Eclesiástico 38

1Honra al médico, porque lo necesitas; pues el Altísimo es el que le ha hecho.

2Porque de Dios viene toda medicina, y el médico será remunerado por el rey.

3Al médico le elevará su ciencia a los honores, y será celebrado ante los magnates.

4El Altísimo creó de la tierra los medicamentos, y el nombre prudente no los desecha.

5¿No endulzó un palo las aguas amargas?

6La virtud de los medicamentos pertenece al conocimiento de los hombres; el Señor se la ha descubierto, para que le glorifiquen por sus maravillas.

7Con ellas cura y mitiga los dolores; el boticario hace composiciones suaves, y forma ungüentos saludables, y no tendrán fin sus operaciones.

8Porque la bendición de Dios está extendida sobre toda la tierra.

9Hijo, cuando estés enfermo, no te descuides a ti mismo; antes bien, ruega al Señor, y Él te curará.

10Apártate del pecado, endereza tus acciones, y limpia tu corazón de toda culpa.

11Ofrece suave olor, y la flor de harina en memoria; sea perfecta tu oblación, y entonces da lugar al médico.

12Pues le ha puesto el Señor; y no se aparte de ti, porque su asistencia es necesaria.

13Puesto que hay un tiempo en que has de caer en manos de los médicos;

14y ellos rogarán al Señor para que les conceda lograr alivio y salud por su tratamiento.

15Caerá en manos del médico el que peca en la presencia de su Creador.

16Hijo, derrama lágrimas sobre el muerto, y como en un fatal acontecimiento comienza a suspirar; cubre su cuerpo según costumbre, y no te olvides de su sepultura.

17Y para evitar que murmuren de ti, llórale amargamente por un día. Consuélate después para huir de la tristeza.

18Haz duelo, según el mérito de la persona, uno o dos días, para evitar la maledicencia;

19porque la tristeza apresura la muerte y deprime el vigor, y la melancolía del corazón encorva la cerviz.

20Mientras le llevan se mantiene la tristeza; pues la vida del pobre es como su corazón.

21No abandones tu corazón a la tristeza, arrójala de ti; y acuérdate de las postrimerías.

22No te olvides de ellas; porque de allá no se vuelve; no ayudarás en nada a él, y te harás daño a ti mismo.

23“Considera lo que ha sido de mí; porque lo mismo será de ti: ayer por mí, hoy por ti.”

24El descanso del difunto tranquilice en ti la memoria de él; y consuélate en orden a él en la salida de su espíritu.

25La sabiduría la aprende el escriba en el tiempo que está libre de negocios; y el que tiene pocas ocupaciones la adquirirá, y se llenará de ella.

26Pero, ¿qué sabiduría podrá adquirir el que está asido del arado, y pone su gloria en picar los bueyes con la aguijada, y se ocupa en sus labores, y no habla de otra cosa que de los toros?

27Aplica su corazón a tirar los surcos, y sus desvelos a engordar sus vacas.

28Así todo artesano y constructor que trabaja día y noche, y el que graba las figuras en los sellos, y con tesón va formando varias figuras, tiene su corazón atento a imitar el dibujo, y a fuerza de vigilias perfecciona su obra.

29Así el herrero, sentado junto al yunque, está atento al hierro que está trabajando; el vaho del fuego tuesta sus carnes, y está luchando con los ardores de la fragua.

30El ruido del martillo le aturde los oídos, y tiene fijos sus ojos en el modelo de su obra;

31su corazón atiende a acabar las obras, y con su desvelo las pule a la perfección.

32Así el alfarero, sentado a su labor, gira con sus pies la rueda, siempre cuidadoso de lo que tiene entre las manos; y llevando cuenta de todo lo que labra.

33Con sus brazos amasa el barro, y con sus pies doma las fuerzas del mismo.

34Pondrá toda su atención en vidriar perfectamente la obra, y madrugará para limpiar el horno.

35Todos estos tienen su esperanza en la industria de sus manos, y cada uno es sabio en su arte.

36Sin todos estos, no se edifica una ciudad.

37Mas no habitarán en ella, ni se pasearán, ni entrarán en las asambleas.

38No se sentarán entre los jueces, ni entenderán las leyes judiciales, ni enseñarán las reglas de la moral, ni del derecho, ni se meterán a inventar parábolas;

39sino que restaurarán las cosas del inundo, y sus votos serán para hacer bien las obras de su arte, aplicando su propia alma a entender la ley del Altísimo.

1[Honora medicum propter necessitatem: etenim illum creavit Altissimus.

2A Deo est enim omnis medela, et a rege accipiet donationem.

3Disciplina medici exaltabit caput illius, et in conspectu magnatorum collaudabitur.

4Altissimus creavit de terra medicamenta, et vir prudens non abhorrebit illa.

5Nonne a ligno indulcata est aqua amara?

6Ad agnitionem hominum virtus illorum: et dedit hominibus scientiam Altissimus, honorari in mirabilibus suis.

7In his curans mitigabit dolorem: et unguentarius faciet pigmenta suavitatis, et unctiones conficiet sanitatis: et non consummabuntur opera ejus.

8Pax enim Dei super faciem terræ.

9Fili, in tua infirmitate ne despicias teipsum: sed ora Dominum, et ipse curabit te.

10Averte a delicto, et dirige manus, et ab omni delicto munda cor tuum.

11Da suavitatem et memoriam similaginis, et impingua oblationem, et da locum medico:

12etenim illum Dominus creavit, et non discedat a te, quia opera ejus sunt necessaria.

13Est enim tempus quando in manus illorum incurras:

14ipsi vero Dominum deprecabuntur, ut dirigat requiem eorum, et sanitatem, propter conversationem illorum.

