en_RV1895 - Sir 51 - Ozzuu Bible

¹ [1]I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, O King, [2]And will praise thee, God my Saviour: I do give thanks unto thy name:

² For thou wast my protector and helper, And didst deliver my body out of destruction, And [3]out of the snare of a slanderous tongue, From lips that forge lies, And wast my helper before them that stood by;

³ And didst deliver me, [4]according to the abundance of thy mercy, and greatness of thy name, [5]From the gnashings of teeth ready to devour, Out of the hand of such as sought my life, Out of the manifold afflictions which I had;

⁴ [6]From the choking of a fire on every side, And out of the midst of fire which I kindled not;

⁵ Out of the depth [7]of the belly of [8]the grave, And [9]from an unclean tongue, And from lying words,

⁶ The slander of an unrighteous tongue unto the king. My soul drew near even unto death, And [10]my life was near to [11]the grave beneath.

⁷ [12]They compassed me on every side, [13]And there was none to help me. I was looking for the succour of men, And it was not.

⁸ And I remembered thy mercy, O Lord, And thy working which hath been from everlasting, How thou deliverest [14]them that wait for thee, And savest them out of the hand of the enemies.

⁹ And I lifted up my supplication from the earth, And prayed for deliverance from death.

¹⁰ I called upon the Lord, [15]the Father of my Lord, That he would not forsake me in the days of affliction, In the time when there was no help against the proud.

¹¹ I will praise thy name continually, And will sing praise with thanksgiving; And my supplication was heard:

¹² For thou savedst me from destruction, And [16]deliveredst me from the evil time: Therefore will I give thanks and praise unto thee, And bless the name of the Lord.

¹³ When I was yet young, [17]Or ever I went abroad, [18]I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.

¹⁴ [19]Before the temple I asked for her, And I will seek her out even to the end.

¹⁵ From her flower as from the ripening grape my heart delighted in her: My foot trod in uprightness, From my youth I tracked her out.

¹⁶ I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, And found for myself much instruction.

¹⁷ I profited in her: Unto him that giveth me wisdom I will give glory.

¹⁸ For I purposed to practise her, And I was zealous for that which is good; And I shall never be put to shame.

¹⁹ My soul hath wrestled in her, And in my doing I was exact: I spread forth my hands to the heaven above, And bewailed my ignorances of her.

²⁰ I set my soul aright unto her, And in pureness I found her. I gat me a heart joined with her from the beginning: [20]Therefore shall I not be forsaken.

²¹ My inward part also was troubled to seek her: Therefore have I gotten a good possession.

²² The Lord [21]gave me a tongue for my reward; And I will praise him therewith.

²³ [22]DRAW near unto me, ye unlearned, And lodge in the house of instruction.

²⁴ Say, wherefore are ye lacking in these things, And your souls are very thirsty?

²⁵ I opened my mouth and spake, Get her for yourselves [23]without money.

²⁶ Put your neck [24]under the yoke, And let your soul receive instruction: [25]She is hard at hand to find.

²⁷ Behold with your eyes, How that [26]I laboured but a little, And found for myself much rest.

²⁸ [27]Get you instruction with a great sum of silver, And [28]gain much gold by her.

²⁹ May your soul rejoice in his mercy, And may ye not be put to shame in praising him.

³⁰ [29]Work your work before the time cometh, And in his time he will give you your reward.