire to follow the way of wisdom (13) and his quick recognition and dedication to it (14f), thereby gaining much wisdom (16). In verses 17-22, wisdom is personified as a nurse and teacher (7). It recounts all he achieved through her and the passion and desire with which he sought her (18-21), for which he gives thanks to God (22). The second part (23-30) is a call to young people to also, like the author, seek wisdom early. The secret of wisdom is doing everything with justice, but this simple task requires training, effort, and surrender to God’s will.