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The Book of Jesus Sirach

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

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- Chapter 36 -

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.

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

1
Have mercy upon us, O Lord God of all, and behold us:
2
And send thy fear upon all the nations that seek not after thee.
3
Lift up thy hand against the strange nations, and let them see thy power.
4
As thou wast sanctified in us before them: so be thou magnified among them before us.
5
And let them know thee, as we have known thee, that there is no God but only thou, O God.
6
Shew new signs, and make other strange wonders: glorify thy hand and thy right arm, that they may set forth thy wondrous works.
7
Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath: take away the adversary, and destroy the enemy.
8
Sake the time short, remember the covenant, and let them declare thy wonderful works.
9
Let him that escapeth be consumed by the rage of the fire; and let them perish that oppress the people.
10
Smite in sunder the heads of the rulers of the heathen, that say, There is none other but we.
11
Gather all the tribes of Jacob together, and inherit thou them, as from the beginning.
12
O Lord, have mercy upon the people that is called by thy name, and upon Israel, whom thou hast named thy firstborn.
13
O be merciful unto Jerusalem, thy holy city, the place of thy rest.
14
Fill Sion with thine unspeakable oracles, and thy people with thy glory:
15
Give testimony unto those that thou hast possessed from the beginning, and raise up prophets that have been in thy name.
16
Reward them that wait for thee, and let thy prophets be found faithful.
17
O Lord, hear the prayer of thy servants, according to the blessing of Aaron over thy people, that all they which dwell upon the earth may know that thou art the Lord, the eternal God.
18
The belly devoureth all meats, yet is one meat better than another.
19
As the palate tasteth divers kinds of venison: so doth an heart of understanding false speeches.
20
A froward heart causeth heaviness: but a man of experience will recompense him.
21
A woman will receive every man, yet is one daughter better than another.
22
The beauty of a woman cheereth the countenance, and a man loveth nothing better.
23
If there be kindness, meekness, and comfort, in her tongue, then is not her husband like other men.
24
He that getteth a wife beginneth a possession, a help like unto himself, and a pillar of rest.
25
Where no hedge is, there the possession is spoiled: and he that hath no wife will wander up and down mourning.
26
Who will trust a thief well appointed, that skippeth from city to city? so who will believe a man that hath no house, and lodgeth wheresoever the night taketh him?
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