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Click on title of any pericope numbered in red to access the original language text.
| 195. | Root of Wisdom |
| 6 | To whom has the root
of Wisdom been revealed? And who knows her subtle ways? |
| 8 | Only One is wise: he
is to be greatly revered, the Lord seated on his throne! |
| 9 | He himself created
her...; he set her out in all his works. |
| 10 | She is with all flesh according
to his gift, and he furnished her to those who love him. |
| --- Septuagint, Sirach 1:6-10 |
| 196. | Limit to Human Understanding |
| 21 | Do not seek what is
too hard for you; and what is too strong for you do not examine. |
| 22 | Consider what has
been set before you, for you have no need for what is hidden. |
| 23 | Do not belabor what is bigger
than your business [erga], for you have been shown what is beyond the understanding of men. |
| 24 | Taking up these things has made
many err; and a wrong conjecture has made their thinking slip. |
| --- Septuagint, Sirach 3:21-24 |
| 197. | The Scholar's Life |
| 1 | Yet he who dedicates
his soul and keeps his mind on the Torah of the Most High seeks out the wisdom of all the ancients and is preoccupied with prophecies. |
| 2 | He preserves the
statements of famous men and penetrates the twists of parables. |
| 3 | He seeks out things
hidden [apocrypha] in proverbs and dwells on the puzzles [ainigmata] of parables. |
| 4 | He serves among great (men) and is seen in the presence of leaders. He passes through the land of foreign nations to test the good and the evil among men. |
| 5 | He devotes his heart to rise
early for the Lord who made him' and petition in the presence of the Highest. He opens his mouth in prayer and prays for his sins. |
| 6 | If the great Lord (so) wills, he will be filled with a spirit of understanding. He will pour out words [rhemata] of wisdom and acknowledge the Lord in prayer. |
| 7 | He will correct his counsel and
knowledge and will keep his mind on hidden things. |
| 8 | He will reveal discipline in his
teaching and will glory in the Torah of the Lord's covenant. |
| 9 | Many will praise his
understanding, it will not ever be blotted out. Memory of him will not pass away and his name shall live to the last generations. |
| 10 | The nations will describe his
wisdom and the assembly [ekklesia] will proclaim his praise. |
| 11 | If he lasts, he will leave a
name (greater) than a thousand; and if he rests, he produced for himself. |
| --- Septuagint, Sirach 39:1-11 |
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