Sirach — Chapter 35
The Offering of Obedience and the Prayer of the Lowly
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Hebrew–Greek comparison and notes · III. Wisdom
35:1 The one who keeps the law multiplies offerings; the one who attends to commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
35:2 The one who repays kindness offers fine flour, and the one who gives alms sacrifices a praise offering.
35:3 To withdraw from wickedness is the Lord’s good pleasure, and to withdraw from injustice is atonement.
35:4 Do not appear empty before the Lord, for all these things are for the commandment’s sake.
35:5 A righteous person’s offering fattens the altar, and its fragrance is before the Most High.
35:6 A righteous man’s sacrifice is acceptable, and its memorial will not be forgotten.
35:7 Glorify the Lord with a generous eye, and do not diminish the firstfruits of your hands.
35:8 With every gift make your face cheerful, and consecrate a tenth with gladness.
35:9 Give to the Most High according to His gift, with a generous eye according to what your hand has found.
35:10 For the Lord repays, and He will repay you sevenfold.
35:11 Do not bribe, for He will not accept it, and do not rely on an unjust sacrifice.
35:12 For the Lord is judge, and with Him there is no prestige of persons.
35:13 He will not show partiality against the poor, and He will hear the petition of the wronged.
35:14 He will certainly not disregard an orphan’s supplication or a widow when she pours out her words.
35:15 Do not a widow’s tears run down her cheek, and her cry rise against the one who brought them down?
35:16 The one who serves acceptably will be received, and his petition will reach as far as the clouds.
35:17 A humble person’s prayer has passed through the clouds, and until it draws near, he will certainly not be comforted.
35:18 He will certainly not withdraw until the Most High visits, judges in favor of the righteous, and executes judgment.
35:19 The Lord will certainly not delay or be patient with them,
35:20 until He crushes the loins of the merciless and repays the nations with retribution,
35:21 until He removes the multitude of the insolent and crushes the scepters of the unjust,
35:22 until He repays a person according to his actions and judges human works according to their thoughts,
35:23 until He judges His people’s case and gladdens them with His mercy.
35:24 Mercy is timely in the season of His people’s affliction, like rain clouds in a season without rain.
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.
35:1 Peace offering renders the sacrificial σωτηρίου terminology.
35:12 Prestige of persons retains δόξα προσώπου, the status-based partiality rejected here.
35:17 The pronouns make explicit the prayer’s approach and the supplicant’s comfort; the Greek is compressed.
35:19 The negative patience statement is retained as part of the judgment sequence.
35:22 Judges supplies the verb understood in the second half; actions and thoughts remain distinct.
35:24 His people supplies the contextual referent of the source’s singular his affliction; the rain comparison remains explicit.