en_wyc2014 - Sir 1 - Ozzuu Bible

¹ The words of Ecclesiastes,[1] son of David, king of Jerusalem.

² Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes; vanity of vanities, and all things be vanity. (Emptiness and futility, said Ecclesiastes; emptiness and futility, yea, everything is empty and futile.)

³ What hath a man more[over] of all his travail, by which he travaileth under the sun? (What profiteth a person from all his labour, that he laboureth at under the sun?)

⁴ A generation passeth away, [and] another generation cometh; but the earth standeth without end. (One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth endureth forever.)

⁵ The sun riseth [up], and goeth down, and turneth again to his place (and returneth to its place); and there it riseth again,

⁶ and compasseth by the south, and turneth again to the north. The spirit compassing all things goeth about, and turneth again into his circles. (and goeth around to the south, and then returneth to the north. Going around, the wind goeth about touching all things, and then returneth full circle.)

⁷ All floods enter into the sea, and the sea floweth not over the marks set of God; the floods turn again to the place from whence they come forth, that they flow [out] again. (All the rivers enter into the sea, and the sea floweth not over the boundaries set by God; the rivers return to the places from where they came forth, only so that they can flow out again.)

⁸ All things be hard; a man may not declare those things by word (a person cannot declare all of these things with words alone); the eye is not (ful)filled by sight, neither the ear is filled by hearing.

⁹ What is that thing that was, that that shall come? What is that thing that is made, that that shall be made? Nothing under the sun is new, (What is that thing that was, but that which shall come again? What is that thing that is made, but that which shall be made later? Nothing is new under the sun,)

¹⁰ neither any man may say, Lo! this thing is new; for now it went before in worlds, that were before us. (nor can anyone say, Lo! this is new; for it hath already come before, in the time that was before us.)

¹¹ Mind of the former things is not, but soothly neither thinking of those things, that shall come afterward, shall be at them that shall come in the last time. (Remembering the former things is not done, and those things that come now, shall not be remembered by those who shall come after us.)

¹² I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;

¹³ and I purposed in my soul to seek and ensearch wisely of all things, that be made under the sun. God gave this evil occupation to the sons of men, that they should be occupied therein. (and I purposed in my mind to wisely seek out and to search into everything, that is done under the sun. God gave this difficult task to the sons and daughters of men, so that they would be occupied with it.)

¹⁴ I saw all things that be made under the sun, and lo! all things be vanity and torment of spirit. (I saw everything that is done under the sun, and lo! everything is empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)

¹⁵ Wayward men be amended of hard (The wayward can only be corrected with great difficulty); and the number of fools is great without end.

¹⁶ I spake in mine heart, and I said, Lo! I am made great, and I passed in wisdom all men, that were before me in Jerusalem; and my soul saw many things wisely, and I learned. (I said in my heart, Lo! I am made great, and I have surpassed in wisdom all who were before me in Jerusalem; I have seen many things, and I have become wise, yea, I have learned much.)

¹⁷ And I gave mine heart, that I should know prudence and doctrine, and errors and folly. And I knew that in these things also was travail and torment of spirit; (And I gave my heart, or I applied my mind, so that I would understand wisdom and doctrine, and errors and foolishness. And I learned that all these things were also empty and futile, like chasing the wind;)

¹⁸ for in much wisdom is much indignation, and he that increaseth knowing, increaseth also travail. (for the greater one’s wisdom, the greater one’s anger, or one’s vexation, and he who increaseth his knowledge, also increaseth his own troubles.)

¹ All wisdom is of (or from) the Lord God, and was ever with him, and is before the world.

² Who numbered the gravel of the sea, and the drops of rain, and the days of the world?

³ Who measured the highness [or the height] of heaven, and the breadth of (the) earth, and the depth of the sea? Who ensearched (or searched for) the wisdom of God, that goeth before all things?

⁴ Wisdom was formed first of all things, and the understanding of prudence, from the world, that is, from without beginning.

⁵ The well of wisdom is the son of God in high things; and the entering of that wisdom is (the) everlasting commandments. [The well of wisdom (is) the word of God in heights; and the in-going of it (is) everlasting commandments.]

⁶ To whom was the root of wisdom showed? and who knew the subtleties thereof?

⁷ To whom was the lore [or the discipline] of wisdom showed, and made open? and who understood the multiplying of the entering thereof, that is, of the work thereof?

⁸ One is the highest Creator of all things, almighty, and a mighty king, and worthy to be dreaded full much (or greatly to be feared and revered), sitting on the throne of that wisdom, and God having lordship. [One is the highest maker (out) of nought of all things, almighty, and a mighty king, and worthy to be dreaded full much, sitting upon the throne of him, and God lordshipping.]

