Ecclesiasticus, 46

1. Mighty in war was Joshua son of Nun, successor to Moses in the prophetic office, who well deserved his name, and was a great saviour of the chosen people, wreaking vengeance on the enemies who opposed him, and so bringing Israel into its inheritance.

1. Jesus the son a Nave was valiant in the wars, and was the successor of Moses in prophecies, who according to his name was made great for the saving of the elect of God, and taking vengeance of the enemies that rose up against them, that he might set Israel in their inheritance.

2. How splendid he was when, arms uplifted, he brandished his sword against cities!

2. How great glory gat he, when he did lift up his hands, and stretched out his sword against the cities!

3. Who had ever shown such determination as his? He himself led the battles of the Lord.

3. Who before him so stood to it? for the Lord himself brought his enemies unto him.

4. Was not the sun held back by his hand, and one day drawn out into two?

4. Did not the sun go back by his means? and was not one day as long as two?

5. He called on the Most High, the Mighty One, while pressing the enemies from all directions, and the great Lord answered him with hard and violent hailstones.

5. He called upon the most high Lord, when the enemies pressed upon him on every side; and the great Lord heard him.

6. He fell on that enemy nation, and at the Descent destroyed all resistance to make the nations acknowledge his warlike prowess and that he was waging war on behalf of the Lord.

6. And with hailstones of mighty power he made the battle to fall violently upon the nations, and in the descent [of Beth-horon] he destroyed them that resisted, that the nations might know all their strength, because he fought in the sight of the Lord, and he followed the Mighty One.

7. For he was a follower of the Mighty One, in the time of Moses showing his devotion, he and Caleb son of Jephunneh, by opposing the whole community, by preventing the people from sinning, and by silencing the mutters of rebellion.

7. In the time of Moses also he did a work of mercy, he and Caleb the son of Jephunne, in that they withstood the congregation, and withheld the people from sin, and appeased the wicked murmuring.

8. Hence these two alone were preserved out of six hundred thousand men on the march, and brought into their inheritance, into a land where milk and honey flow.

8. And of six hundred thousand people on foot, they two were preserved to bring them in to the heritage, even unto the land that floweth with milk and honey.

9. And the Lord conferred strength on Caleb too, which stayed by him into old age, so that he could invest the highlands of the country which his descendants kept as their inheritance,

9. The Lord gave strength also unto Caleb, which remained with him unto his old age: so that he entered upon the high places of the land, and his seed obtained it for an heritage:

10. so that every Israelite might see that it is good to follow the Lord.

10. That all the children of Israel might see that it is good to follow the Lord.

11. The Judges too, each when he was called, all men whose hearts were never disloyal, who never turned their backs on the Lord -- may their memory be blessed!

11. And concerning the judges, every one by name, whose heart went not a whoring, nor departed from the Lord, let their memory be blessed.

12. May their bones flourish again from the tomb, and may the names of those illustrious men be worthily borne by their sons!

12. Let their bones flourish out of their place, and let the name of them that were honoured be continued upon their children.

13. Samuel was the beloved of his Lord; prophet of the Lord, he instituted the kingdom, and anointed rulers over his people.

13. Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, beloved of his Lord, established a kingdom, and anointed princes over his people.

14. By the Law of the Lord he judged the assembly, and the Lord watched over Jacob.

14. By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation, and the Lord had respect unto Jacob.

15. By his loyalty he was recognised as a prophet, by his words he was known to be a trustworthy seer.

15. By his faithfulness he was found a true prophet, and by his word he was known to be faithful in vision.

16. He called on the Lord, the Mighty One, when his enemies pressed in from all directions, by offering a sucking lamb.

16. He called upon the mighty Lord, when his enemies pressed upon him on every side, when he offered the sucking lamb.

17. And the Lord thundered from heaven, and made his voice heard in a rolling peal;

17. And the Lord thundered from heaven, and with a great noise made his voice to be heard.

18. he massacred the leaders of the enemy, and all the rulers of the Philistines.

18. And he destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians, and all the princes cf the Philistines.

19. Before the time of his everlasting rest he bore witness to the Lord and his anointed, 'Of no property, not even a pair of sandals, have I ever deprived a soul.' Nor did anyone accuse him.

19. And before his long sleep he made protestations in the sight of the Lord and his anointed, I have not taken any man's goods, so much as a shoe: and no man did accuse him.

20. And, having fallen asleep, he prophesied again, warning the king of his end; he spoke from the depths of the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.

20. And after his death he prophesied, and shewed the king his end, and lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.