Wisdom of Sirach The Prologue
1 Of the many great things given to us through the law and the prophets and through others who followed them, we should praise Israel for instruction and wisdom. Not only should those who read gain understanding, but also those who love learning should be able to help outsiders understand both through speaking and writing.†
2 Thus my grandfather Jesus especially devoted himself to reading the law and the prophets and other books of the fathers. So he acquired sufficient skill in these, and himself was led to write something fitting for instruction and wisdom, that lovers of learning might become involved in these things as well, and especially, in addition to this, might live a life according to the law.
3 Therefore you are encouraged to read with good will and attention and to do your reading with allowances made in cases where, although we worked hard in translating, we may seem to render a phrase inadequately. For what was said in Hebrew in itself does not have equal force when it is translated into another language. Not only this, but also the law itself and the prophets and the rest of the books differ not a little as originally spoken.
4 For when I arrived in Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Euergetes, and spent some time there, I found a book filled with instruction. Thus I made it a necessity for myself to apply some diligence and loving labor to the translation of this book. So I employed my skill day and night to complete and publish it for lovers of learning who live in a foreign land, and have prepared themselves beforehand to live according to the law.
Wisdom of Sirach 1
Wisdom Is from the Lord
1 All wisdom comes from the Lord And is with Him forever.†
2 Who can count the sand of the seas, The drops of rain, and the days of eternity?
3 Who can search out the height of heaven, The breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom?
4 Wisdom was created before all things, And the insight of prudence was from eternity.†
5 To whom has the root of wisdom been revealed? And who has come to know her great deeds?
6 There is one who is wise and is feared exceedingly, He who sits upon His throne.†
7 The Lord Himself created wisdom. He saw and numbered her And poured her out on all His works,†
8 In the midst of all flesh according to His gift; And He provided her for those who love Him.
The Fear of the Lord
9 The fear of the Lord is glory and boasting, And gladness and a crown of rejoicing.
10 The fear of the Lord will cheer the heart And will give gladness, joy, and long life.†
11 For those who fear the Lord, it shall be well to the utmost, And on the day of his death, he will be blessed.
12 The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, And she was joined with the faithful in the womb.†
13 She constructed a foundation of life among men And will be trusted among their seed.
14 The gratification of wisdom is to fear the Lord, And she intoxicates them with her fruits.
15 She will fill every house of theirs with objects of desire And their storehouses with her harvest.
16 The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, Making peace and soundness of health to flourish.
17 The Lord saw and numbered her, And poured out the power of comprehension; And He exalted the glory of those who hold fast to her.
18 The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord, And her branches are length of days.
Warnings to the Wise
19 Unjust anger cannot be justified, For anger’s decisive influence causes his fall.
20 A patient man will hold fast until the proper time, Then afterwards gladness shall burst forth for him.
21 He shall conceal his words until the proper time, And the lips of many will tell of his understanding.
22 In the treasures of wisdom are the parables of knowledge, But godliness is an abomination to a sinner.
23 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, And the Lord will supply it to you.†
24 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction, And His good pleasure is faith and gentleness.
25 Do not disobey the fear of the Lord, And do not come to Him with a divided heart.
26 Do not be a hypocrite in the sight of men, And be careful with your lips.
27 Do not exalt yourself, lest you fall And bring dishonor to your soul. The Lord shall reveal your secrets, And in the midst of the assembly He will strike you down, Because you did not come in the fear of the Lord And your heart was full of deceit.
Psalms 8
1 For the End; concerning the winepresses; a psalm by David. †
2 O Lord, our Lord, how wondrous is Your name in all the earth, For Your splendor is exalted far beyond the heavens.
3 From the mouths of babies and nursing infants You prepared praise because of Your enemies, That You may destroy the enemy and avenger.
4 For I shall look at the heavens, the works of Your fingers, The moon and stars You established.
5 What is man that You remember him, Or the son of man that You visit him?
6 You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor.
7 You set him over the works of Your hands; You subjected all things under his feet,
8 All sheep and oxen, And besides these, also the animals of the field,
9 The birds of heaven and the fish of the sea, And the things passing through the paths of the seas.
10 O Lord, our Lord, how wondrous is Your name in all the earth.
Proverbs of Solomon 1
25 Since I called, but you did not obey, And spoke at length, but you paid no attention,
26 But made my counsels invalid, And were not persuaded by my reproofs;
27 Consequently, I will laugh at your annihilation, And will exult when ruin comes to you,
28 And when confusion reaches you unawares, And overthrow comes like a whirlwind,
29 And when tribulation and anguish come to you, And when destruction comes to you.
Acts 14
The Church in Iconium, Galatia
1 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.†
2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.†
3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.†
4 But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.†
5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them,†
6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.
7 And they were preaching the gospel there.
In Lystra and Derbe, Galatia
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.
9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”†
12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out
15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,†
16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.†
19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.†
Return Visit
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”†
23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.†
24 And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25 Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
Report Back to Antioch
26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.
27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
28 So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.