⁹ He formed it in the Holy Ghost, and he saw, and numbered, and he measured (it). And he shedded out it on all his works, [He formed it in the Holy Ghost, and he saw, and distinctly numbered, and measured; and poured out it upon all his works,]

¹⁰ and on each flesh by his gift; he giveth it to them that love him. [and upon all flesh after his gift; he giveth it to men loving itself.]

¹¹ The dread of the Lord is glory, and glorying [or joying], and gladness, and a crown of full out joying.

¹² The dread of the Lord shall delight the heart; and shall give gladness and joy into [the] length of days.

¹³ To him that dreadeth God, it shall be well in the last things, or in the last days, [or in the last ends]; and he shall be blessed in the day of his death. Forsooth they to whom wisdom appeareth in sight, that is, by (the) revelation of prophecy, love it in sight, and in (the) knowing of his great things [or To whom forsooth it shall appear in sight, they love it in (the) seeing (of it), and in (the) knowing of his great things]. The love of God is honourable wisdom.

¹⁴ The beginning of wisdom is the dread of the Lord; and it is formed together in the womb with faithful men, and it goeth with chosen women, and it is known with just men and faithful. [The beginning of wisdom dread of the Lord; and with faithful men in the womb he is together formed, and with chosen women he goeth, and with rightwise and faithful men he is known.]

¹⁵ The dread of the Lord is religiosity of cunning (or of knowing, or of knowledge). Religiosity shall keep, and shall justify the heart; and shall give mirth and joy. It shall be well to him that dreadeth God; and he shall be blessed in the days of his comfort [or and in the days of (the) ending of him he shall be blessed].

¹⁶ The fullness of wisdom is for to dread God; and fullness is of the fruits thereof.

¹⁷ It shall fill each gift of him of (or for) generations, and (the) receipts of (or the receptacles with) the treasures thereof. [Each house of him it shall fulfill from generations, and the receiving places from the treasures of him.]

¹⁸ The crown of wisdom is the dread of the Lord, and filleth peace [or fulfilling peace], and the fruit of health. And he saw, and numbered it; forsooth ever either be the gifts of God.

¹⁹ Wisdom shall part the cunning (or the knowing) and understanding of prudence; and it enhanceth the glory of them, that hold it.

²⁰ The root of wisdom is for to dread God; forsooth the branches thereof be long (en)during [or The root of wisdom is to dread God; the branches forsooth of it long living]. Understanding and religiosity of cunning (or of knowing) be in the treasures of wisdom; but wisdom is abomination to sinners.

²¹ The dread of the Lord putteth away sin, for he that is without dread of God, may not be justified [or shall not be able to be justified];

²² for why the wrathfulness of his pride [or of (his) willfulness] is the destroying of him.

²³ A patient man shall suffer the dis-eases of a proud man till into (a) time; and afterward there shall be yielding of mirth. [Unto (a) time the patient shall suffer; and afterward is yielding again of full mirth.]

²⁴ Good wit shall hide the words of him till into a time; and the lips of many men shall tell out the wit of him.

²⁵ In the treasures of wisdom is signifying of cunning (or of knowing); but the worshipping of God is abomination to a sinner. [In the treasures of wisdom is tokening of discipline; cursing forsooth to the sinner is the praising of God.]

²⁶ A! (O!) son, coveting wisdom, keep thou rightfulness [or keep rightwiseness], and God shall give it to thee.

²⁷ For why the dread of the Lord is wisdom, and cunning, (or knowing), and that that is well pleasant (or well-pleasing) to him is faith and mildness (or meekness); and God shall fill the treasures of him. [Wisdom forsooth and discipline the dread of the Lord, and that well-pleased is to him, faith and debonairness; and it shall full-fill the treasures of him.]

²⁸ Be thou not rebel(lious), and unbelieveful to the dread of the Lord; and nigh (or approach) thou not to him in (a) double heart. [Be thou not rebel, and mis-believeful to the dread of the Lord; and not nigh thou to him with double heart.]

²⁹ Be thou not an hypocrite in the sight of men; and be thou not slandered in (or caused to stumble by) thy lips.

³⁰ Take thou keep (or care) to those (things), lest thou fall, and bring dishonor to thy soul; and lest God show thy privates (or thy secrets), and hurtle thee down in the midst of the synagogue, that is, of (the) gathering together of faithful men; for thou nighedest (or approachedest) wickedly to the Lord, and thine heart was full of guile and of falseness. [Take heed in those things, lest peradventure thou fall, and bring to thy soul unworshipping; and God openeth in hid things, and in the middle of the synagogue he hurtle thee; for thou nighedest (or approachedest) maliciously to the Lord, and thine heart is full of treachery and deceit.]