1 How different the man who devotes himself to the study of the law of the Most High! He explores the wisdom of the men of old and occupies himself with the prophecies;
2 He treasures the discourses of famous men, and goes to the heart of involved sayings;
3 He studies obscure parables, and is busied with the hidden meanings of the sages.
4 He is in attendance on the great, and has entrance to the ruler.
5 He travels among the peoples of foreign lands to learn what is good and evil among men.
6 His care is to seek the LORD, his Maker, to petition the Most High, To open his lips in prayer, to ask pardon for his sins. Then, if it pleases the LORD Almighty, he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; He will pour forth his words of wisdom and in prayer give thanks to the LORD,
7 Who will direct his knowledge and his counsel, as he meditates upon his mysteries.
8 He will show the wisdom of what he has learned and glory in the law of the LORD'S covenant.
9 Many will praise his understanding; his fame can never be effaced; Unfading will be his memory, through all generations his name will live;
10 Peoples will speak of his wisdom, and in assembly sing his praises.
11 While he lives he is one out of a thousand, and when he dies his renown will not cease.
12 Once more I will set forth my theme to shine like the moon in its fullness!
13 Listen, my faithful children: open up your petals, like roses planted near running waters;
14 Send up the sweet odor of incense, break forth in blossoms like the lily. Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise; bless the LORD for all he has done!
15 Proclaim the greatness of his name, loudly sing his praises, With music on the harp and all stringed instruments; sing out with joy as you proclaim:
16 The works of God are all of them good; in its own time every need is supplied.
17 At his word the waters become still as in a flask; he had but to speak and the reservoirs were made.
18 He has but to command and his will is done; nothing can limit his achievement.
19 The works of all mankind are present to him; not a thing escapes his eye.
20 His gaze spans all the ages; to him there is nothing unexpected.
21 No cause then to say: "What is the purpose of this?" Everything is chosen to satisfy a need.
22 His blessing overflows like the Nile; like the Euphrates it enriches the surface of the earth.
23 Again, his wrath expels the nations and turns fertile land into a salt marsh.
24 For the virtuous his paths are level, to the haughty they are steep;
25 Good things for the good he provided from the beginning, but for the wicked good things and bad.
26 Chief of all needs for human life are water and fire, iron and salt, The heart of the wheat, milk and honey, the blood of the grape, and oil, and cloth;
27 For the good all these are good, but for the wicked they turn out evil.
28 There are storm winds created to punish, which in their fury can dislodge mountains; When destruction must be, they hurl all their force and appease the anger of their Maker.
29 In his treasury also, kept for the proper time, are fire and hail, famine, disease,
30 Ravenous beasts, scorpions, vipers, and the avenging sword to exterminate the wicked;
31 In doing his bidding they rejoice, in their assignments they disobey not his command.
32 So from the first I took my stand, and wrote down as my theme:
33 The works of God are all of them good; every need when it comes he fills.
34 No cause then to say: "This is not as good as that"; for each shows its worth at the proper time.
35 So now with full joy of heart proclaim and bless the name of the Holy One.
Versículos relacionados com Ecclesiasticus, 39:
Ecclesiastical 39 is a chapter that extols the wisdom of God and talks about the greatness of his works. In it, it is highlighted the importance of seeking divine wisdom and glorifying the Lord through his works. Below are five verses related to the topics covered in this chapter:
Psalm 111:10: "The fear of the Lord is the principle of wisdom; all who fulfill their precepts reveal common sense. He will be praised forever." This verse highlights the importance of fearing God and obeying His precepts as a way of acquiring wisdom and discernment.
Job 28:28: "And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord is wisdom; the departure from evil is understanding." Here it is again emphasized the importance of fear of God as the basis for wisdom, but the role of moving away from evil is also mentioned.
Proverbs 2:6-7: "For the Lord gives wisdom; of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He reserves wise to the righteous, is a shield for those who walk with integrity." These verses point out that wisdom comes from God and that it is a protection for those who live with integrity.
Psalm 104:24: "How many are your works, Lord! You have done them all with wisdom; the earth is full of beings you created." In this verse, the greatness of the works of God and the wisdom with which they were made is emphasized.
Proverbs 3:19: "The Lord with wisdom founded the earth; with understanding he established the heavens." Here it is stressed that God used His wisdom to create the earth and establish heaven. This reinforces the idea that wisdom comes from God and that it is important to seek it to understand the grandeur of his works.
Chapters: