Sirach 36 - Contemporary English Version Interconfessional Edition

A Prayer

¹ Our God, you rule all things; have mercy on us

² and show all nations that they should fear you.

³ Let them see your power as you attack them.

⁴ They have seen that you are holy in the way you treat us. Now show us that you are great as you deal with them!

⁵ Teach them, our Lord, as you taught us, that you alone are God.

⁶ Perform new miracles,

⁷ so that everyone will know how powerful you are.

⁸ Get really angry

⁹ and destroy our enemies.

¹⁰ You have set a time to do this— please let it come quickly, then everyone will be talking about your mighty power.

¹¹ And if any survive of those who had harmed your people, destroy those enemies with your fiery anger.

¹² Crush the heads of their rulers who say, “All that matters is what we want to do.”

¹³ Gather together the tribes of Israel,

¹⁶ and once again give them control of their land.

¹⁷ Have pity on us, our Lord. We are known as your nation, your first-born child.

¹⁸ Show mercy to Jerusalem, your holy city, your home.

¹⁹ Then everyone in Zion will celebrate as they tell of your mighty deeds.

²⁰ Prove that you chose us as your people. You told your prophets to make promises to us; now keep these promises

²¹ so your prophets will not have lied. Please reward us for waiting patiently.

²² Our Lord, we are your servants. If you are pleased with us, answer our prayer, and then the whole world will know that you are the Eternal Lord God.

Recognizing Lies

²³ There are many different foods, but you like some better than others.

²⁴ And just as your taste tells you what you are eating, a smart mind will know when it hears a lie.

²⁵ People with twisted minds cause a lot of trouble, but if you learn from experience you can send the trouble back on them.

Choosing a Wife

²⁶ A woman cannot choose the man she will marry, but a man can choose his wife, and some women make better wives than others.

²⁷ Beauty is important to men, and most men would be happy to marry a beautiful woman.

²⁸ But a man is really lucky if his wife speaks with humility and kindness.

²⁹ The most important thing a man can have is a wife who helps him and is a suitable partner.

³⁰ Without a fence around a home, robbers can steal whatever they want. And without a wife, a man wanders aimlessly,

³¹ homeless, spending the night wherever he can, trusted no more than a thief who is always on the run.