Eclesiástico 51

1Oración de Jesús, hijo de Sirac. Te glorificaré, oh Señor y Rey; a Ti alabaré, oh Dios Salvador mío.

2Gracias tributaré a tu nombre, porque has sido mi auxiliador y mi protector.

3Y has librado mi cuerpo de la perdición, del lazo tendido por la lengua maligna y de los labios que urden la mentira; y delante de mis acusadores te has manifestado mi defensor.

4Por tu gran misericordia, de la cual tomas nombre, me has librado de los que rugían, ya prontos a devorarme;

5de las manos de aquellos que buscaban cómo quitarme la vida, y del tropel de tribulaciones que me cercaron;

6de la violencia de las llamas entre las cuales me vi encerrado y en cuyo fuego no fui abrasado;

7del profundo seno del infierno, de los labios impuros, del falso testimonio; de un rey inicuo y de la lengua injusta.

8Mi alma alabará al Señor hasta la muerte;

9pues mi vida estuvo a pique de caer en el infierno.

10Me cercaron por todas partes, y no había quien me prestase socorro; volvía los ojos en busca del amparo de los hombres, y no lo había.

11Me acordé, oh Señor, de tu misericordia, y de tus obras desde el principio del mundo;

12y cómo salvas, Señor a los que en Ti esperan, y los libras de las naciones.

13Tú ensalzaste mi casa sobre la tierra, y yo te supliqué que me librases de la muerte, que todo lo disuelve.

14Invoqué al Señor, Padre de mi Señor, que no me desamparase en el tiempo de mi tribulación, y mientras dominaren los soberbios.

15Alabaré sin cesar tu nombre, y le celebraré con acciones de gracias; pues fue oída mi oración.

16Me libraste de la perdición, y me sacaste a salvo en el tiempo calamitoso.

17Por tanto te glorificaré, te cantaré alabanzas, y bendeciré el nombre del Señor.

18Siendo yo todavía mozo, antes que anduviese errante, busqué abiertamente la sabiduría con mis oraciones.

19La estaba pidiendo en el atrio del Templo, y la buscaré hasta mi último aliento. Ella brotó su flor, como la uva temprana.

20Se regocijó con ella mi corazón; mis pies tomaron el camino recto; desde mi juventud iba yo en seguimiento de ella.

21Apliqué un tanto mi oído, y la percibí.

22Acopié mucha sabiduría en mi mente, e hice en ella muchos progresos.

23Al que me dio la sabiduría tributaré yo la gloria.

24Me resolví, por lo tanto, a ponerla en práctica; fui celoso del bien, y no me avergonzaré.

25Por ella ha combatido mi alma, y poniéndola por obra cobré fuerza.

26Levanté mis manos a lo alto, y lloré mi ignorancia.

27Hacia ella enderecé el alma mía; y la hallé en el conocimiento.

28Con ella desde luego fui dueño de mi corazón, por lo que no seré abandonado.

29Acongojado anduvo mi corazón en busca de ella; por lo tanto gozaré de esta rica herencia.

30El Señor me dio en recompensa una lengua, y con ella le alabaré.

31Acercaos a mí, oh ignorantes, y reuníos en la casa de la enseñanza.

32¿Por qué os detenéis todavía? ¿Y qué respondéis a esto, estando vuestras almas ardiendo de sed?

33Abrí mi boca y os dije: Venid a comprarla sin dinero.

34Someted a su yugo vuestro cuello, y reciba vuestra alma la instrucción; pues fácil es el encontrarla.

35Mirad con vuestros ojos lo poco que me he fatigado, y cómo he adquirido mucho descanso.

36Recibid la enseñanza como un caudal de plata, y poseeréis con ella un inmenso tesoro de oro.

37Alégrese vuestra alma en la misericordia de Dios; y alabándole a Él, nunca quedaréis confundidos.

38Haced lo que debéis hacer antes que el tiempo pase; y Él os dará a su tiempo vuestra recompensa.

1Oratio Jesu filii Sirach. [Confitebor tibi, Domine rex, et collaudabo te Deum salvatorem meum.

2Confitebor nomini tuo, quoniam adjutor et protector factus es mihi,

3et liberasti corpus meum a perditione: a laqueo linguæ iniquæ, et a labiis operantium mendacium: et in conspectu astantium factus es mihi adjutor.

4Et liberasti me, secundum multitudinem misericordiæ nominis tui, a rugientibus præparatis ad escam:

5de manibus quærentium animam meam, et de portis tribulationum quæ circumdederunt me;

6a pressura flammæ quæ circumdedit me, et in medio ignis non sum æstuatus;

7de altitudine ventris inferi, et a lingua coinquinata, et a verbo mendacii, a rege iniquo, et a lingua injusta.

8Laudabit usque ad mortem anima mea Dominum,

9et vita mea appropinquans erat in inferno deorsum.

10Circumdederunt me undique, et non erat qui adjuvaret: respiciens eram ad adjutorium hominum, et non erat.

11Memoratus sum misericordiæ tuæ Domine, et operationis tuæ, quæ a sæculo sunt:

12quoniam eruis sustinentes te, Domine, et liberas eos de manibus gentium.

13Exaltasti super terram habitationem meam, et pro morte defluente deprecatus sum.