15Qui delinquit in conspectu ejus qui fecit eum, incidet in manus medici.]

16[Fili, in mortuum produc lacrimas, et quasi dira passus incipe plorare: et secundum judicium contege corpus illius, et non despicias sepulturam illius.

17Propter delaturam autem amare fer luctum illius uno die, et consolare propter tristitiam:

18et fac luctum secundum meritum ejus uno die, vel duobus, propter detractionem:

19a tristitia enim festinat mors, et cooperit virtutem, et tristitia cordis flectit cervicem.

20In abductione permanet tristitia, et substantia inopis secundum cor ejus.

21Ne dederis in tristitia cor tuum, sed repelle eam a te, et memento novissimorum.

22Noli oblivisci, neque enim est conversio: et huic nihil proderis, et teipsum pessimabis.

23Memor esto judicii mei: sic enim erit et tuum: mihi heri, et tibi hodie.

24In requie mortui requiescere fac memoriam ejus, et consolare illum in exitu spiritus sui.]

25[Sapientia scribæ in tempore vacuitatis, et qui minoratur actu sapientiam percipiet, qua sapientia replebitur.

26Qui tenet aratrum, et qui gloriatur in jaculo, stimulo boves agitat, et conversatur in operibus eorum, et enarratio ejus in filiis taurorum.

27Cor suum dabit ad versandos sulcos, et vigilia ejus in sagina vaccarum.

28Sic omnis faber et architectus, qui noctem tamquam diem transigit: qui sculpit signacula sculptilia, et assiduitas ejus variat picturam: cor suum dabit in similitudinem picturæ, et vigilia sua perficiet opus.

29Sic faber ferrarius sedens juxta incudem, et considerans opus ferri: vapor ignis uret carnes ejus, et in calore fornacis concertatur.

30Vox mallei innovat aurem ejus, et contra similitudinem vasis oculus ejus.

31Cor suum dabit in consummationem operum, et vigilia sua ornabit in perfectionem.

32Sic figulus sedens ad opus suum, convertens pedibus suis rotam, qui in sollicitudine positus est semper propter opus suum, et in numero est omnis operatio ejus.

33In brachio suo formabit lutum, et ante pedes suos curvabit virtutem suam.

34Cor suum dabit ut consummet linitionem, et vigilia sua mundabit fornacem.

35Omnes hi in manibus suis speraverunt, et unusquisque in arte sua sapiens est.

36Sine his omnibus non ædificatur civitas,

37et non inhabitabunt, nec inambulabunt, et in ecclesiam non transilient.

38Super sellam judicis non sedebunt, et testamentum judicii non intelligent, neque palam facient disciplinam et judicium, et in parabolis non invenientur:

39sed creaturam ævi confirmabunt: et deprecatio illorum in operatione artis, accomodantes animam suam, et conquirentes in lege Altissimi.]

1Honour the physician for the need thou hast of him: for the most High hath created him.

2For all healing is from God, and he shall receive gifts of the king.

3The skill of the physician shall lift up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be praised.

4The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.

5Was not bitter water made sweet with wood?

6The virtue of these things is come to the knowledge of men, and the meet High hath given knowledge to men, that he may be honoured in his wonders.

7By these he shall cure and shall allay their pains, and of these the apothecary shall make sweet confections, and shall make up ointments of health, and of his works there shall be no end.

8For the peace of God is over all the face of the earth.

9My son, in thy sickness neglect not thyself, but pray to the Lord, and he shall heal thee.

10Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence.

11Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering, and then give place to the physician.

12For the Lord created him: and let him not depart from thee, for his works are necessary.

13For there is a time when thou must fall into their hands:

14And they shall beseech the Lord, that he would prosper what they give for ease and remedy, for their conversation.

15He that sinneth in the sight of his Maker, shall fall into the hands of the physician.

16My son, shed tears over the dead, and begin to lament as if thou hadst suffered some great harm, and according to judgment cover his body, and neglect not his burial.

17And for fear of being ill spoken of weep bitterly for a, day, and then comfort thyself in thy sadness.

18And make mourning for him according to his merit for a day, or two, for fear of detraction.

19For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.

20In withdrawing aside sorrow remaineth: and the substance of the poor is according to his heart.

21Give not up thy heart to sadness, but drive it from thee: and remember the latter end.

22Forget it not: for there is no returning, and thou shalt do him no good, and shalt hurt thyself.

23Remember my judgment: for also shall be so: yesterday for me, and today for thee.

24When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest, and comfort him in the departing of his spirit.

25The wisdom of a scribe cometh by his time of leisure: and he that is less in action, shall receive wisdom.

26With what wisdom shall he be furnished that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth the oxen therewith, and is occupied in their labours, and his whole talk is about the offspring of bulls?

27He shall give his mind to turn up furrows, and his care is to give the kine fodder.

28So every craftsman and workmaster that laboureth night and day, he who maketh graven seals, and by his continual diligence varieth the figure: he shall give his mind to the resemblance of the picture, and by his watching shall finish the work.

29So doth the smith sitting by the anvil and considering the iron work. The vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace.

30The noise of the hammer is always in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the vessel he maketh.

31He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them, to perfection.

32So doth the potter sitting at his work, turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always carefully set to his work, and maketh all his work by number:

33He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet:

34He shall give his mind to finish the glazing, and his watching to make clean the furnace.

35All these trust to their hands, and every one is wise in his own art.

36Without these a city is not built.

37And they shall not dwell, nor walk about therein, and they shall not go up into the assembly.

38Upon the judges’ seat they shall not sit, and the ordinance of judgment they shall not understand, neither shall they declare discipline and judgment, and they shall not be found where parables are spoken:

39But they shall strengthen the state of the world, and their prayer shall be in the work of their craft, applying their soul, and searching in the law of the most High.