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The Book of Jesus Sirach

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- Chapter 36 -

A prayer for the church of God. Of a good heart, and a good wife.

1
O God of all, take pity on us, and look with favor on us, and show us the light of your compassion.
2
And send your fear upon the Gentiles, who have not sought you, so that they may acknowledge that there is no God except you, and so that they may declare your great deeds.
3
Lift up your hand over unbelieving nations, so that they may see your power.(a)
4
For just as, in their sight, you have been sanctified in us, so also, in our sight, you will be magnified in them.
5
So may they know you, as we also have known you. For there is no God apart from you, O Lord.
6
Renew your signs, and work new wonders.
7
Glorify your hand and your right arm.
8
Stir up your fury, and pour out your wrath.
9
Take away our adversary, and afflict our enemy.
10
Hasten the time, and remember the end, so that they may declare your miracles.
11
Let those who escape be devoured by the wrath of fire. And let those who harass your people find perdition.
12
Crush the head of the leaders of the enemies, for they say: “There is no other beside us.”
13
Gather together all the tribes of Jacob, so that they may acknowledge that there is no God except you, and so that they may declare your great deeds. And you will inherit them, as from the beginning.
14
Take pity on your people, over whom your name has been invoked, and on Israel, whom you have treated as your firstborn.
15
Take pity on Jerusalem, the city of your sanctification, the city of your rest.
16
Fill Zion with your ineffable words, and fill your people with your glory.
17
Give testimony to those who have been your creations from the beginning, and lift up the prophecies which the former prophets spoke in your name.
18
Give a reward to those who endure for you, so that your prophets may be found to be faithful. And heed the prayers of your servants,
19
in accord with the blessing of Aaron over your people. And direct us in the way of justice, and let all who inhabit the earth know that you are God, the Beholder of all ages.
20
The belly can devour any food, yet one meal is better than another.
21
The palate tests the meat of wild animals, and the understanding heart tests false words.
22
A corrupt heart will cause grief, and a man of experience will resist it.
23
A woman can receive any male, yet one daughter is better than another.(b)
24
The beauty of a wife cheers the face of her husband, and rises above his desire, above all the desires of man.
25
If she offers healing words, then she both comforts and shows mercy; and so her husband is not like other men.
26
He who holds to a good wife establishes a possession. She is a helper in agreement with him, and she is a pillar of rest.
27
Where there is no hedge, a possession will be trampled. And where there is no wife, he will mourn her absence.
28
Who will trust one who has no nest, and who conceals himself wherever his course may take him, like a well-equipped robber passing from city to city?

Footnotes

(a)36:3 The word ‘gentes’ in this context refers to those who are unbelieving; in the context of the Jews of Old Testament times, this would refer to non-Jews, but in the context of the present-day, this would refer to non-Catholic, especially non-Christians. The word ‘alienas’ is often translated as strangers or foreigners, but here it refers more to nations or peoples other than those who believe.(Conte)
(b)36:23 A woman will receive every man:That is, any man that her parents propose to her to marry, though she does not like him, but marries in obedience to her parents, who make the choice for her.(Challoner)

A prayer for the church of God. Of a good heart, and a good wife.

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.(a)
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.(b)
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(c) 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 the blessing of Aaron concerning your people; and all those who are on the earth will know that you are the Lord, the(d) 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?

Footnotes

(a)36:2 The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.
(b)36:6 The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.
(c)36:11 The ancient authorities read I took them for my inheritance:but the Greek text is here very confused.
(d)36:17 Gr. God of the ages.
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