Sirach 24
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Sirach chapter 24 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
Patristic commentary for this chapter has not yet been attached. Related material may be found among the Church Fathers and the theology tables.
Sirach 24
1Wisdom shall praise herself, and shall glory in the midst of her people.Ἡ σοφία αἰνέσει ψυχὴν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ αὐτῆς καυχήσεται.
2In the congregation of the most High shall she open her mouth, and triumph before his power.Ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ὑψίστου στόμα αὐτῆς ἀνοίξει, καὶ ἔναντι δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ καυχήσεται.
3I came out of the mouth of the most High, and covered the earth as a cloud.Ἐγὼ ἀπὸ στόματος ὑψίστου ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ὡς ὁμίχλη κατεκάλυψα γῆν.
4I lived in high places, and my throne is in a cloudy pillar.Ἐγὼ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς κατεσκήνωσα, καὶ ὁ θρόνος μου ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης.
5I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep.Γῦρον οὐρανοῦ ἐκύκλωσα μόνη, καὶ ἐν βάθει ἀβύσσων περιεπάτησα.
6In the waves of the sea and in all the earth, and in every people and nation, I got a possession.Ἐν κύμασι θαλάσσης καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ, καὶ ἐν παντὶ λαῷ καὶ ἔθνει ἐκτησάμην.
7With all these I sought rest: and in whose inheritance shall I abide?Μετὰ τούτων πάντων ἀνάπαυσιν ἐζήτησα, καὶ ἐν κληρονομίᾳ τίνος αὐλισθήσομαι.
8So the Creator of all things gave me a commandment, and he that made me caused my tabernacle to rest, and said, Let your dwelling be in Jacob, and your inheritance in Israel.Τότε ἐνετείλατό μοι ὁ κτίστης ἁπάντων, καὶ ὁ κτίσας με κατέπαυσε τὴν σκηνήν μου, καὶ εἶπεν, ἐν Ἰακὼβ κατασκήνωσον, καὶ ἐν Ἰσραὴλ κατακληρονομήθητι.
9He created me from the beginning before the world, and I shall never fail.Πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἔκτισέ με, καὶ ἕως αἰῶνος οὐ μὴ ἐκλίπω.
10In the holy tabernacle I served before him; and so was I established in Sion.Ἐν σκηνῇ ἁγίᾳ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐλειτούργησα, καὶ οὕτως ἐν Σιὼν ἐστηρίχθην.
11Likewise in the beloved city he gave me rest, and in Jerusalem was my power.Ἐν πόλει ἠγαπημένῃ ὁμοίως με κατέπαυσε, καὶ ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἡ ἐξουσία μου.
12And I took root in an honorable people, even in the portion of the Lord's inheritance.Καὶ ἐῤῥίζωσα ἐν λαῷ δεδοξασμένῳ, ἐν μερίδι Κυρίου κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ.
13I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree upon the mountains of Hermon.Ὡς κέδρος ἀνυψώθην ἐν Λιβάνῳ, καὶ ὡς κυπάρισσος ἐν ὄρεσιν Ἀερμών.
14I was exalted like a palm tree in En-gaddi, and as a rose plant in Jericho, as a fair olive tree in a pleasant field, and grew up as a plane tree by the water.Ὡς φοῖνιξ ἀνυψώθην ἐν αἰγιαλοῖς, καὶ ὡς φυτὰ ῥόδου ἐν Ἱεριχῶ· ὡς ἐλαία εὐπρεπὴς ἐν πεδίῳ, καὶ ἀνυψώθην ὡς πλάτανος.
15I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aspalathus, and I yielded a pleasant odour like the best myrrh, as galbanum, and onyx, and sweet storax, and as the fume of frankincense in the tabernacle.Ὡς κιννάμωμον καὶ ἀσπάλαθος ἀρωμάτων δέδωκα ὀσμὴν, καὶ ὡς σμύρνα ἐκλεκτὴ διέδωκα εὐωδίαν· ὡς χαλβάνη καὶ ὄνυξ καὶ στακτὴ, καὶ ὡς λιβάνου ἀτμὶς ἐν σκηνῇ.
16As the turpentine tree I stretched out my branches, and my branches are the branches of honor and grace.Ἐγὼ ὡς τερέμινθος ἐξέτεινα κλάδους μου, καὶ οἱ κλάδοι μου κλάδοι δόξης καὶ χάριτος.
