Sirach 40 - Contemporary English Version Interconfessional Edition

Human Misery and Evil

¹ God plans for us humans to work hard from the day of our birth until we are buried in the soil from which we were made.

² We don't understand life, so we worry and dread the day that it will end. *

³ And each of us is bothered by troubling feelings— from the king, seated on his glorious throne and wearing his crown and royal robes, *

⁴ to the homeless in the street, sitting in dirt and grime and wearing worn-out clothes.

⁵ We are angry, jealous, or hateful; or maybe we feel guilty or are afraid of death. Sometimes we are confused by a dream,

⁶ or lie awake worrying about our work, and so we get little rest. We see ourselves running for our lives,

⁷ and almost reaching safety, then we wake up, amazed— it was all a dream.

⁸ The troubles that sinners have will be seven times worse than those of other people. Any living creature

⁹ can suffer a violent death when there is war or fighting, or they can die from disaster, horrible disease, or famine.

¹⁰ But God created these troubles to punish those who do wrong, as when he sent the flood.

¹¹ Animals and humans were created from the soil, and will return to it, just as water returns to the sea.

¹² What you gain by being honest will last forever, but wealth you get by bribery and cheating will disappear.

¹³ It will dry up like a stream in the summer heat, or quickly fade, like thunder from a passing storm.

¹⁴ And while generous people can celebrate success, those who disobey God will be failures.

¹⁵ Their children will be like trees growing out of a rocky cliff and having rotten roots and few branches.

¹⁶ They are like the tall grass that grows beside a stream— when the stream runs dry, the grass quickly withers.

¹⁷ But those who show kindness, especially to the poor, are gardens that always bloom with blessing after blessing.

What Is Good for People

¹⁸ It is good to have a job and earn your own money, but it is even better to discover hidden treasure.

¹⁹ Having wisdom is better than giving your name to your children or to a city that you have built. Cattle and fruit trees can bring you wealth, but a happy marriage is better than riches.

²⁰ Wine and music bring happiness, but if you love wisdom, you will be even happier.

²¹ A pleasant voice is sweeter than the music of flutes and harps.

²² Our eyes like beauty and graceful movement, but most of all, we want to see our fields becoming green with sprouting wheat.

²³ Having friends and neighbors is important, but being married is even better.

²⁴ Relatives and friends can help when you are in trouble, but the best help comes from giving to the poor.

²⁵ Gold and silver may give security, but they don't compare with good advice.

²⁶ Many trust wealth and power, but if you obey the Lord, he will give you whatever you need if you will just ask.

²⁷ If you obey the Lord, he will protect you and make your life a garden where blessings grow.

Don't Be a Beggar

²⁸ You would be better off dead than to be a beggar.

²⁹ If you have to beg for food, your life isn't your own, and you won't have any respect for yourself. If you are smart and have learned anything, you won't beg.

³⁰ No matter what beggars say, they really are ashamed of what they do.