Wisdom of Sirach 50
1 There was Simon, the high priest and son of Onias,
Who repaired the house during his life
And strengthened the temple in his days.
2 He also laid the foundation of the double high wall,
The fortified wall surrounding the temple.
3 In his days the cistern for the waters was dug,
A reservoir like a sea in circumference.
4 He was concerned about how to save his people from ruin,
And he strengthened the city to withstand siege.
The Day of Atonement
5 So was he honored when the people gathered round
As he came out from behind the veil!
6 Like the morning star in the midst of the clouds,
Like the moon when it is full;
7 Like the sun shining upon the temple of the Most High,
And like the rainbow shining in clouds of glory;
8 Like the bloom of the rose in the days of firstfruits,
Like lilies by a spring of water,
Like a sprig of frankincense in the summer;
9 Like fire and incense in the censer,
Like a solid gold vessel decorated with every precious stone;
10 Like an olive tree sprouting fresh fruit,
And like a cypress tree rising into the clouds.
11 When he took up a robe of honor
And was clothed with the perfection of boasting
In his ascent to the holy altar,
He glorified the court of the sanctuary.
12 When he received the portion from the hands of the priests
While standing by the hearth of the altar,
A crown of brethren surrounding him,
He was like a sapling of cedar in Lebanon;
And they encircled him like the trunks of palm trees,
13 All the sons of Aaron in their glory,
And the offering to the Lord in their hands
Before all the assembly of Israel.
14 Finishing the services at the altars
And arranging the offering to the Most High, the Almighty,
15 He stretched out his hand to the cup
And poured a libation of the blood of the grapes.
He poured it out on the foundation of the altar,
A fragrant scent to the King of all, the Most High.
16 Then the sons of Aaron cried out,
Sounding out the trumpets of hammered work,
A great noise to be heard
As a remembrance before the Most High.
17 Then all the people hastened in common
And fell with their faces on the ground
To worship their Lord, the Almighty God, the Most High.
18 The singers also praised Him with their voices,
And their song was sweetened with a variety of sounds.
19 The people also prayed to the Lord Most High,
In prayer before the Merciful One,
Until the order of the Lord was ended
And they finished His liturgy.
20 Then going down he lifted up his hands
Over the entire assembly of the children of Israel,
And to boast in His name.
21 Then they bowed down in worship a second time
To receive the blessing from the Most High.
Praise of Honored Men Concluded
22 And now bless the God of all,
Who does great things in every way,
Who exalts our days from our birth
And deals with us according to His mercy.
23 May He give us gladness of heart,
And may there be peace in our days,
In Israel as in the days of old.
24 May He entrust with us His mercy,
And let Him redeem us in our days.
Author’s Summary
25 With two nations my soul is angered,
And the third is not a nation:
26 Those who reside on the mountain of Samaria and the Philistines,
And the foolish people who dwell in Shechem.
27 Jesus, son of Sirach, son of Eleazar the Jerusalemite,
Who poured wisdom forth in this book,
I inscribed instruction in understanding and knowledge.
28 Blessed is he who will conduct himself by these,
For by putting these things in his heart
He will be made wise.
29 For if he does these things,
He will grow strong in all things,
For the light of the Lord is his path.
Psalm 80
1 For the End; concerning the winepresses; a psalm for Asaph.
2 Rejoice in God our helper;
Rejoice greatly in the living God.
3 Take up a psalm and sound a timbrel,
a pleasant psaltery with a harp;
4 Sound a trumpet in the new moon
On this honorable day of our feast;
5 For this is an ordinance for Israel
And a judgment by the God of Jacob.
6 He made it a testimony in Joseph
When he went out from the land of Egypt;
He heard a tongue he knew not;
7 He removed his back from forced labors;
His hands served in the basket.
8 You called upon Me in affliction, and I delivered you;
I heard you in the secret place of the storm;
I tested you at the water of Rebellion.
(Pause)
9 Listen, O My people, for I testify to you;
Listen, O Israel, if you hear Me:
10 There shall be no new god among you,
Nor shall you worship an alien god;
11 I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.
12 But My people did not hear My voice,
And Israel would pay no attention to Me.
13 And I sent them away because of the desires in their hearts;
They shall walk in their ways of living.
14 If My people had heard Me,
If Israel had walked in My ways,
15 I would have humbled their enemies quickly;
And I would have laid My hand on those oppressing them.
16 The Lord’s enemies lied to Him,
And their time shall be forever.
17 He fed them with the finest of wheat
And satisfied them with honey from the rock.
Proverbs 17:6–10
6 The crown of old men is children of children,
And the boasting of children is their fathers.
7 The entire world of goods belongs to the faithful,
But to the faithless, not even a penny.
8 Faithful lips will not adapt to a man without discernment,
Nor lying lips to a righteous man.
9 Instruction awards benefits to those using it,
And wherever it turns, it prospers them.
10 He who hides wrongdoings seeks love,
But he who hates to cover them will separate friends and close relatives.
Philippians 1
1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thankfulness and Prayer
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Christ Is Preached
12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,
13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;
14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:
16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;
17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
To Live Is Christ
19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.
25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,
26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.
Striving and Suffering for Christ
27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.