14Invocavi Dominum patrem Domini mei, ut non derelinquat me in die tribulationis meæ, et in tempore superborum, sine adjutorio.

15Laudabo nomen tuum assidue, et collaudabo illud in confessione: et exaudita est oratio mea,

16et liberasti me de perditione, et eripuisti me de tempore iniquo.

17Propterea confitebor, et laudem dicam tibi, et benedicam nomini Domini.]

18[Cum adhuc junior essem, priusquam oberrarem, quæsivi sapientiam palam in oratione mea.

19Ante templum postulabam pro illis, et usque in novissimis inquiram eam: et effloruit tamquam præcox uva.

20Lætatum est cor meum in ea: ambulavit pes meus iter rectum: a juventute mea investigabam eam.

21Inclinavi modico aurem meam, et excepi illam.

22Multam inveni in meipso sapientiam, et multum profeci in ea.

23Danti mihi sapientiam dabo gloriam:

24consiliatus sum enim ut facerem illam. Zelatus sum bonum, et non confundar.

25Colluctata est anima mea in illa, et in faciendo eam confirmatus sum.

26Manus meas extendi in altum, et insipientiam ejus luxi;

27animam meam direxi ad illam, et in agnitione inveni eam.

28Possedi cum ipsa cor ab initio: propter hoc, non derelinquar.

29Venter meus conturbatus est quærendo illam: propterea bonam possidebo possessionem.

30Dedit mihi Dominus linguam mercedem meam, et in ipsa laudabo eum.

31Appropiate ad me, indocti, et congregate vos in domum disciplinæ.

32Quid adhuc retardatis? et quid dicitis in his? animæ vestræ sitiunt vehementer.

33Aperui os meum, et locutus sum: Comparate vobis sine argento,

34et collum vestrum subjicite jugo: et suscipiat anima vestra disciplinam: in proximo est enim invenire eam.

35Videte oculis vestris, quia modicum laboravi, et inveni mihi multam requiem.

36Assumite disciplinam in multo numero argenti, et copiosum aurum possidete in ea.

37Lætetur anima vestra in misericordia ejus, et non confundemini in laude ipsius.

38Operamini opus vestrum ante tempus, et dabit vobis mercedem vestram in tempore suo.]

1A prayer of Jesus the son of Sirach. I will give glory to thee, O Lord, O King, and I will praise thee, O God my Saviour.

2I will give glory to thy name: for thou hast been a helper and protector to me.

3And hast preserved my body from destruction, from the snare of an unjust tongue, and from the lips of them that forge lies, and in the sight of them that stood by, thou hast been my helper.

4And thou hast delivered me, according to the multitude of the mercy of thy name, from them that did roar, prepared to devour.

5Out of the hands of them that sought my life, and from the gates of afflictions, which compassed me about:

6From the oppression of the flame which surrounded me, and in the midst of the fire I was not burnt.

7From the depth of the belly of hell, and from an unclean tongue, and from lying words, from an unjust king, and from a slanderous tongue:

8My soul shall praise the Lord even to death.

9And my life was drawing near to hell beneath.

10They compassed me on every side, and there was no one that would help me. I looked for the succour of men, and there was none.

11I remembered thy mercy, O Lord, and thy works, which are from the beginning of the world.

12How thou deliverest them that wait for thee, O Lord, and savest them out of the hands of the nations.

13Thou hast exalted my dwelling place upon the earth and I have prayed for death to pass away.

14I called upon the Lord, the father of my Lord, that he would not leave me in the day of my trouble, and in the time of the proud without help.

15I will praise thy name continually, and will praise it with thanksgiving, and my prayer was heard.

16And thou hast saved me from destruction, and hast delivered me from the evil time.

17Therefore I will give thanks, and praise thee, and bless the name of the Lord.

18When I was yet young, before I wandered about, I sought for wisdom openly in my prayer.

19I prayed for her before the temple, and unto the very end I will seek after her, and she flourished as a grape soon ripe.

20My heart delighted in her, my foot walked in the right way, from my youth up I sought after her.

21I bowed down my ear a little, and received her.

22I found much wisdom in myself, and I profited much therein.

23To him that giveth me wisdom, will I give glory.

24For I have determined to follow her: I have had a zeal for good, and shall not be confounded.

25My soul hath wrestled for her, and in doing it I have been confirmed.

26I stretched forth my hands on high, and I bewailed my ignorance of her.

27I directed my soul to her, and in knowledge I found her.

28I possessed my heart with her from the beginning: therefore I shall not be forsaken.

29My entrails were troubled in seeking her: therefore shall I possess a good possession.

30The Lord hath given me a tongue for my reward: and with it I will praise him.

31Draw near to me, ye unlearned, and gather yourselves together into the house of discipline.

32Why are ye slow? and what do you say of these things? your souls are exceeding thirsty.

33I have opened my mouth, and have spoken: buy her for yourselves without silver,

34And submit your neck to the yoke, and let your soul receive discipline: for she is near at hand to be found.

35Behold with your eyes how I have laboured a little, and have found much rest to myself.

36Receive ye discipline as a great sum of money, and possess abundance of gold by her.

37Let your soul rejoice in his mercy, and you shall not be confounded in his praise.

38Work your work before the time, and he will give you your reward in his time.