Sirach — Chapter 15
Wisdom and Human Choice
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Hebrew–Greek comparison and notes · III. Wisdom
15:1 The one who fears the Lord will do this, and the one who holds fast to the law will gain her.
15:2 She will meet him like a mother and welcome him like a wife of his youth.
15:3 She will feed him bread of understanding and give him water of wisdom to drink.
15:4 He will lean upon her and certainly not be shaken; he will hold to her and certainly not be put to shame.
15:5 She will raise him above his neighbors and open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.
15:6 He will find gladness and a crown of rejoicing, and inherit an everlasting name.
15:7 People without understanding will certainly not gain her, and sinful men will certainly not see her.
15:8 She is far from pride, and lying men will certainly not remember her.
15:9 Praise is not fitting in a sinner’s mouth, because it was not sent from the Lord.
15:10 For praise will be spoken in wisdom, and the Lord will cause it to prosper.
15:11 Do not say, “Because of the Lord I fell away,” for He will not do the things He hates.
15:12 Do not say, “He Himself led me astray,” for He has no need of a sinful man.
15:13 The Lord has hated every abomination, and it is not loved by those who fear Him.
15:14 He Himself made the human being from the beginning and left him in the hand of his own deliberation.
15:15 If you are willing, you will keep the commandments; to act faithfully is a matter of good will.
15:16 He has placed fire and water before you; toward whichever you wish, you will stretch out your hand.
15:17 Before human beings are life and death, and whichever a person chooses will be given to him.
15:18 For the Lord’s wisdom is great; He is strong in dominion and sees all things.
15:19 His eyes are upon those who fear Him, and He Himself will know every human deed.
15:20 He commanded no one to act ungodly, and He gave no one license to sin.
Source and editorial notes
Working translation preserved from the recovered manuscript of 8 September 2026. Declared source: Septuaginta, Rahlfs–Hanhart, 2006, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, publisher’s Greek main text. Independent linguistic and critical-apparatus review remains outstanding. Source-access and reception claims in the inherited notes have not been freshly revalidated. Chapter and section headings are editorial.
The translator’s prologue is separate from the 51 chapters. Its eight source units map to publisher labels 1, 1a–1g; main-text 1:1 maps to 1h. Source 5:15 includes material often numbered 6:1, so chapter 6 begins at 6:2. Source label gaps are preserved; no text is invented.
15:1 Her is wisdom, continuing the preceding chapter.
15:2 Wife of his youth renders literally wife of virginity; both maternal and marital comparisons are retained.
15:9 It provisionally refers to praise, rather than making the sinner the unstated messenger.
15:11 The publisher prints third-person οὐ ποιήσει, He will not do; this is not silently changed into a second-person command.
15:14 The hand-of-deliberation image is retained; the verse is not expanded into an entire philosophical account of freedom.
15:15 The second clause is compressed Greek, καὶ πίστιν ποιῆσαι εὐδοκίας; a matter of supplies the implied relationship. Its precise construction remains open. Verified reception: Augustine, On Grace and Free Will 3, cites 15:11–17 as affirming human choice. In chapters 31–32 he joins this commandment saying to Sirach’s prayers for help, arguing that grace strengthens the will to obey. This is his interpretation, read in the identified English translation. [AUG-GRACE]
15:17 The move from plural human beings to a singular person reflects the source.
15:20 Both negatives are preserved without qualification or harmonizing additions.