Jesus Sirach 45

1Moses was beloved of God, and men: whose memory is in benediction.

2He made him like the saints in glory, and magnified him in the fear of his enemies, and with his words he made prodigies to cease.

3He glorified him in the sight of kings, and gave him commandments in the sight of his people, and shewed him his glory.

4He sanctified him in his faith, and meekness, and chose him out of all flesh.

5For he heard him, and his voice, and brought him into a cloud.

6And he gave him commandments before his face, and a law of life and instruction, that he might teach Jacob his covenant, and Israel his judgments.

7He exalted Aaron his brother, and like to himself of the tribe of Levi:

8He made an everlasting covenant with him, and gave him the priesthood of the nation, and made him blessed in glory,

9And he girded him about with a glorious girdle, and clothed him with a robe of glory, and crowned him with majestic attire.

10He put upon him a garment to the feet, and breeches, and as ephod, and he compassed him with many little bells of gold all round about,

11That as he went there might be a sound, and a noise made that might be heard in the temple, for a memorial to the children of his people.

12He gave him a holy robe of gold, and blue, and purple, a woven work of a wise man, endued with judgment and truth:

13Of twisted scarlet the work of an artist, with precious stones cut and set in gold, and graven by the work of a lapidary for a memorial, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

14And a crown of gold upon his mitre wherein was engraved Holiness, an ornament of honour: a work of power, and delightful to the eyes for its beauty.

15Before him there were none so beautiful, even from the beginning.

16No stranger was ever clothed with them, but only his children alone, and his grandchildren for ever.

17His sacrifices were consumed with fire every day.

18Moses filled his hands and anointed him with holy oil.

19This was made to him for an everlasting testament, and to his seed as the days of heaven, to execute the office of the priesthood, and to have praise, and to glorify his people in his name.

20He chose him out of all men living, to offer sacrifice to God, incense, and a good savour, for a memorial to make reconciliation for his people:

21And he gave him power in his commandments, in the covenants of his judgments, that he should teach Jacob his testimonies, and give light to Israel in his law.

22And strangers stood up against him, and through envy the men that were with Dathan and Abiron, compassed him about in the wilderness, and the congregation of Core in their wrath.

23The Lord God saw and it pleased him not, and they were consumed in his wrathful indignation.

24He wrought wonders upon them, and consumed them with a flame of fire.

25And he added glory to Aaron, and gave him an inheritance, and divided unto him the firstfruits of the increase of the earth.

26He prepared them bread in the first place unto fulness: for the sacrifices also of the Lord they shall eat, which he gave to him, and to his seed.

27But he shall not inherit among the people in the land, and he hath no portion among the people: for he himself is his portion and inheritance.

28Phinees the son of Eleazar is the third in glory, by imitating him in the fear of the Lord:

29And he stood up in the shameful fall of the people: in the goodness and readiness of his soul he appeased God for Israel.

30Therefore he made to him a covenant of peace, to be the prince of the sanctuary, and of his people, that the dignity of priesthood should be to him and to his seed for ever.

31And a covenant to David the king, the son of Jesse of the tribe of Juda, an inheritance to him and to his seed, that he might give wisdom into our heart to judge his people in justice, that their good things might not be abolished, and he made their glory in their nation everlasting.

1[Dilectus Deo et hominibus Moyses, cujus memoria in benedictione est.

2Similem illum fecit in gloria sanctorum, et magnificavit eum in timore inimicorum, et in verbis suis monstra placavit.

3Glorificavit illum in conspectu regum, et jussit illi coram populo suo, et ostendit illi gloriam suam.

4In fide et lenitate ipsius sanctum fecit illum, et elegit eum ex omni carne.

5Audivit enim eum, et vocem ipsius, et induxit illum in nubem.

6Et dedit illi coram præcepta, et legem vitæ et disciplinæ, docere Jacob testamentum suum, et judicia sua Israël.]

7[Excelsum fecit Aaron fratrem ejus, et similem sibi, de tribu Levi.

8Statuit ei testamentum æternum, et dedit illi sacerdotium gentis, et beatificavit illum in gloria:

9et circumcinxit eum zona gloriæ, et induit eum stolam gloriæ, et coronavit eum in vasis virtutis.

10Circumpedes, et femoralia, et humerale posuit ei: et cinxit illum tintinnabulis aureis plurimis in gyro:

11dare sonitum in incessu suo, auditum facere sonitum in templo in memoriam filiis gentis suæ.

12Stolam sanctam auro, et hyacintho, et purpura, opus textile viri sapientis, judicio et veritate præditi:

13torto cocco opus artificis gemmis pretiosis figuratis in ligatura auri, et opere lapidarii sculptis, in memoriam secundum numerum tribuum Israël.

14Corona aurea super mitram ejus expressa signo sanctitatis, et gloria honoris: opus virtutis, et desideria oculorum ornata.

15Sic pulchra ante ipsum non fuerunt talia usque ad originem.

16Non est indutus illa alienigena aliquis, sed tantum filii ipsius soli, et nepotes ejus per omne tempus.

17Sacrificia ipsius consumpta sunt igne quotidie.

18Complevit Moyses manus ejus, et unxit illum oleo sancto.