17As the vine brought I forth pleasant savor, and my flowers are the fruit of honor and riches.Ἐγὼ ὡς ἄμπελος βλαστήσασα χάριν, καὶ τὰ ἄνθη μου καρπὸς δόξης καὶ πλούτου.
18I am the mother of fair love, and fear, and knowledge, and holy hope: I therefore, being eternal, am given to all my children which are named of him.
19Come to me, all you that be desirous of me, and fill yourselves with my fruits.Προσέλθετε πρὸς μὲ οἱ ἐπιθυμοῦντές μου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γεννημάτων μου ἐμπλήσθητε.
20For my memorial is sweeter than honey, and my inheritance than the honeycomb.Τὸ γὰρ μνημόσυνόν μου ὑπὲρ μέλι γλυκύ, καὶ ἡ κληρονομία μου ὑπὲρ μέλιτος κηροῦ.
21They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty.Οἱ ἐσθίοντές με ἔτι πεινάσουσι, καὶ οἱ πίνοντές με ἔτι διψήσουσιν.
22He that obeys me shall never be confounded, and they that work by me shall not do amiss.Ὁ ὑπακούων μου οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσεται, καὶ οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι ἐν ἐμοὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτήσουσι.
23All these things are the book of the covenant of the most high God, even the law which Moses commanded for an heritage to the congregations of Jacob.Ταῦτα πάντα βίβλος διαθήκης Θεοῦ ὑψίστου, νόμον ὃν ἐνετείλατο Μωυσῆς, κληρονομίαν συναγωγαῖς Ἰακώβ.
24Faint not to be strong in the Lord; that he may confirm you, cleave to him: for the Lord Almighty is God alone, and beside him there is no other Saviour.
25He fills all things with his wisdom, as Phison and as Tigris in the time of the new fruits.Ὁ πιμπλῶν ὡς Φεισὼν σοφίαν, καὶ ὡς Τίγρις ἐν ἡμέραις νέων·
26He makes the understanding to abound like Euphrates, and as Jordan in the time of the harvest.ὁ ἀναπληρῶν ὡς Εὐφράτης σύνεσιν, καὶ ὡς Ἰορδάνης ἐν ἡμέραις θερισμοῦ·
27He makes the doctrine of knowledge appear as the light, and as Geon in the time of vintage.ὁ ἐκφαίνων ὡς φῶς παιδείαν, ὡς Γηὼν ἐν ἡμέραις τρυγητοῦ.
28The first man knew her not perfectly: no more shall the last find her out.Οὐ συνετέλεσεν ὁ πρῶτος γνῶναι αὐτὴν, καὶ οὕτως ὁ ἔσχατος οὐκ ἐξιχνίασεν αὐτήν·
29For her thoughts are more than the sea, and her counsels profounder than the great deep.Ἀπὸ γὰρ θαλάσσης ἐπληθύνθη διανόημα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἡ βουλὴ αὐτῆς ἀπὸ ἀβύσσου μεγάλης.
30I also came out as a brook from a river, and as a conduit into a garden.Κᾀγὼ ὡς διώρυξ ἀπὸ ποταμοῦ, καὶ ὡς ὑδραγωγὸς ἐξῆλθον εἰς παράδεισον.
31I said, I will water my best garden, and will water abundantly my garden bed: and, behold, my brook became a river, and my river became a sea.Εἶπα, ποτιῶ μου τὸν κῆπον, καὶ μεθύσω μου τὴν πρασιάν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγένετό μοι ἡ διώρυξ εἰς ποταμὸν, καὶ ὁ ποταμός μου ἐγένετο εἰς θάλασσαν.
32I will yet make doctrine to shine as the morning, and will send forth her light afar off.Ἔτι παιδείαν ὡς ὄρθρον φωτιῶ, καὶ ἐκφανῶ αὐτὰ ἕως εἰς μακράν.
33I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and leave it to all ages for ever.Ἔτι διδασκαλίαν ὡς προφητείαν ἐκχεῶ, καὶ καταλείψω αὐτὴν εἰς γενεὰς αἰώνων.
34Behold that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all them that seek wisdom.Ἴδετε ὅτι οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνῳ ἐκοπίασα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτήν.
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