Sirach — Chapter 39
The Scribe and the Goodness of God’s Works
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Hebrew–Greek comparison and notes · III. Wisdom
39:1 Different is the one who gives his soul to considering the law of the Most High: he will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients and occupy himself with prophecies.
39:2 He will preserve the discourse of renowned men and enter into the turns of parables.
39:3 He will seek out the hidden meanings of proverbs and dwell among the riddles of parables.
39:4 He will serve among dignitaries and appear before rulers. He will pass through the land of foreign nations, for he has experienced good and evil among human beings.
39:5 He will give his heart to rising early before the Lord his Maker and petition the Most High. He will open his mouth in prayer and petition concerning his sins.
39:6 If the great Lord is willing, he will be filled with a spirit of understanding. He himself will rain down words of his wisdom and give thanks to the Lord in prayer.
39:7 He will direct his counsel and knowledge rightly and consider His hidden things.
39:8 He will reveal the instruction of his teaching and boast in the law of the Lord’s covenant.
39:9 Many will praise his understanding, and it will not be erased forever. His memory will not depart, and his name will live for generations of generations.
39:10 Nations will recount his wisdom, and the assembly will proclaim his praise.
39:11 If he remains, he will leave a name greater than a thousand; if he rests, it suffices for him.
39:12 Having reflected further, I will recount more, for I have become full like the moon at midmonth.
39:13 Listen to me, holy sons, and sprout like a rose growing beside a flowing stream.
39:14 Give a fragrant scent like frankincense, and blossom like a lily. Spread a scent and offer a song of praise; bless the Lord for all His works.
39:15 Ascribe greatness to His name and give thanks with His praise, with songs of lips and lyres; say this in thanksgiving:
39:16 “All the Lord’s works are very good, and every command will come to pass at its time. One cannot say, ‘What is this? What is this for?’ For everything will be sought at its time.
39:17 At His word water stood like a heap, and at the utterance of His mouth came reservoirs of water.
39:18 In His command is all His good pleasure, and no one can diminish His salvation.
39:19 The works of all flesh are before Him, and nothing can be hidden from His eyes.
39:20 From age to age He has looked upon everything, and nothing is astonishing before Him.
39:21 One cannot say, ‘What is this? What is this for?’ For all things have been created for their uses.
39:22 His blessing covered like a river and drenched dry land like a flood.
39:23 So nations will inherit His wrath, as when He turned waters into brine.
39:24 His ways are straight for the holy, but likewise stumbling blocks for the lawless.
39:25 Good things were created for the good from the beginning, and likewise evil things for sinners.
39:26 The first necessities for human life are water, fire, iron, salt, fine wheat flour, milk, honey, the blood of the grape, oil, and clothing.
39:27 All these are good for the godly, but likewise will turn into evils for sinners.
39:28 There are spirits created for retribution; in His anger He made their scourges firm. At the time of completion they will pour out strength and assuage their Maker’s anger.
39:29 Fire, hail, famine, and death—all these were created for retribution;
39:30 the teeth of beasts, scorpions, vipers, and a sword exacting retribution upon the ungodly to their destruction.
39:31 They will rejoice in His command and be prepared upon the earth for their uses; at their times they will not transgress His word.”
39:32 Therefore from the beginning I stood firm, reflected, and left this in writing:
39:33 “All the Lord’s works are good, and He will supply every need at its proper hour.
39:34 One cannot say, ‘This is worse than that,’ for everything will prove good at its time.”
39:35 And now sing hymns with all your heart and mouth, and bless the Lord’s name.
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.
39:6 Spirit of understanding is not given an unprinted personal identification; the condition if the Lord is willing is retained.
39:7 The scribe is provisionally subject of directing and considering; His hidden things refers to the Lord’s mysteries. The pronouns themselves remain compressed.
39:11 “It suffices” uses the impersonal sense of ἐκποιεῖ documented in the directly read LSJ entry IV.2. The publisher’s κ differs from Swete, p. 724, whose main text has ἐμποιεῖ, “it produces/creates for him,” with an unexpressed object. This is an edition difference, not evidence that the publisher has been corrected here. The precise sense remains open. [LSJ-EKPOIEO; SWETE-SIR]
39:12 The full-moon image renders διχομηνία.
39:26 All ten items are retained; blood of the grape preserves the image for wine.
39:28 Spirits can also evoke winds in the following natural forces; no specific named spirits are inserted.
39:31 The praise sequence ends here by editorial punctuation.