19Factum est illi in testamentum æternum, et semini ejus, sicut dies cæli, fungi sacerdotio, et habere laudem, et glorificare populum suum in nomine ejus.

20Ipsum elegit ab omni vivente, offerre sacrificium Deo, incensum, et bonum odorem, in memoriam placare pro populo suo:

21et dedit illi in præceptis suis potestatem, in testamentis judiciorum: docere Jacob testimonia, et in lege sua lucem dare Israël.

22Quia contra illum steterunt alieni, et propter invidiam circumdederunt illum homines in deserto, qui erant cum Dathan et Abiron, et congregatio Core in iracundia.

23Vidit Dominus Deus, et non placuit illi, et consumpti sunt in impetu iracundiæ.

24Fecit illis monstra, et consumpsit illos in flamma ignis.

25Et addidit Aaron gloriam, et dedit illi hæreditatem, et primitias frugum terræ divisit illi.

26Panem ipsis in primis paravit in satietatem: nam et sacrificia Domini edent, quæ dedit illi et semini ejus.

27Ceterum in terra gentes non hæreditabit, et pars non est illi in gente: ipse est enim pars ejus, et hæreditas.]

28[Phinees, filius Eleazari, tertius in gloria est, imitando eum in timore Domini,

29et stare in reverentia gentis: in bonitate et alacritate animæ suæ placuit Deo pro Israël.

30Ideo statuit illi testamentum pacis, principem sanctorum et gentis suæ, ut sit illi et semini ejus sacerdotii dignitas in æternum.

31Et testamentum David regi filio Jesse de tribu Juda, hæreditas ipsi et semini ejus: ut daret sapientiam in cor nostrum, judicare gentem suam in justitia, ne abolerentur bona ipsorum: et gloriam ipsorum in gentem eorum æternam fecit.]

1Moses was beloved by God and men. The remembrance of him is a blessing.

2He made him like the holy ones in glory, and he magnified him by the fear of his enemies, and he appeased great portents by his words.

3He glorified him in the sight of kings, and he gave commandments to him in the sight of his people, and he revealed his glory to him.

4He made him holy by his faith and meekness, and he chose him from among all flesh.

5For he heard him and his voice, and he led him into a cloud.

6And he gave him precepts in his presence, with a law of life and discipline, so as to teach Jacob his covenant and Israel his judgments.

7He exalted his brother Aaron and those who were similar to him from the tribe of Levi.

8He established an eternal covenant with him, and he gave him the priesthood of the people, and he caused him to be blessed in glory.

9And he encircled him with a glorious belt, and he clothed him with a robe of glory, and he crowned him with virtuous attire.

10He placed upon him a garment to the feet, and pants, and an ephod, and he wrapped him all around with many little bells of gold,

11so that there would be a sound at his arrival, and so as to make a noise that would be heard in the temple, as a memorial for the sons of his people.

12He provided him with a holy robe of gold and hyacinth and purple, a woven work for a wise man of judgment and truth,

13a work of twisted scarlet, the work of an artist, with precious stones, cut and set in gold, and engraved by the work of a jeweler, as a memorial according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

14He provided him with a crown of gold upon his headdress, on which was written a symbol of holiness, a mark of honor. This was a work of virtue and a delight to the eyes in its beauty.

15Prior to him, there was no one of such beauty, even from the beginning.

16No foreigner was ever clothed with these things, but only his sons and his descendants alone, for all time.

17His sacrifices were consumed by fire daily.

18Moses filled his hands and anointed him with holy oil.

19An eternal covenant was made, with him and with his offspring, like the days of heaven, to execute the office of the priesthood, and to give praise and to glorify his people, in his name.

20He chose him from among all living men to offer to God sacrifice, incense, and a pleasing fragrance, as a memorial of appeasement on behalf of his people.

21And he gave him authority by his precepts, in the covenants of his judgments, to teach Jacob his testimonies, and to give light by his law to Israel.

22Then strangers stood up against him, and, because of envy, the men who were with Dathan and Abiram surrounded him in the desert, along with the congregation of Korah, in their anger.

23The Lord God saw this, and it did not please him, and so they were consumed by the force of his anger.

24He wrought great portents among them, and he consumed them with a flame of fire.

25And he added glory to Aaron, and he gave him an inheritance, and he allotted to him the first-fruits of the earth.

26He prepared for them the finest bread unto fullness. And they shall also eat from the sacrifices of the Lord, which he gave to him and to his offspring.

27And yet he will not have an inheritance among the people of the land, and he has no portion among the people. For the Lord himself is his portion and his inheritance.

28Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, is third in glory, by imitating him in the fear of the Lord.

29And he stood up against the shamefulness of the people. By the goodness and responsiveness of his soul, he appeased God on behalf of Israel.

30For this reason, he made him a covenant of peace, a leader of the sanctuary and of his people, so that the dignity of the priesthood would remain with him and with his offspring unto eternity.

31And he made a covenant with king David, the son of Jesse from the tribe of Judah, an inheritance for him and for his offspring, so that he might provide wisdom for our hearts, so as to judge his people in justice, lest their good things be abolished. And he caused their glory within their nation to be everlasting.