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The Book of Jesus Sirach

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- Chapter 48 -

The praise of Elias, of Eliseus, of Ezechias, and of Isaias.

1
And the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch.
2
He brought a famine upon them, and those who provoked him in their envy became few. For they could not bear the precepts of the Lord.
3
By the word of the Lord, he closed the heavens, and he brought down fire from heaven three times.
4
In this way, Elijah was magnified in his wondrous works. So who can say that he is similar to you in glory?
5
He raised up a dead man from the grave, from the fate of death, by the word of the Lord God.
6
He threw down kings unto perdition, and he easily shattered their power and boasting from his bed.(a)
7
He heeded the judgment at Sinai, and the judgments of punishment at Horeb.
8
He anointed kings unto repentance, and he chose the prophets who would follow after him.(b)
9
He was received into a whirlwind of fire, into a swift chariot with fiery horses.
10
He is written in the judgments of the times, so as to lessen the wrath of the Lord, to reconcile the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11
Blessed are those who saw you, and who were adorned with your friendship.
12
For we live only in our life, and after death, our name will not be the same.
13
Certainly, Elijah was covered by the whirlwind, and his spirit was completed in Elisha. In his days, he was not fearful of the ruler, and no power defeated him.
14
No word overwhelmed him, and after death, his body prophesied.
15
In his life, he gave great portents, and in death, he wrought miracles.
16
In all these things, the people did not repent, and they did not withdraw from their sins, even until they were cast out of their land, and were dispersed throughout all the earth.
17
And there was left behind a people very few in number, but with a leader in the house of David.
18
Some of these did what pleased God. But others committed many sins.
19
Hezekiah fortified his city, and he brought water into its midst, and he dug into rock with iron, and he built a well for water.
20
In his days, Sennacherib rose up, and he sent Rabshakeh, and he lifted up his hand against them, and he extended his hand against Zion, and he became arrogant in his power.
21
Then their hearts and hands shook. And they were in pain, like women giving birth.
22
And they called upon the merciful Lord. And they spread their hands and lifted them up to heaven. And the holy Lord God quickly heeded their voice.
23
He was not mindful of their sins, and he did not give them over to their enemies. Instead, he purified them by the hand of Isaiah, the holy prophet.
24
He threw down the army of the Assyrians, and the Angel of the Lord crushed them.
25
For Hezekiah did what pleased God, and he went with fortitude in the way of David his father, just as he had been commanded by Isaiah, a prophet great and faithful in the sight of God.
26
In his days, the sun went backwards, and he added to the king’s life.
27
With a great spirit he saw the final things. And he consoled the mourners in Zion.
28
He revealed the future, even the distant future, and hidden things before they occurred.

Footnotes

(a)48:6 Notice that ‘suo’ is singular, while ‘ipsorum’ is plural. The former refers to Elijah and the latter to the kings. Elijah was able to throw down kings from his bed (or couch); he did not even have to stand up to defeat them.(Conte)
(b)48:8 The verb here is in the second person singular because the subject is represented by the pronoun ‘qui’ (who). But using ‘who’ in English when it is not a question is awkward, so the pronoun used in third person singular. Thus, ‘post te’ becomes ‘after him’.(Conte)

The praise of Elias, of Eliseus, of Ezechias, and of Isaias.

1
Then Elijah arose, the prophet like fire. His word burned like a torch.
2
He brought a famine upon them, and by his zeal made them few in number.
3
By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens. He brought down fire three times.
4
How you were glorified, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Whose glory is like yours?
5
You raised up a dead man from death, from Hades, by the word of the Most High.
6
You brought down kings to destruction, and honorable men from their sickbeds.
7
You heard rebuke in Sinai, and judgments of vengeance in Horeb.
8
You anointed kings for retribution, and prophets to succeed after you.
9
You were taken up in a tempest of fire, in a chariot of fiery horses.
10
You were recorded for reproofs in their seasons, to pacify anger, before it broke out into wrath, to turn the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11
Blessed are those who saw you, and those who have been beautified with love; for we also shall surely live.
12
Elijah was wrapped in a whirlwind. Elisha was filled with his spirit. In his days he was not moved by the fear of any ruler, and no one brought him into subjection.
13
Nothing was too hard for him. When he was buried, his body prophesied.
14
As in his life he did wonders, so his works were also marvelous in death.
15
For all this the people didn’t repent. They didn’t depart from their sins, until they were carried away as a plunder from their land, and were scattered through all the earth. The people were left very few in number, but with a ruler from the house of David.
16
Some of them did that which was right, but some multiplied sins.
17
Hezekiah fortified his city, and brought water into its midst. He tunneled through rock with iron, and built cisterns for water.
18
In his days Sennacherib invaded, and sent Rabshakeh, and departed. He lifted up his hand against Zion, and boasted great things in his arrogance.
19
Then their hearts and their hands were shaken, and they were in pain, as women in labor.
20
But they called upon the Lord who is merciful, spreading out their hands to him. The Holy One quickly heard them out of Heaven, and delivered them by the hand of Isaiah.
21
He struck the camp of the Assyrians, and his angel utterly destroyed them.
22
For Hezekiah did that which was pleasing to the Lord, and was strong in the ways of his ancestor David, which Isaiah the prophet commanded, who was great and faithful in his vision.
23
In his days the sun went backward. He prolonged the life of the king.
24
He saw by an excellent spirit what would come to pass in the future; and he comforted those who mourned in Zion.
25
He showed the things that would happen through the end of time, and the hidden things before they came.
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